News
Social Media: What Children and Teenagers Should Pay Special Attention To
16 Sept 2026
Three psychologists from the Department of Psychology explain why social media captures attention and why critical thinking skills must be fostered.
Social media is designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible: endless feeds, autoplay, and constant comparison with others make it difficult to log off, explains Prof. Dr. Sarah Diefenbach, professor of business psychology and human-technology interaction at the Chair of Business Psychology. This is particularly problematic for children and adolescents.
Prof. Dr. Markus Paulus, holder of the Chair of Developmental Psychology and Educational Psychology, emphasizes that young people should not only be protected but also empowered to make independent judgments. Joint reflection and discussions within the family and at school are crucial—at the same time, platforms must be designed to support this development.
Prof. Dr. Zhuanghua Shi heads the MSense Lab at the Chair of Neurocognitive Psychology. He points to the unique developmental phase of adolescents: the reward system is more sensitive, while impulse control and attention regulation are still maturing. Even an unused smartphone can capture attention. Therefore, clear rules and age-appropriate guidelines must also be discussed.
You can find the full interview in the LMU newsroom.