New Challenges Related to Technology in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: Problems and Opportunities

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are developmental stages characterized by biological, cognitive, emotional, and social changes. In recent decades, the widespread access to digital technologies—including smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, online gaming, and interactive digital platforms, among others—has transformed how young people communicate, learn, build relationships, seek information, and construct their identities. These technologies offer unprecedented opportunities for education, creativity, social participation, access to mental health resources, and innovative forms of intervention. At the same time, concerns have emerged regarding problematic and excessive use, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, online victimization, misinformation, online gambling, social comparison, sleep disturbances, emotional problems, and new forms of social exclusion. Understanding technology use during these developmental periods requires moving beyond simplistic perspectives and adopting integrative approaches that recognize both risks and protective factors.This Research Topic aims to advance scientific knowledge regarding the complex relationship between digital technologies and psychosocial development in adolescents and emerging adults. We seek to move beyond polarized views that portray technology as either inherently harmful or universally beneficial and instead encourage evidence-based understanding of the conditions under which digital environments may promote wellbeing or contribute to psychosocial maladjustment. Recent advances have highlighted the need to examine not only problematic outcomes—such as social media addiction, problematic smartphone use, problematic gaming, compulsive online behaviors, cyberbullying, digital stress, and mental health difficulties—but also the potential of technology to foster resilience, prosocial behavior, learning, prevention, and intervention. Particular interest is placed on studies evaluating technology-based interventions, digital prevention programs, artificial intelligence applications, educational innovations, and mechanisms through which digital experiences influence developmental trajectories. This Research Topic seeks to integrate perspectives from psychology, education, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, public health, communication, and related disciplines.We invite empirical manuscripts that contribute original evidence on technology use among adolescents and emerging adults. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:• Social media use and problematic social media use• Smartphone overuse and digital dependency• Cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and online aggression• Artificial intelligence, youth development, and problematic use• Online identity formation and social comparison• Sleep, emotional problems, and psychosocial adjustment• Video games and gaming-related outcomes• Positive uses of technology and digital flourishing• Technology-based prevention and intervention programs• Longitudinal, cross-cultural, and developmental perspectives• Technology and educational outcomesWe welcome quantitative, longitudinal, experimental, quasi-experimental, intervention, psychometric, cross-cultural, and mixed-method empirical studies. Submissions should provide clear methodological rigor and advance understanding of both the opportunities and challenges associated with digital technologies during these critical stages of development Topic editors: Santiago Resett, Luciano Berardi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82859/new-challenges-related-to-technology-in-adolescents-and-emerging-adults-problems-and-opportunities