Don't leave me out!

Abstract

Adolescents are anecdotally sensitive to peer rejection. Many people can vividly recall, even as adults, instances during their teenage years in which they were excluded by a particular clique or left 'out of the loop' about parties or social plans. Rejection is undoubtedly part of the social landscape in adolescence, but why do young people find it quite so distressing? One possibility is that ongoing brain development in regions involved in emotional processing, emotion regulation, and social cognition may contribute to this phenomenon. This development could have far-reaching implications, not just for how adolescents respond to rejection, but for mental health during this crucial and formative stage of development.