News
The UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent was featured in a new UCLA Magazine article highlighting the different UCLA researchers and Centers studying human connection. “Adolescents seek out bonding with other people,” said Adriana Galvan, our co-executive director. “During this time, our brains are reshaping themselves in a way that facilitates bonding. We are better at reading facial expressions, identifying what someone is feeling, and taking someone else’s perspective.”
Co-Executive Director Adriana Galván was quoted in a recent National Geographic article discussing the effects of social isolation and how social interactions can promote positive development during adolescence. “The success of ‘reversing’ negative impacts depends on the nature of the social isolation, the individual’s developmental history, and current context,” says Galván, “But, in general, greater engagement in social interactions, establishing meaningful relationships, and genuine support from others can help mitigate any negative impacts of social isolation.”
Adolescence is a critical time in development when we form our identities, explore the world around us, and build the skills we need to succeed economically in adulthood. Today’s young adults are coming of age in a world of uncertainty, with changing technological and economic landscapes. In a new joint blog post with the ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF, Jobs for the Future’s Erica Bouris and CDA’s Natalie Saragosa-Harris explore how adolescents navigate their careers and build their economic lives during adolescence, and offer ways to support young people as they navigate educational and career decisions during periods of economic uncertainty.
NSCA member Jacqueline Nesi was quoted in the New York Times discussing the recent Pediatrics article that suggests giving smartphones to adolescents before the age of 12 could pose health and well-being risks. “Giving a child a device with access to everything on the internet is going to be risky,” says Nesi, but “it’s incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get that kind of causal evidence on this topic.” Caregivers “do not need to wait for perfect evidence to make these kinds of decisions,” she explains; they should feel empowered to trust their gut and to hold off on giving their child a smartphone until everyone is ready.
For the third time in her career, Candice L. Odgers, a member of the National Scientific Council on Adolescence, UC Irvine’s Chancellor’s Professor of psychology, and UC Irvine’s director of research and faculty development, has earned a spot on Clarivate’s 2025 “Highly Cited Researchers” list.