Developmental Psychology Department, PhD student
My name is Maria Teresa Maza and I am a graduate student in the Developmental Psychology program at UNC Chapel Hill. My research aims to explore how adolescents’ social, emotional, and brain development is impacted by and impacting digital media contexts. Specifically, I use neuroimaging, self-report, and community-based participatory methods to study how social media is uniquely transforming the landscape of adolescent social interactions. I also explore how individual differences among adolescents may determine the impact of social media on adolescent well-being. I am pursuing the participatory research certificate to gain skills for conducting research with adolescents rather than on them. Applying these tools, I aim to work together to co-create meaning from adolescents’ own lived experiences online thereby maximizing the benefit of the research for those it is meant to serve.