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19
Oct 23

Attitudes towards Gaming vs. It’s Potential Affect on Players

Gaming has been in the spotlight for some time as some people do not know how others may be affected by its influence. It is understandable to some extent because we as human beings want the best for those around us. So, when some people say gaming may have a negative impact on those who play, it is easy for others to say that is not true. This begs the question, do games really affect us as negatively as some of the media portray it does, and how much does media influence these views? Media is always influencing us, but experience with games can override opinions. Concerning games effects, not only does the genres of the game matter, but who is playing, our circumstances in daily life, and why we play these games.

As new forms of entertainment (or even technology) are created, people tend to pay attention to it more than other content. So, depending on previous attitudes toward similar content, their preconceived notion forms the idea that this content could be just as harmful. Along with that, people may spread their belief in person, through text, social media, or even the news. For example, BBC news made an article on gaming and how violence was connected, bringing up research that suggested that these games made players boys more violent (Kleinman, 2015). The problem is that they do not dive into how correlational studies do not give concrete answers, but just how related topics are to one another. If someone read this could be primed to think that any recent violence could be caused by games. Priming is when a scenario is brought up to you moments before, affecting how you see later scenario like the one you saw before (Gruman, 2017, pg.166). Some of the public can come to believe that games have a strong influence on children when the media portrays it often as such. But how much are people influenced by games?

According to research, games do have an influence on those who play, but more complex than the media portrays it. Gaming in a vacuum does not make someone inherently more violent, but many factors together along with violent games can make someone more violent. This is called an overdetermined behavior, when an action is done due to multiple causes (Gruman, 2017, pg.162). So, in one scenario, a person plays a game they like, it happens to be a violent game, they might buy a real-life weapon (gun, knife, bat) because they thought it would be cool. They might imitate the behavior now they have a similar object, which could desensitize them. Later in the day when they are driving, they are annoyed by traffic and someone honks at them, normally they would not do much else other than scoffing or honking back. But, in the presence of the weapon they could become more aggressive, threatening, or even committing a violent act. Their bad mood, their basic personality, desensitization of violence, coupled with the presence of a weapon, lead them to this overdetermined behavior they otherwise would never do. But does this mean all games produce violent behavior in the people who play them, no.

Games, at least to me (and some others), are just another form of entertainment that takes many forms for many different objectives. Entertainment is a way for people to relax, have fun, enjoy some competition, or even to hang out with others. There are puzzle games, cooperative games, farming games, and prosocial games that portray activities that even research states can make people perform more prosocial behavior (Gruman, 2017. pg.160). While there is much research on how violent television often is, there is a lack of such research in games. Oswald and his colleagues found through their content analysis, sorting descriptions from people’s perspective into themes for easier insight, that people gained overall positive experiences from games (Gruman, 2017. pg.161). Even games that were deemed violent help cultivate prosocial behavior, as most online games encourage cooperation.

In conclusion, the influence of gaming on individuals is not as straightforward, a one-size-fits-all issue as the media may portray. It underscores the need for a more nuanced and evidence-based understanding of the relationship between gaming and behavior, recognizing that factors beyond the games themselves play a role in shaping individuals’ experiences and actions. The type of game one plays, the personality one has, the message a game wants to give, and the circumstances we are in profoundly influence if we become more negative or positive from gaming. Media should always be taken with a grain of salt as it is easier to form controversial opinions on a topic than it is to understand the research and variety of experiences we can take from entertainment, like games.

 

References: 

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Kleinman, Z. (2015, August 17). Do video games make people violent?. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-33960075
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18
Mar 23

Media Violence and Desensitization

When it comes to media violence and aggressive thoughts, it is public knowledge or “talk” that watching, listening, or engaging in anything relative to violence would lead to aggressive behavior. We have seen this be talked about for years through news channels, blogs, and social media. With claims like “if your child plays violate video games, they will be aggressive in the future” or even older claims such as “if your child listens to rock, they will be aggressive”. For example, the textbook references a study from Roskos-Ewoldsen et al., 2007 mentioning that people who are exposed to a violent TV clip are more likely to think aggressive thoughts. (Gruman et al., 2016). Of course, there are more factors and variables involved in whether a child will grow up to have aggressive thoughts or show aggressive behaviors, such as their environment, and temperament. But the textbook does support the idea of consuming media violence and the aggressive thoughts that could stem from it.

According to Berkowitz’s (1984) neoassociationistic model of media priming, the presence of something representing or creating violates would increase the likelihood that one would have aggressive thoughts (Gruman et al., 2016). This relates to the idea of Network models of memory because there becomes a connection in our memory, associating these together. The example used in the textbook was that node in our memory links “gun” with “crime” so these could affect our behavior when fired.

My question is, currently is there still a correlation between media violence and aggressive thoughts or even behavior? Could it change in the future? The reason I came to this question is because of the exposure to media violence everyone gets (or has access to) with social media. With platforms such as Twitter and Reddit, where it doesn’t take much to see traumatic and inappropriate images and videos, many people are aware that they have become desensitized to violent imagery. For many, scrolling through their feed and seeing violent media wouldn’t really insight a reaction out of them or disrupt their day-to-day routine. We are also living in a time where hearing about violent acts, from news channels, social media, and even our community, is so common it many believe it is our “norm” now. So, the question rises, when hearing about and seeing so many violate acts, do the nodes in your memory change? For example, can the node for “gun” change from a link to “crime” to a link to “normal”? Is this possible?

The textbook covers this question by referencing experiences from Drabman and Thomas (1974), and Engelhardt, Bartholow, Kerr, & Bushman (2011). Many of these experiments conclude that “Desensitization to violence increases people’s tolerance of violence and decreases their motivation not to act aggressively, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will act violently” (Gruman et al., 2016). And when continuing my own research into this topic, I found the article Emotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents’ Violent Behavior, by Mrug, Madan, and Windle. This article is another experiment that shows the effect of exposure to violence and how it can be linked with emotional desensitization, especially in adolescents. They found that “emotional desensitization to violence in early adolescence contributes to serious violence in late adolescence” (Mrug et al., 2016). These experiments answer my question about the present, but I still wonder if this can change in the future.

Unfortunately, it is typical for people, especially heavy social media users, and adolescents, to find something violent, disturbing, or heartbreaking while scrolling through their feeds. Some may even interact with the post, like, comment, or even repost it. So, I wonder if all this media violence exposure could affect how we see violence, and how we react to it and engage with it. Based on research from the textbook and my own findings; desensitization will only lead to more aggressive thoughts and behaviors. Meaning if the node for “gun” gets linked to “normal”, in our society, it will still be attached to “crime”, so increased aggression may be due to “normal”, and “crime” inherently being linked together. But I still wonder if so, much desensitization could remove the crime entirely and just have “normal” as our main link. Is this possible? What could happen to get our society there?

Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications, Incorporated

Mrug S, Madan A, Windle M. Emotional Desensitization to Violence Contributes to Adolescents’ Violent Behavior. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016 Jan;44(1):75-86. doi: 10.1007/s10802-015-9986-x. PMID: 25684447; PMCID: PMC4539292.

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19
Oct 21

Cultivation Theory & Parenting: Are Kids Safe?

Addicted to Screens

In a generation that uses technology more than anyone ever has it’s important to understand how our beliefs and actions may be effected. According to a recent study done in 2020, American adults are spending on average 7+ hours browsing on their phone watching their television (Richter, 2021). This is an amazing amount of time for our minds to be influenced heavily by what we watch.

Cultivation Theory Explains the Consequences

Cultivation Theory seeks to understand the influence of TV specifically on our attitudes & behavior. According to our textbook, “Cultivation theory maintains that TV operates as the primary socializing agent in today’s world” and that “people begin to see the world as dangerous and ‘mean'” (Gruman, et al., p.169). Listening to crime podcasts or watching local news about a criminal who has evaded the police leads us to believe that we are more at risk of danger than we actually are.

We saw this during COVID when Americans were at home consuming more TV media. No matter what your beliefs were during the time – COVID exaggerated them. Some people wore HAZMAT suits or wore masks on a hike outside by themselves – things that the CDC never recommended but Americans did on their own due to fear. We also saw this politically as misinformation caused people to distrust the election process and storm the capital on January 6th, 2021 after they were convinced the government announced the wrong president-elect.

The Cultivation Theory also points to concerns about how we are raising the next generation.

Parenting in a ‘Dangerous’ World

Many of us have heard nostalic stories from our parents about the “good old days” when they would play outside, run around the neighborhood, catch a bus by themselves to run an errand and not having to return home until dark or for dinner. Hearing these stories, one would assume that the America we live in today is much less safe than it was back when they grew up. However, looking at Figure 1 you can see that violent crime has not been as low as it is today since the 1970s! However, parenting in the same way would be considered child neglect in the form of inadequate supervision.

Figure 1 (Below) from https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/americas-faulty-perception-crime-rates

The perception vs. reality of danger outside of our homes has huge impacts for the way we relate to one another and how we raise our children to interact with the world. I was ready to buy the latest video monitor with a sock that monitored everything from baby’s body temp to their heart rate and blood oxygen levels. The amount of technology that is out there allows us to have an illusion of control over the environment in which we raise our kids. However, this world doesn’t come fully customizable like our phones and we need to teach our children how to interact with the world themselves when it is safe to do so. My generation started to spend more time with helicopter parents who kept their kids indoors or kids who stayed inside playing video games. I truly believe that this time spent behind a screen led to the massive amounts of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues we see today.

As parents, we have to understand that one day our children will be adults and be able to make decisions on their own. The only way we can equip them to do this is if we give them age appropriate independence to help them transition into the world outside – even if watching TV leads us to believe the world is dark and dangerous.

 

Works Cited:

Eisen, Lauren-Brooke. “America’s Faulty Perception of Crime Rates.” Brennan Center for Justice, 16 Mar. 2016, www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/americas-faulty-perception-crime-rates.

Gruman, Jamie A., et al. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems, SAGE, 2017.

Lukianoff, Greg, and Jonathan Haidt. The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting up a Generation for Failure. Penguin Books, 2019.

Richter, Felix. “Infographic: The Generation Gap in TV Consumption.” Statista Infographics, 20 Nov. 2020, www.statista.com/chart/15224/daily-tv-consumption-by-us-adults/.

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27
Jul 20

How can we trust each other during this pandemic when most of the news is fake

Over the last few months, we’ve seen so much fake news and media, all with the same purpose, to invoke fear, or invoke riots and chaos among our society. The toxic combination of fake news and low levels of trust among people has resulted in worrying scenes of people gathering on beaches in very large groups, ignoring social distancing precautions set by the government, and you could easily argue, why wouldn’t they? They no longer know what to believe, and you can’t blame them for it. I myself, am finding it very hard to believe that COVID-19 even exists anymore. This is due to the media and its incontinences and false numbers in reports.

However, research found by Edelman in March 2020, found that after health authorities, employers were most trusted to respond effectively to the pandemic. This is very encouraging, especially as employees being to return to their workplace, it’s never been important that people follow the safety measures and trust the advice that their employer is giving them is correct. The consequences of non-compliance could be detrimental to our health and also to the viability of the business we work for. Just one confirmed case of COVID-19 can lead to the whole staff having to self-isolate, which is far from ideal, and can no longer keep going on.

So, as internal communicators, how do we make sure that the message is understood and trusted against the backdrop of fake news and conspiracy theories? We must create a single source of truth. Many internal communication teams have been doing this since the stay at home order began, creating one place that employees know contains up to date and accurate information. We must identify which channels are the most trusted and make sure that as employees return to their workplace, that they have access to this and it is updated on a regular basis. It is also very important to make sure there is alignment. Managers and leaders need to be aware of the key messages and repeat them, being weary as to not contradict or confuse their staff. They also need to be conscious of sharing external sources that have not yet been fact checked, or responding to questions that they are not yet sure of the right answer.

However, a single source of truth will only work during a situation like the one we are currently in, if the employees trust the communications they receive and have access to. Creating a dedicated website, or choosing a spokesperson is a good idea, but if trust was already suffering inside your business, then that will not change in a day. Building and retaining trust should be the key part in the way we communicate always, not just in these times and times of crisis.

We must also have empathy, as employees are more likely to trust that businesses that are fully prepared for their employees return to work if the communication they receive is correct and verifiable. This means that showing empathy while communicating, and remembering that while we have all lived through this pandemic, our individual experiences from it are very different. Business owners and managers must also acknowledge that people may have different feelings about returning to work. Some people may have concerns about their own health and well-being, while others may not, and some people may be grieving from losing someone they love to the pandemic. Others might be excited and eager to return to work, having spent too much time at home in isolation on their own, and in challenging circumstances. Business owners and managers should share their own experiences and what they found challenging about it with their employees, that way they make themselves more relatable and develop a trustworthy and intimate relationship.

It is also very important to remember to share stories from your first experience back to work with others who are just returning,  this will help others begin to visualize what it will be like and trust that the right decisions are being made, and mandatory precautions are in place. Remember to share some of your challenges as well, and what you have learned from going through this process and how you’ve adapted. This will help to ensure that the stories are authentic, and you will be more likely to be trusted among your colleagues. As much as people need to hear from their leaders, they are also more likely to trust the people them know are doing similar roles to theirs, or working in the same environments. In the book “Inside the Nudge Unit” David Halpern talk about the EAST model, which a framework created to help people apply nudge theory. The social element of the model talks about how we are greatly influenced by those around us (Halpern, 2015).

For example, even if we know that wearing a mask is the safer thing to do, if no one else is wearing one, that we are less likely to do it. That is why sharing stories can be a very successful way in encouraging the right behaviors by demonstrating others following good practice. The next few weeks and months to come will be a very important and critical time for businesses as they being to get used to the new reality. Internal communicators have a large role to play in developing and maintaining trust, in order to ensure that employees are not only informed, but are also displaying the right behaviors.

 

References:

Halpern, D. (2018, February 09). Inside the Nudge Unit: How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference – David Halpern (2015). Retrieved July 28, 2020, from https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/books/inside-the-nudge-unit-how-small-changes-can-make-a-big-difference-david-halpern-2015/

Edelman. (2020). Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and the Coronavirus [Pamphlet]. Edelman. Retrieved July 28, 2020, from https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2020-03/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Brands%20and%20the%20Coronavirus.pdf

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26
Mar 20

Is it news, or are we all playing telephone?

Telephone

Do you remember as a child playing the game “Telephone”?  Where you share a message and have to pass it on to your friend and they pass it on to their friend and keep it going?  By the end of the last person, the message is all mixed up from the original context?

In this day and age, communication gets more easily misconstrued.  With so much of communication and the media being today’s preferred choice in how things are relayed via technology.

The newer generation (Generation Z) seems to have been brought up with Ipads and cellphones and has a more difficult time understanding social cues and confusion can more easily arise.  It is the day and age of emojis and text messages and DM’s on social media.  The facial messages are left out, and up to the receiver to decide how they perceive the message or the call or the email they received.  (Forbes)

http://https://www.forbes.com/sites/julianvigo/2019/08/31/generation-z-and-new-technologys-effect-on-culture/#4007b1445c2a

The newer generation prefers digital and electronic modes of communication via technology.  (Forbes)  Older generations prefer the face-to-face connections.

There are advantages to both forms, and more advancements utilizing media and the new technology available to us all now, but misunderstanding can definitely take place a bit more easily like in the old childhood days of playing telephone.

References:

Vego, Julian.  Forbes.  “Generation Z and New Technology’s Effect on Culture.”  August 31, 2019.  www.forbes.com/julianvigo/2019/08/31/generation-z-and-new-technologys-effect-on-culture/#4007b1445c2a.  Accessed March 26, 2019.

 

 

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19
Oct 19

The Influence of The Internet & Media

The Internet has created super-fast flowing streams of information. Human as a biological being does not change its input/output parameters of information. When the streams accelerated dramatically, the long texts had to give way to the short texts. This has affected not only the volume but also the content. We have become people of both short texts and simple content.
Information technologies do not repeat each other at a new level, but begin to differ, not in terms of channels or media, but in terms of their fundamental characteristics, different from others. If the book was a carrier of knowledge, the Internet has become a different speed, that is, where a more important component is not knowledge, but transportation.
To recall the sensational article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr in the Atlantic magazine, which was followed by the book, he touches on the topic much more extensively (2008). Interestingly, after Gutenberg invented the printing press, Italian humanists talked about the future “intellectual laziness” that would come with books, that people’s brains would weaken (Winston & Edelbach, 1998). Now we hear the same words in relation to the Internet.
Our fear of the disappearance of the book under the pressure of the coming Internet is not yet justified. However, people are reading less, particularly children Naomi Baron believes that digital media is changing even language (2009). First, it’s a shift toward changing the rules. Second, it changes the control of our communication. And this is understandable since SMS messages do not have editors, only authors who do not always own the rules. By the way, spelling changes are clearly visible even to the naked eye. Baron surveys have shown that while reading online, students are more likely to be engaged in other tasks, it is easier for them to concentrate when reading printed publications. 91% chose the book for the case of concentration rather than other platforms. 43% reported problems with concentration and complained of eye fatigue (2017).
The Internet has created super-fast flowing streams of information. On them, as on fast rivers, built analogs of power plants-information search systems. They began to generate new energy — information, creating its potentially infinite variety, to which the human brain has not yet grown. A human being is essentially very inertial. But in the case of electronic communication, he was suddenly ahead of the rest. And now this result cannot be unambiguously estimated, either as a positive nor as a negative.

References:

Baron, N. (2009, March). Are Digital Media Changing Language? ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar09/vol66/num06/Are-Digital-Media-Changing-Language¢.aspx

Baron, N. (2017, December 6). Why Reading On A Screen Is Bad For Critical Thinking. Huffpost. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/read-on-screen-learning_b_6681500?guccounter=1

Carr, N. (2008, August). Is Google Making Us Stupid? The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

Winston, M., Edelbach, R. (1998). Society, Ethics, and Technology. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=g9g-MTzCIJ0C&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&dq=Italian+humanists+talked+about+the+future+intellectual+laziness&source=bl&ots=QMRO8wbLj8&sig=ACfU3U1-XLc19l6WFm24sDL-45MLv3g-mQ&hl=en&ppis=_e&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj50KfevKjlAhXLZd8KHWHaDZsQ6AEwAHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=Italian%20humanists%20talked%20about%20the%20future%20intellectual%20laziness&f=false

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18
Mar 19

Three sources of Media Monitoring

Nowadays, when you are in public you may constantly see teenagers, college students, and adolescents on their phones more than anything. What exactly are they on? What is occupying their time? Social media and dating apps seems to be the current social craze. Researchers found that about 80 percent of social media posts are self-focused, while around 30 to 40 percent of one’s speech is comprised of self-disclosing information about oneself to others (Mahamid & Berte, 2019).

Authors found that if someone is responding or talking about one’s own opinions, it promotes an increase in neural activity (Mahamid & Berte, 2019). Although social media is only growing, there truly is not a lot of professional assistance on how to correctly use it in a healthy or positive manner (Mahamid & Berte, 2019). Parents should monitor and time their children’s screen time on their devices because many times over the parents don’t know what websites or social media apps their children are even on. A nonprofit resource that was founded in 2003 for parents to read about reviews, different games, age-appropriate apps, books, movies, and television shows for their kids is called Common Sense Media. A link to this website can be found here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

The founder of Common Sense is named Jim Steyer, who is also an author of the book titled The other parent: The Inside Story of the Media’s Effect on our Children. The main message of that book to parents is that the media, television, and movies all have detrimental effects on adolescents. What’s interesting is that Jim recommended in the book that parents should put their children on health media diets, but this book was published back in 2003, before Facebook or any of the big social medias were launched except for Myspace. Jim’s main goal of Common Sense is to empower parents with the proper resources and information they need about technology and the media in order for them to advocate for their children (Our Impact, n.d.). Only three years after the launch of Common Sense, it instantly became the “largest independent source for media and technology reviews” back in 2006 (Our Impact, n.d.).There are many links on the Common Sense site, this link contains a parent blog https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog and there even is a parent concerns webpage found here https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parent-concerns as a source for adults to ask questions about anything related to the media or internet as a way of helping others to understand more through this digital age (Our Mission, n.d.). A few examples of some past-asked questions on the parent concerns webpage include asking about cyberbullying, questions on Youtube monitoring, and how much screen time is the right amount for their child.

The media is making more and more parental challenges. MySpace started back in 2003, where Youtube launched in 2005, Twitter started in 2006, and even Facebook changed its law into allowing 13 year olds to join in 2006 (Our Impact, n.d.). There is a drastic increase of adolescent’s time spent on their mobile devices because of these social media platforms. A study that tested the frequency of social media usage among 13 to 17 year olds found that 27% of teens are checking their social media hourly, while only 19% of teens do not use social media at all (Knutson, 2018). More statistics from this study can be seen in Figure 1 below.

Image source: https://d1e2bohyu2u2w9.cloudfront.net/education/sites/default/files/tlr-blog/frequency.png

 

Adolescents see more positive effects than negative effects regarding social media (Knutson, 2018). Researchers have found some common characteristics of addicted social media users such as poor impulse control, low self-esteem, depression, and feelings of social isolation (Mahamid & Berte, 2019). However, about 57% of teens do believe that social media distracts them from other tasks such as homework. This may be why texting is now considered the most favorable means of communication amongst teens even more than communicating in person (Knutson, 2018). A 2012 vs 2018 study compared the ways teens preferred way of communication, which found that the least preferred way is through video chatting at 10%. Additional information about the study can be found in the diagram below.

Image source: https://d1e2bohyu2u2w9.cloudfront.net/education/sites/default/files/tlr-blog/face-to-face-title.png

More research is being conducted to see what the correct amount of screen time is for adolescents. The American Academy of Pediatrics created the “Family Media Use Plan tool” that can be used for children of the ages of 18-24 months, 2-5 years, 6-12 years, and 13 to 18 year olds. The “Family Media Use Plan tool” creates a personalized media plan for your family. First you enter the name of your family, and your children’s names, and ages using the drop down menu. After that you are prompted to a page that allows the parent to decide what the device curfews are, what rooms the devices will charge in, what rooms are screen-free zones, what hours are screen free times such as before bedtime, while crossing the street, or during dinnertime, when it is appropriate to have recreational screen time, digital safety rules, and so much more. The tool allows you to selected predetermined options or you have the ability to type in your own responses to any of the categories. After the parent selects the appropriate categories and checks off the categories, the site will generate a personalized family media plan based off the results.If you want to create your own family media plan, please do so here.

Something else was created called the Media Time Calculator, which allows the parent to add their children’s media use into a personalized scale that tells you how much time is used for screen time, for chores, for reading, homework, family time, for sleep, and more. This calculator can help the child to see truly how much of their day is taken by their media use. To access the Media Time Calculator, feel free to find it here. There are also more media use recommendations provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) which involve setting the appropriate screen time of high quality programs for young children who are of ages two to five to only one hour a day (American, 2016). But for children who are a bit older than the age of six, their media screen time should be strictly limited in order to make sure media use does not deter their children’s physical activity or sleep schedule (American, 2016). The AAP recommends on having different media-free times throughout the day, as well as media-free locations in your house (American, 2016). The discussion of cutting out excess periods of the media from your daily life is considered a “media diet”. There are even sites out there who provide media diet pyramids as a way to help people to see the main problem of their daily media consumption. The underlying question here is, how will you consume your media and not let it consume your life?

References

American Academy of Pediatrics announces new recommendations for children’s media use. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Announces-New-Recommendations-for-Childrens-Media-Use.aspx

Knutson, J. (2018, September 10). What new research on teens and social media means for teachers. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/what-new-research-on-teens-and-social-media-means-for-teachers

Mahamid, F. A., & Berte, D. Z. (2019). Social media addiction in geopolitically at-risk youth. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 17(1), 102-111. doi:10.1007/s11469-017-9870-8

Our Impact. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/our-impact/

Our Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission

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16
Mar 19

The Mortifying Truth

Smile and nod, perhaps fake a laugh so they think you know what they are talking about. I became a master of reading the situation so that I would not have to reveal the mortifying truth of how disconnected I was from those around me. I was raised in a cult (and homeschooled) from a young age and was prohibited from the forms of media that other kids my age spent most of their free time consuming. I was not allowed to watch television or movies; even listening to the radio was forbidden. Most books (other than the bible) were taboo as was reading news articles and magazines. These rules were strictly enforced and refusal to abide by them was swiftly punished in a way you would feel for weeks. In an almost outlandish question, Schneider, Gruman, and Coutts (2012) ask “Can you think of anyone who does not listen to the radio, read newspapers or magazines, or go to see movies?” (p. 136). If you are reading this blog, you can now answer that question in the affirmative.

When I tell people about the way I was raised, some initially think it must have been great to have avoided the negative influences associated with the media, but I view the situation very differently. When I finally mustered up the courage to separate myself from the situation at the age of 23 (which resulted in being disowned by my family), I had so much to catch up on. I found that I was unaware of an embarrassingly large number of world events, was woefully uneducated on many topics, and had only seen a handful of movies. Most social communication is based on movie references, television shows, music, or recent news events. It is hard for most people I meet to imagine how truly disconnected I was from society. (For example, imagine someone making a reference to “not being in Kansas anymore” and having no idea what they are talking about.) It has been 10 years now and I am still trying to catch up on everything I missed growing up.

While it is easy to condemn the media and view its influence on children as negative, I believe it is a powerful tool that just needs to be utilized properly. According to Strasburger, Jordan, and Donnerstein (2010) media can foster empathy, increase acceptance of diversity, provide prosocial benefits, enhance children’s literacy skills and “foster social connectedness” (p. 756). It can also deepen their views of self, enhance their understanding of their community and the world around them (O’Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011). I believe that we need to be more focused on encouraging the right types of media that can improve the overall wellbeing of children and adolescents in addition to limiting their exposure to harmful media. I believe the most effective way to accomplish the goals of decreasing children’s exposure to the negative influences of the media and increasing their exposure to the media’s prosocial benefits is two-fold.

First, parents must be educated on how media can affect their children. Proper education for parents will help them understand that exposure to many forms of pro-social media (in moderation) is good for children. They also need to be educated about the detrimental effects on children of violence, pornography, drugs, alcohol, negative body image, etc. in the media. Importantly, because parents cannot control everything their children see, they need to understand how beneficial discussing these issues with their children can be. One of the most successful ways to mitigate the harmful effects of negative media exposure is to inform the viewer about the negative effects in advance (Schneider et al. 2012). If parents are taught to discuss these issues with their children, then we will see an increase in those individual’s ability to cope with the toxic side of the media.

The second way to help change the manner in which young people consume media is to educate them directly. I think it would be beneficial to introduce media literacy classes in our public school systems, starting at a young age, about how easily people are influenced by all forms of media. These classes should be ongoing, building on and deepening their understanding of the effects of media, throughout the entirety of a child’s school years. Young people need to be taught that what they read, watch, listen to, and participate in will influence their action and lives. They should be taught how to identify the nature of the media they are interacting with and how to either avoid it or use it to their advantage. Most adolescents will admit that others are strongly influenced by the media but underestimate their own susceptibility to being influenced (Strasburger, 2004).  This type of education will enable young people to voluntarily abstain from harmful influences and encourage them to seek out helpful, pro-social, and healthy forms of media.

 

References:

O’Keeffe, G., & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011). The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families. Pediatrics, 127(4), 800-804. doi: 10.1542/peds.2011-0054

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Strasburger, V., Jordan, A., & Donnerstein, E. (2010). Health Effects of Media on Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 125(4), 756-767. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-2563

Strasburger, V. (2004). Children, adolescents, and the media. Current Problems In Pediatric And Adolescent Health Care, 34(2), 54-113. doi: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2003.08.001

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21
Oct 18

The Stratifications of Information Access in the Digital Age

“One by one he would conjure up the world’s major electronic papers… Switching to the display unit’s short-term memory, he would hold the front page while he quickly searched the headlines and noted the items that interested him.”
— Arthur C. Clarke, 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey

The Stratifications of Information Access in the Digital Age

As social psychologists, we know that access (and its lack) to many different resources affects the well-being and development of individuals. We discuss discrepancies in the availability of housing, money, food, energy, education, and medicine and how these can impact individuals and society as a whole. Another resource often falls through the cracks in this conversation: information. Information encompasses all knowledge, not only that which is formally taught. Psychologists readily discuss formal education and have entire branches devoted to its study. Relatively little attention has been given to the broader resource of information and the impact of its presence or lack of availability.

The entire internet grew out of the desire and need to digitally share information. Its culmination was a huge leap forward for people who wanted or needed to be able to access lots of information quickly and efficiently. Jump forward a couple of decades and we are having conversations about how internet overuse is affecting youth, how the society is suffering, and how we are using the internet to make ourselves more depressed, lonelier, more disconnected, and lower in self-esteem. What in the world [wide web] happened!?

Information is very different from other resources in one key way: it does not get used up. The more it is shared, the more it growsrather than suffering depletion—whether for the betterment or detriment of those who consume it. Constructive information, when accessed, feeds the initial individual andthat individual’s ability to contribute to their society. But what happens when a resource has no bounds? The easiest comparison here is to equate the resource of information to that of food. Pretend that you have access to your very favorite foods, 24/7, no wait times, no questions, and the concept of “using up” a food or its source no longer exists. … Might you gain some weight in the next few months? Conversely, though, what if access to this limitless supply of food was still available, just not to you? And any other sources being to disappear? Though we are becoming all-too-aware of the negative effects of binge-level internet use, there are also those who are starved by the same system.

While development of information and communications technologies (ICTs) have created ways for information to easily be shared across the globe, by allowing money to sway the flow of information, they have also widened the gap between the rich and poor—both in terms of individuals and of entire countries (Britz, 2004). We have had to generate language to name the phenomena that followed their integration into society: information-poor, information-rich, digital divide, information poverty.

This year, Net Neutrality (U.S. Federal Communications Commission [FCC], 2015) was repealed in the United States (FCC, 2018). This allows an internet service provider (ISP) to give preferential treatment to any company and to slow the use of others. Although the administration termed this “Restoring Internet Freedom” (FCC, 2018), what this does is allow the companies which are able to funnel the most money into an ISP to receive better, faster service while slowing service to others. And that might not seem completely unreasonable, at first. In the U.S. we’ve grown accustomed to everything coming at a price—whether it is one we can afford or not. But this ability of an ISP does not only affect simple things or entertainment, as some tend to think of it. Internet service is much more than an individual user’s ability to catch up on streaming episodes of favorite shows.

In this same year, Verizon interfered with the functioning of fire fighters in the Mendocino Complex Fire of northern California (Dwyer, 2018). Being in the midst of a raging fire, it would make sense that teams would not be able to rely on landlines to coordinate efforts. Instead, they use the internet. But as they fought, their internet connection slowed to the point of being unusable. When Santa Clara County firefighters contacted Verizon for help, it was suggested they pay for an upgrade (Dwyer, 2018). Is this a type of information gap we can afford?

This also affects our ability to obtain current news. Most news sources are losing their ability to sustain printing practices, moving instead to online platforms (Bell, 2017; Ell, 2018; Grabowicz, 2014; Thompson, 2016). Limiting access to news restricts how informed the population is able to become on every variety of topic—whether it is medical advancement, natural disaster updates, or political issues on which a citizen is to vote. With every citizen in the U.S. having an important stake in upcoming elections, can we afford for some citizens to be less-informed than others? As hurricanes build and move toward us, can the country afford not to have access to the paths of these storms and shared information on how to escape them?

I am not so naïve as to posit that internet use is only for reading the news or fighting fires. But, even when taken in a much broader sense, internet availability not only affects individuals, but we teach each other how to use it as a group, as a community, and as a society (Tikhomirov, 1974). Along these same lines, as a society adopts new innovations, we collectively let the infrastructures which made possible whatever preceded them disappear. It isn’t only that we are alloweduse of the internet, it is expected. As internet use becomes the norms in schools, students with home internet access have better academic performance than those without, even when adjusting for economic status (Attewell & Battle, 2006). As it becomes the norm of society, unless previously informed otherwise, we expect others to be available to us at all times, within a matter of minutes (if not seconds). Previously-used modes of doing things may still be possible, but are reserved for those who have the time and other resources to purposely unplug from the demands of modern society. I love to write letters by hand, to cook over camp fire, to walk when I could drive. But if I used these methods exclusively due to an inability to access modern ones, I would soon lack any form of functioning within my community. It is the same for those to whom information access is limited.

As societies continue to evolve, if basic resources continue to be readily available to some and purposely withheld from others, we will be actively creating an ever-widening gap between those who are able to be a functioning part of their communities and those who do not have the tools to do so. In the case of information, there is no reason anyone should have to go without. This is not a zero-sum game. One person is able to have 100% of this resource while every other person around them also has 100%. If we do not want to actively create a population even more-prominently split between the havesand the have-nots, this resource, more easily than any other, can be made available, equally, to all.

________________________________

References

Attewell, P., & Battle, J. (2006). Home Computers and School Performance. The Information Society: An International Journal, 15(1), 1-10. Retrieved October 20, 2018.

Bell, M. (2017). Viewpoint: We broke the news media, how can we fix them?. In Newman, N., Flethcer, R., Kalogeropoulos, A., Levy, D. A., & Nielsen, R. K. (Eds.). Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2017 (pp. 28-31, Rep.). Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

Britz, J. J. (2004). To Know or not to Know: A Moral Reflection on Information Poverty. Journal of Information Science, 30(3), 192-204. doi:10.1177/0165551504044666

Clarke, A. C. (1968). 2001: A space odyssey. New York, NY: New American Library.

Dwyer, C. (2018, August 22). Verizon Throttled Firefighters’ Data As Mendocino Wildfire Raged, Fire Chief Says. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.npr.org/2018/08/22/640815074/verizon-throttled-firefighters-data-as-mendocino-wildfire-raged-fire-chief-says

Ell, K. (2018, February 13). New York Times CEO: Print journalism has maybe another 10 years. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/12/print-journalism-may-last-another-10-years-new-york-times-ceo.html

Grabowicz, P. (2014, October 17). The Transition to Digital Journalism. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/digital-transform/

Tikhomirov, O.K. (1974). Man and computer: The impact of psychological processes on the development of psychological processes. D.E. Olson (Ed.), Media and symbols: The forms of expression, communication, and education, University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1974), pp. 357-382

Thompson, D. (2016, November 03). The Print Apocalypse of American Newspapers. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/11/the-print-apocalypse-and-how-to-survive-it/506429/

U.S. Federal Communications Commission. (2015). Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet. FCC 15-24. retrieved from http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0312/FCC-15-24A1.pdf

U.S. Federal Communications Commission. (2018). Restoring Internet Freedom. FCC 17-166. retrieved from https://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2018/db0104/FCC-17-166A1.pdf

 

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21
Oct 18

How the internet gave me a family

They say you can’t pick your family and I say that’s a lie. I’ll just put this out there that my biological family for the most part give or take a few people (children excluded), are a bunch of self centered, self serving pieces of junk. I learned very early on not to count on them for anything and if i wanted anything for myself I’d have to bee just as self centered when it came to dealing with them if I wanted to survive. Which is why I am grateful for the internet, because it allowed me to choose my family. Suddenly my family became multicultural and I learned sympathy, empathy, sharing, what it means to support someone, and what it means to comfort someone again. I had forgotten that because my mom was too sick and most of my dealings came from the rest of my family who showed me none of this as my mom struggle and I struggled as a child to deal with a parent having a major illness. You’re probably wondering how this came about.

The internet being the big thing here, provided a means for escape and as we all know the internet gave a place for nerds like me to connect to our fellow nerds who held our same interests. Because it was a means of escape and a sign of the times before there was pressure to limit screen time, we all spent a great deal of time talking about our interests and playing games. Soon those topics expanded as we talked about our countries of origin, our career goals, our current lives, took part in celebrations even from afar, and comforted one another in times of crisis. We learned that we could count one another to send hugs when we needed them or validate us when we’ve just had an encounter with a creepy asshole. To you this may seem superficial and you’re probably wondering have I even met any of them.

The answer is I have met with some of them several times and with others it’s a little harder because they claim to live in Australia (but of course we all know that’s impossible because Australia is a place made up of trained actors to keep people in the dark about the world being flat). As well as Singapore which is not far behind on falling off the edge. So excuses on their part really. Because of my chosen family I was able to travel to Canada at a time I probably wouldn’t have otherwise been able too, I’ve now been to Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.  And to add to that I will likely end up in Argentina and Australia because of my family. The only thing better is when they can travel to me and I can show them my home and discover new places around my own home that I hadn’t yet explored.

Because of the internet I met my wife. Eventually I moved to Germany and am now partially bilingual. And  I know that because I moved to Germany, you think that I would have eventually made my way to other European countries, and yes I would have, but sometimes you can’t put a price on getting a good non-tourist experience in a country.

My world is grander because of them. It has been enriched which is more than I could ever say for most of my biological family. I am inspired to learn words in other languages just by knowing them I’ve picked up words or phrases in French, Spanish, and Dutch that I otherwise wouldn’t know. Although Spanish did have a little help from high school.  And you cannot put a price on a group of friends/family who share their knowledge rather than simply always taking from you.

Media/Internet can be an open door and sometimes the most magical connections happen that leave you changed forever. These beautiful strong women make up my family and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

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24
Oct 16

Is it Necessary?

Social media is quite an interesting thing. There is no doubt that the introduction of the media via television and new social networking avenues have radical changed human interactions. In the being, people were buzzing about the resources the internet could provide to make the world better place. However, today many people wonder weather or not the technologies of the 21rst century are actually as beneficial as once prospected to be.

Everywhere you look nowadays you will see at least one person with a cell phone in hand communicating with someone else not physically there. The internet has been great for families whom live apart, as it makes it much easier to stay connected, being able to call or facetime them whenever you want. IT also has allowed us to have instant access to an infinite amount of information at anytime we want. Additionally, this new technologies have aided in preserving the environment as now storing personal documentation such as photos, letters and videos eliminates the usage trees that would have other wise been used as paper.

Unfortunately, as great as this may sound, I am not convinced it is just as it appears. Although media may aid in getting stuff done more easily, that doesn’t mean it aids in making people better. Today many studies show that there is a multitude of negative effects that have resulted from the prevalence of media and the Internet. One study by Kessler et al. showed that in fact children are not learning the same processing skills as prior generations.[i] They are more reliant on spell check for spelling and a calculator for calculating that exercising their own brain. Plus, with the media constantly giving their two cents on every situation publicized, they are robbing young people of the ability to think for themselves. Additionally young adults tend to feel more isolated and alone, leading to higher rates of depression and anxiety, as they don’t know physically spend as much time as they may have in the past to uphold their relationships. Furthermore, (1 human+1 Human= another human) (1 human+ a computer= 1 human and their computer.) If we lose our ability to interact physically, we are unable to reproduce as it requires a face to face relationship. And Lastly studies show that people ar more violent and aggressive as a result of the constantly viewed violence in the media and on the tv.

Personally, I feel there are much greater issue social media poses. Everyone knows it is much easier to hide behind a computer screen than to deal with something face to face. However, face to face interactions are a necessary life skill that is only learned through ”getting out of one’s comfort zone.” If people today don’t have to go through the nerve racking experience of asking someone out for the first time, or giving their first two week notice, then they will be less socially equipped later on down the road. Ultimately the point I’m making is that, although technology when used appropriately is helpful, it can be very damaging if used as a crutch by someone who is “developing” and/or when “abuse” occurs. Life needs to be lived through the lens of experience, not the screen of a computer. WE must seek knowledge through experience and build physical bonds, or else the human race will cease to exist. I am not suggesting we extinguish media all together, as that is not possible. I am simply suggesting we use it with both moderation and caution. WE can all try a little harder to more frequently put down our computers and stepping away from our tv’s to live life first hand.

 

[i] Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication.

Kiesler, Sara; Siegel, Jane; McGuire, Timothy W.

American Psychologist, Vol 39(10), Oct 1984, 1123-1134.

 

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23
Oct 16

Wait… What?

The boob tube. The idiot box. The brain fryer.

Television has been called a lot of things, and it is no less a revolution in communication and entertainment for its colloquial nomenclature, but like all tools, it was both shaped by man and shapes him as well. In addition to the association between aggression and television as mentioned in this week’s reading (Ewoldsen & Roskos, 2012), the media might have another impact on our minds:  We might not just be watching programming but be programmed by it as well.

From its onset, television programs have been divided into segments, sandwiched in between commercial messages from their sponsors. Audiences soon learned to tune out what they deemed irrelevant through a sort of operant conditioning, anticipating when the content–or reward–would return and avoiding or ignoring what they didn’t enjoy. Advertisers employed several strategies to combat this inattention, from incorporating their products into the programs themselves to employing characters from the shows to appear in advertisements, like the Flintstones shilling cigarettes and beer (Pathak, 2013).

The Flintstones in a commercial for Winston cigarettes (image from Pathak, 2013)

The Flintstones in a commercial for Winston cigarettes (image from Pathak, 2013)

As the line between content and commercials began to blur, and as the cost of that content continued to increase, television began to feature more ads. An hour of television in 1952 hosted perhaps eight minutes of ads; 50 years later, 20 minutes of that hour would air commercials (Schmidt, n.d.). Yet even as the commercial breaks grew longer, the ads themselves became progressively shorter. The initial 60-second clip was shortened to 30 in the 1970s, halved again to 15 in the 1990s, and sometimes appear as 5-second shorts today (Elliott, 2005). Much like the interdependent connection between the two established earlier, television content soon mirrored its ads. About 50 percent of news stories now are the length of a commercial–30 seconds or less–and the average soundbite is less than 8 (Jurkowitz et al., 2013; Fehrman, 2011). Is it any wonder that our attention may have followed?

(Image by Digital Brew, 2016)

(Image by Digital Brew, 2016)

The correlation between attention and television has been established in several studies. Two longitudinal studies that evaluated over a thousand children each found a strong correlation between television viewing habits in early childhood and later attention problems (Christakis et al., 2004; Landuis et al., 2007). More remarkable still, the effect of television on attention held constant even when the researchers controlled for other potentially confounding variables like socioeconomic status, early cognitive ability, early attention problems (Landuis et al., 2007) and characteristics of the mother, such as her age and whether she suffered from mental illness or substance abuse (Christakis et al., 2004). Both teams (Landuis et al., 2007; Christakis et al., 2004) postulated that television’s effects are cumulative and dose dependent in that the younger viewers start and the more they watch, the more significant the effects on attention.

“Brains are being rewired,” said Dana Boyd of Microsoft in a 2015 study the company did on attention and the media, although “any shift in stimuli results in a rewiring.” In other words, our minds adapt to the environment we expose them to, and our environment is now more media-rich than ever before. In 2000, when television reigned supreme over other forms of media and over our free time, the average human attention span was 12 seconds; in 2013, in the era of smartphones and dual-screening, it shrunk to 8, which is one second less than that of a goldfish (Microsoft, 2015). More than this, Microsoft (2015) found that the more forms of media a person uses, especially at once, the more their attention span suffers.

Surprised? He is too! (Oakley, 2016)

Surprised? Wait… Why is that again? (image from Oakley, 2016)

Unlike a goldfish, though, humans have the ability to keep information in their working memory for an indefinite amount of time if we choose to. While Microsoft’s researchers (2015) found that attention spans may be negatively correlated with media use, they also determined that the more participants used media the better they were at encoding information if their attention was engaged. In other words, television and the media may have increased our distractability and willingness to seek novelty and entertainment elsewhere if we’re bored, but it has not prevented us from diving deep into something that captures and keeps our interest, like Netflix binges, and remembering it afterwards. Perhaps Netflix itself, as an ad-free service, might even reverse attention the trend in time.

Television and advertising may have affected our attention spans, but so has nearly everything else in our environment. Our minds adapt and rewire themselves according to what we feed them, so our minds are made in our own image. The more of a role the media in general and television in particular plays in our lives, the more our minds adapt accordingly. Television is a tool, just like the telegraph and newspapers before it, and while it may shape us just as we shape it, we can still determine the impact it has on our lives. We can turn it off. Or at least skip the ads.

(Image by Wilson, 2012)

(Image by Wilson, 2012)

References

Christakis, D.A., Zimmerman, F.J., DiGiuseppe, D.L., & McCarty, C.A. (2004). Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. Pediatrics, 113(4), 708-713. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2004.00456_4.x

Digital Brew. (2016). Brief advice on videos for short attention spans [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.digitalbrew.com/tag/attention-span/

Elliott, S. (2005, APril 8). TV commercials adjust to a shorter attention span. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/08/business/media/tv-commercials-adjust-to-a-shorter-attention-span.html?_r=0

Ewoldsen, D.R., & Beverly Roskos, B. (2012). Applying social psychology to the media. In F.W. Schneider, J.A. Gruman, & L.M. Coutts (Eds.) Applied social psychology:  Understanding and addressing social and practical problems (2nd ed.). (135-163). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Fehrman, C. (2013, July 20). The incredible shrinking sound bite. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/01/02/the_incredible_shrinking_sound_bite/?page=full.

Jurkowitz, M., Hilton, P., Mitchell, A., Santhanam, L., Adams, S., …, & Vogt, N. (2013). The changing TV news landscape. The Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://stateofthemedia.org/2013/special-reports-landing-page/the-changing-tv-news-landscape/

Landhuis, C.E., Poulton, R., Welch, D., & Hancox, R.. (2007). Does childhood television viewing lead to attention problems in adolescence?:  Results from a prospective longitudinal study. Pediatrics, 120, 532-537. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-0978

Microsoft. (2015). Attention spans. Microsoft Canada. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjm1YuMu_DPAhUCLyYKHX8ECVMQFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fadvertising.microsoft.com%2Fen%2FWWDocs%2FUser%2Fdisplay%2Fcl%2Fresearchreport%2F31966%2Fen%2Fmicrosoft-attention-spans-research-report.pdf&usg=AFQjCNH9ESnw0PZxSj4N2L4ARL3Vme7sqQ&sig2=Mmfzh6ZaCNUTIizL3zIFJQ&bvm=bv.136593572,d.cWw

Pathak, S. (2013, April 2). Yabba dabba cough!:  Flashback to wen the Flintstones shilled cigarettes. Ad Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/rewind/yabba-dabba-cough-flintstones-shilled-cigarettes/240572/

Oakley, N. (2016, July 28). Owning one pet goldfish is illegal in Switzerland–and the reason might make you feel guilty [Image]. The Mirror. Retrieved from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/owning-one-pet-goldfish-illegal-8511105

Schmidt, W. (n.d.). How much TV commercial length has grown over the years. Retrieved from http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/commerciallength.htm

Wilson, C. (2012). Television zombie [Image]. Redbubble. Rpt. by http://www.sparklyprettybriiiight.com/ill-have-a-zombie-with-that-the-pop-culture-mainstreaming-of-sci-fi-and-fantasy/

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27
Sep 16

New POTUS job requirement: “A presidential look”

What, exactly, comprises the “presidential look” that according to Republican candidate Donald Trump, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lacks? Although he demurs when asked for specifics, stating “I’m just talking about general,” (Parker, 2016), it can be concluded based on his former comments about women in general and former female political opponent Carly Fiorina in particular that there are gender politics at play in his remarks (Estepa, 2015). Unfortunately, Trump is not alone in his doubts about whether someone who looks like Clinton (i.e. female) would be able to project the aura of authority the office of the Presidency requires. The uncomfortable truth is that hidden sexism operates in our society, and many of us are uneasy with seeing women in a powerful role.

Penn State psychology professor Terri Vescio explains the gender bias that operates in the political sphere as a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situation, in which “the more female politicians are seen as striving for power, the less they’re trusted and the more moral outrage gets directed at them…[because] if you’re perceived as competent, you’re not perceived as warm. But if you’re liked and trusted, you’re not seen as competent” (Bush, 2016). This catch-22 for women in politics (and in business) undermines their support among both men and women, and because much of it is implicit bias, it is often unrecognized. For example, even within the Obama administration female staffers often had to struggle to make their voices heard until they struck upon a strategy of “amplification” whereby they mutually drew attention to each other’s significant contributions in order ensure that the proper party received credit for the idea (Eilperin, 2016). I point this out in order to be clear that sexism is an issue that transcends political party affiliation, and therefore we all stand to lose out if valuable contributions from women are silenced by oppression either blatant or subtle.

Hostile sexism is easier to recognize for what it is, but there is another side to sexism that is more insidious: benevolent sexism. For example, I would describe myself as a feminist, but when I took the “Are You Sexist” quiz offered by PBS.org, my results indicated that I hold a fair degree of subtle gender prejudice:

screen-shot-2016-09-26-at-4-06-57-pmI encourage you to click the link above and see your own results – you might be surprised at what you learn about yourself. Anyone familiar with the Harvard implicit bias tests will recall that we don’t have to hold explicitly negative beliefs about others to be influenced by bias. Our implicit beliefs can lead us to behave in a manner which is discriminatory while we simultaneously think of ourselves as fair and considerate.

When you combine elements of hostile and benevolent sexism you get ambivalent sexism. We can see the interplay of these elements in Donald Trump’s statements about women, both positive and negative. Recently, professor Peter Glick, who along with Susan Fiske proposed the tripartite understanding of sexism stated, “Trump’s views are consistent with conventional ideologies that view women as wonderful…but with a catch” (Glick, 2016).

“Heterosexual men’s intimate interdependence on women (as objects of desire, wives, and mothers), fosters a ‘benevolent’ side to sexism. Benevolent sexism encompasses genuine warmth toward women, but only when they support rather than challenge men’s status, power, and privileges” (Glick, 2016).

Regardless of which candidate we choose to vote for in the upcoming election, I hope that we will all pay closer attention to our own assumptions about gender and competence. Often we hold women to different standards than men without realizing that we are doing so. In light of what I’ve learned in in this course (particularly Swim and Hyer’s (1991) research regarding women’s responses to sexist comments), I will not only strive to resist social pressure to silence myself, but will also do more to support other women as they work to make their voices heard. If enough men and women do the same, perhaps we can arrive at a point sometime in the future when saying that a female political candidate doesn’t look “presidential” will fail to cause some of us to nod in agreement.

Resources:

Allen, J. (2016, July 21). Anti-Hillary Clinton rhetoric has become dangerous and violent. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from American, http://www.rushhourdaily.com/anti-hillary-clinton-rhetoric-become-dangerous-violent/

Bush, D. The hidden sexism that could sway the election. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/features/hidden-sexism/

Eilperin, J. (2016, September 13). White house women want to be in the room where it happens. Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/09/13/white-house-women-are-now-in-the-room-where-it-happens/

Estepa, J. (2015, September 10). Donald Trump on Carly Fiorina: “Look at that face!” . Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/09/10/trump-fiorina-look-face/71992454/

Glick, P. (2016). Benevolent sexism and the art of the deal. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-enquiry/201609/benevolent-sexism-and-the-art-the-deal

Parker, A. (2016, September 7). Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton Doesn’t have “a presidential look.” Politics. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/donald-trump-says-hillary-clinton-doesnt-have-a-presidential-look.html

Santhanam, L. (2016, August 10). Are you sexist? Take this quiz. . Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/are-you-sexist-take-this-quiz/

 

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14
Mar 16

Social Media Affects Self-Esteem

635898549947643076754984903_social media

Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have been known to affect a users self-esteem. Self-esteem is defined as an individuals overall subjective emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. It is a judgment of oneself as well as an attitude toward the self. The opportunities for adolescents to form and maintain relationships within social media and on the internet has multiplied within the past several years. Valkenburg, Peter, and Schouten (2006), conducted a study to investigate the consequences of friend networking sites for adolescents’ self-esteem and well-being. The researchers conducted an online survey among 881 Dutch adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age. The researchers measured social self-esteem, well-being, use of friend networking sites, frequency of reactions to profiles, and tone of reactions to profiles. The research concluded that 49.3% of the reactions to their profile were predominantly negative and 28.4% of the reactions were predominantly positive. The percentages indicate the correlation between social media and self-esteem. Lets be honest, individuals within my generation seek specific things when “lurking” on an individuals profile. Such as the men in my generation follow and seek women on social media who tend to show a lot more skin than they should. The women on Instagram who do not have any issues bearing skin have a high amount of followers over 1,000. Women lurk on a man’s page seeking for their materialistic items such as cars, money, and the way a man dresses. Instances such as these causes low self-esteem to individuals who do not portray these specific items or lifestyles on social media.

USA Today asked 23 Chicago college students about social media and 20 out of 23 students believed social media caused anxiety or added stress to an individual’s life. One female college student believed that social media adds a lot of pressure to be the perfect person, because that’s how individual’s can make themselves look online. A lot of women on social media with low self-esteem issues show their skin and wear revealing outfits to feel “better” about their own body by taking into account how many likes on Instagram or Facebook they receive. The college students have realized it is easy to portray a different version of themselves on the internet. Individuals believe the number of likes on Facebook/Instagram or retweets on Twitter is used as a tool of verification for acceptance within their group of peers. This can cause a domino effect of problems on an individuals self-esteem. An individual will post photos that are outside their character just to seek approval through likes from their peers. This may boost an individuals self-esteem temporarily, but once he or she logs off social media their self-esteem really hasn’t improved.

References

1. Valkenbur, P. M., Peter, J., & Shouted, A. P. (2006). Friend Networking Sites and Their Relationship to Adolescents Well-being and Social Self-Esteem. Friend Networking Sites and Their Relationship to Adolescents Well-being and Social Self-Esteem, 9(5), 584-590. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Patti_Valkenburg/publication/6761621_Friend_networking_sites_and_their_relationship_to_adolescents’_well-being_and_social_self-esteem/links/5422d8660cf26120b7a63756.pdf

2.Tally, K. (2014, October 21). Does social media affect students self-esteem? Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://college.usatoday.com/2014/10/21/does-social-media-affect-students-self-esteem/

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09
Mar 16

Social Media and Health Care

No need to call the receptionist and set up those doctor appointments-send a quick Facebook message instead- doc is now your bestie on social media! In this post, the topic of health care and social media will be explored.

In a recent AMA Journal of Ethics article “Why Can’t We Be Friends? A Case-Based Analysis of Ethical Issues with Social Media in Health Care,” researchers Kayhan Parsi and Nanette Elster explore several case studies that threaten to down grade the benefits of social media in the health care realm. The article explains some benefits of social media in health care. These benefits include quicker government responses to health emergencies, increases healthy lifestyle awareness, people with diseases can increase connections with others and spread awareness, helps doctors find new patients, and doctor office’s can post updates for patients and find new cliental. Although the benefits of using social media making revolutionary positive impacts in health care, the use of social media can often enter risky territories.

Social media in health care can deteriorate the fine lines between business and person realms. This includes ethical issues such as doctors and medical students posting personal information regarding their patients, and patients stalking doctors; in fact, “A 2009 study published in JAMA revealed that 60 percent of medical schools surveyed ‘reported incidents of students posting unprofessional online content” (Parsi et. al, 2015). Social media has opened the doors for privacy breeches that threaten the doctor-patient confidentiality. Other issues using social media in health care are documented in the following case studies: A medical student traveled to the Dominican Republic and shares photographs of herself and locals (patients) in the area on her social media accounts. How is she to receive consent for sharing these photographs of her patients? Some may argue that incidents like these violate privacy laws and ethical norms (Parsi et. al, 2015). The next case study explores negative consequences of using social media on private practice. Several Physicians working in private practice recently butted heads when one of the Physicians publically posted political health care criticisms on his twitter page. The others working with him felt his comments would negatively impact their private practice. This case study shows that social media can also impact private practice and aggregate business endeavours. Other incidences include sharing personal information regarding patients, or even more making fun of patients as an attempt to “vent” to friends and family.

Some of the social media misuse in the health care system can be attributed to American’s addiction to using social media. This social media addiction and impulse expands from one’s personal life and into the public sector; therefore, making it an easy tool to misuse. When a social media user in engaging in this activity and receives “likes” and “shares” on their posts and pictures, these psychological rewards stimulate dopamine and oxytocin in the brain. Researcher Courtney Seiter explains: “In 10 minutes of social media time, oxytocin levels can rise as much as 13%—a hormonal spike equivalent to some people on their wedding day.” This is the source of social media addiction and can cause users to seek more attention (good or bad) in order to keep stimulating these receptors in the brain. Some questions to consider: Are these negative components in health care part of using social media, or are their ways to monitor and prevent these incidents from occurring?

References

Parsi, K., & Elster, N. (2015). Why Can’t We Be Friends? A Case-Based Analysis of

Ethical Issues with Social Media in Health Care. AMA American Medical Association, 17(11), 1009-1018. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2015/11/peer1-1511.html

Seider, C. (2015, August 10). The Psychology of Social Media. Retrieved March 09, 2016, from https://blog.bufferapp.com/psychology-of-social-media

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26
Oct 15

Real Beauty

dove

Our generation has an unprecedented ability to communicate with each other no matter where we live. As a woman in her early twenties, I have seen and felt first hand the effects of sexualization and skinny-ization by mass media and social networks. I have felt the anxiety of teenage body issues, despite being an active athlete who was in shape. I have seen the struggle of my friends dealing with their constant body issues. Growing up in the media and advertisement driven environment has been a first time experiment being conducted all around the world. Ad critic Jean Kilbourne estimates that the average American encounters 3,000 advertisements a day. She also estimates that 50% of THREE to SIX year olds have issues with their weight. When children’s only concern is supposed to be when they can go outside to play with their friends and when they can take a nap, they are instead concerned with how they look. Not only are women sexualized for almost every single product out there, including food and school supplies, women are then told to hide their bodies. There are so many different messages that our society feeds young girls and women.

The Dove Brand has started a campaign (2004) targeted at increasing body acceptance. The brand has released ads both print and commercial, to promote healthy real bodies. Its goals are to start a conversation about the need “for a wider definition of beauty” and by using women of all shapes and sizes in their ads. A study done by The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report found that only 2% of women considered themselves as beautiful. In 2011, seven years after the original study, women now consider themselves beautiful. A small increase, but it was still an increase. I think that more campaigns like the one done by Dove need to be started. Body confidence translates into self-confidence, and causes less anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. I love being able to look at a billboard and being able to relate to the women for once.

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/features/advertisings-toxic-effect-on-eating-and-body-image/

 

http://www.dove.us/social-mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx

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25
Oct 15

A Culture of Fear

24-Hour News Coverage and Parenting Styles

Crime is down in this country. Over the past 25 years, America has seen a dramatic reduction in criminal violence that has cut the crime rate in half since it peaked in the early 1990s (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2015). Young parents today are raising their children in an undeniably safer environment than the last generation’s, and yet for many, the idea of allowing one’s children to walk home from school unsupervised is unthinkable. So why the discrepancy between current crime statistics and public belief that our neighborhoods are no longer safe? Why are parents so afraid of the world? One reason could be constant access to 24-hour sensationalized news networks.

Turn on the television or browse the internet long enough and you will eventually encounter some variation of fear-based news coverage: mass shootings, vehicular accidents, sexual slavery, terrorist attacks, Amber alerts, drug trafficking, impending natural disasters. This is the result of highly competitive, anything-for-a-story journalism that depends on viewer beliefs that the world is a dangerous place. But what actually happens when we are exposed to emotionally-charged depictions of violence in the media on a daily basis? Research suggests that frequent exposure to violent images can have a lasting negative impact on psychological well-being. In a study of 116 journalists working with uncensored photos and videos, researchers found that frequently viewing disturbing images independently predicted higher scores on scales measuring depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and alcohol consumption (Feinstein, Audet, & Waknine, 2014). This supports the theory that continual exposure to violent media and fear-based news contributes to feelings of pessimism and demoralization. In short, sensationalized news coverage is making us overly fearful of our world.

It isn’t difficult to see how such widespread uneasiness would inevitably impact parenting styles on a societal level; parents are naturally driven to protect their children. A general pessimism over the state of our country and world has led to an obsession with safety and well-intentioned parenting practices that deny children the freedom to take risks and make mistakes. Children must be allowed some measure of independence in order to discover their world and their place in it. In attempting to provide adequate protection from perceived environmental threats, paranoid parents may actually be denying their children the experiences necessary for the development of competent risk management (O’Neill & Fleer, 2015). Safety-conscious parenting techniques that once would have been disapprovingly referred to as “coddling” are now the norm and parents who allow their children basic freedoms such as walking home from school are subject to accusations of neglect.

Sensationalized, fear-based news stories prey on our natural insecurities and encourage us to erroneously believe in rising crime rates and unsafe neighborhoods. This leads to overprotective parenting and children who are afraid to take chances. So what can people do to insulate themselves from the fear mongering of 24-hour news coverage? Until media outlets start to value truth over money-making, we will have to learn to protect ourselves at the individual level against feelings of pessimism and panic. One way to do this is to set personal boundaries – limit your exposure to unpleasant or violent media by avoiding sensationalist stories. Don’t be a passive consumer, and don’t allow fear to rule your life and the way you treat others. Parents must manage their fears in a way that doesn’t interfere with raising healthy, resilient, competent children.

References

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2015). Crime statistics. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats

Feinstein, A., Audet, B., & Waknine, E. (2014). Witnessing images of extreme violence: a psychological study of journalists in the newsroom. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 5(8), 1-7.

O’Neill, S. & Fleer, M. (2015). Better than bubble wrap: do we “over regulate and over protect” children at the expense of them learning how to “take risks”? Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education, 9(1), 111-127.

Pain, R. (2006). Paranoid parenting? Rematerializing risk and fear for children. Social & Cultural Geography, 7(2), 221-243.

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24
Oct 15

The Agenda of the Media

Many of us look to the media for the latest political or social news. I know that I love listening to NPR on my way to work, or to have CNN running in the background when I am at home trying to multitask! But how much of the information is based on objective content? Part of why we sometimes tune in is because we want to know what Wolf Blitzer thinks about a given situation, we want to know if we should agree or disagree with the rulings of major court cases. So, the media tells us, the media uses key works  and images that give us a scandal spin on the story. When Justin Biber was arrested for drunk driving, they showed his mug shot. First of all, that was not news worthy, but they could have shown us a picture of him from his last concert or from him in a suit, but they chose to add drama and shape the way we feel about him.

If we look at the Bengazi hearings, we see another example of agenda setting, this time it is the government that wants to shine light on something. The conservatives are dragging Secretary Clinton into the lime light with more then 7 hearings on the same issue and there has not been a result. It started out being an investigation into what happened, then turned into finding out if Clinton was negligent, and now it seems that they are just looking to pin something on her. Perhaps, the conservative party wants to tarnish her image with the American people for the 2016 election.

Planed Parenthood, school shooters, and many other incidences have been brought to the media and the people that we rely on for unbiased reporting of the facts, give us what they want us to see.

The government has a saying when they don’t want the public to know something happened but they still need to report it in press meetings, and that is “Send it out with the Trash.” The Whitehouse delivers any bad news on Fridays at the end of the business day, that is considered the trash, because the press corps is ready to go home and listeners are getting ready for the weekend. What goes out on Fridays is typically an update on something that took place during the week, it is never something that the Whitehouse really wants the American people to hear, because it’s not too important. This is another way to shape the public opinion; by sending this information out on a day that people aren’t paying attention, we are again, taking advantage of an opportunity. So when there is something embarrassing that needs to go out, they can say that they sent it out.

My final thought is about satire or reporting. One of my favorite shows is the Trever Noah show. He is funny and he does bring up some very good points about politics and social behavior. But again, it is tailored to be funny and to be satire and not real reporting. He doesn’t go out and conduct interviews, he uses clips from other news sites and we never really see the whole story. What happened to real reporting, where we just get the facts and nothing else? Would we tune in to that? Have we ever been in a place where reporting was unbiased?

 

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21
Oct 15

Media and Health

The Media and its effects on body image

            In the United States, and in most western cultures the media’s effects on body image have been studied regularly. It has determined that there is a reliable correlation between negative body image and the media’s influence.1 With these studies came the term objectified body consciousness (OBC) where an individual objectifies their body to the sociocultural influence of the media to cause distorted body image, which has the possibility to lead to eating disturbances and disorders.1 Jackson et al., 2015 have reviewed large studies done in Eastern cultures to help fill to void of diversity in body image and media studies. With knowledge of how many young people (young adults 18-21 years old) that are affected by the media interventions can be written and set to prevent such mental pain.

The studies conducted over seas in china showed that both males and females had larger amounts of body dissatisfaction when they compared themselves to the standard presented within the media. The media has many influences of people of all ages, but in particular the younger generation. Images are constantly portrayed of perfection that in the real world cannot be achieved. This perfection of the human body has the potential to harm not only the self-esteem of children and young adults, but could potentially be harmful to both mental and physical health. Poor body image, and confidence have been shown many times to contribute to disorders such and anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. There is also another category of eating disorders classified under the DSM-V called binge eating disorder.

The media, which consists of news channels, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, flyers, billboards and much more. Reasonably there is no real way to eliminate all negative images from society, but there are steps that can be taken to lessen the effects. Educational campaigns can be put in place in order to show how human perfection is fake. There have been very effective movements to show this, but none have been worldwide. Since this issue of body image due to the medias influence is worldwide it is time to bring this issue worldwide. Trying the prevent issues will save much more time and money in the long run and the sooner a large campaign is started the more effects it will have.

The media and growing technology has its great advantages such as education for more people, but the negative affects are almost over shadowing all of the positive effects.2 Different beauty blogs, clothing campaigns, TV shows and more highlight models, actresses, and their perfection, which is done with an airbrush. This issue is not only in the US but has been shown to be global and small steps taken to fix these issues can lead to a large change.

 

Citations:

 

  1. Jackson, T., & Chen, H. (2015). Features of objectified body consciousness and sociocultural perspectives as risk factors for disordered eating among late-adolescent women and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 741-752.

 

2. Lesson 9 Commentary. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from               https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/fa15/psych424/001/content/10_lesson/04_page.html

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23
Mar 15

Could your Smartphone Help Your Mental Health?

In today’s ever connected world, media is all around us. We see it the countless screens we view every day, most without ever thinking too much about. Some have pointed out the possible negative implications to this constant connectivity and exposure to different forms of media, but could it have a positive benefit as well? Consider the most readily available form of technology people carry around with them almost everywhere—your smartphone.

cellphone

Anyone familiar with the Apple brand has heard the “There’s an App for that!” slogan by now. Could these apps be beneficial for mental health treatment? Could smartphones serve as a support to treatment for individuals living with mental health problems ranging from depression and anxiety to suicidal behaviors and eating disorders? A comprehensive literature study published on the National Institute of Health’s website argues that these could be effective in mental health treatment.

Researchers found 8 papers in which 5 apps where examined in their ability to treat a variety of mental health disorders, four of which included support from an actual mental health professional. Although these studies did exist for review, researchers did not feel that there was adequate enough research to draw firm conclusions and comparisons. The review states that “usability, helpfulness, and satisfaction” were rated as “moderate to high” for the mobile apps which targeted mental health. Also, when adherence rates when reported, they were in line with other methods, and even had retention rates higher than other internet based methods (Donker 2013)

Researchers believed that more evidenced-based studies are needed in this are to really analyze the effect that these mental health apps could have on treatment programs. With our cell phones being a constant companion to many people’s daily lives, it serves to argue that there is a possibility that media applications on those phones could be used to treat or simply supplement treatment by a mental healh professional.

 

 

Donker, T., Petrie, K., Proudfoot, J., Clarke, J., Birch, M.-R., & Christensen, H. (2013). Smartphones for Smarter Delivery of Mental Health Programs: A Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(11), e247. doi:10.2196/jmir.2791

 

 

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10
Nov 14

Natural born bullies?

66% of social media-using teens have reported witnessing online cruelty as well as as witnessing other joining in the harassment. 90% of social media-using teens have ignored cruel behavior on social media (Enough is enough,2011). We currently live in a world that relies on media. Media may have positive effects like cultural and political awareness as well as negative effects such as glorifying negative behaviors as well as cyber bullying. Negative behaviors such as cyber bullying are spread through social learning theory. This blog will discuss the recent increase in cyber bullying through social learning theory, its effect and ways we can decrease bullying online.

 

Garnering over 55 million post a day instagram is an ever increasing popular photo/video based social site (about health,2014). While instagram is a place to share your life with family and friends, it is also becoming a playground for internet bullies. Bullying via instagram may include posting malicious or embarrassing photos, posting cruel remarks under a photo or video viewable for others, tagging others to particular photo/video in order to spread image and garner attention, creating fake accounts in others names, as well as posting private messages for others to view.

 

This relates through social psychology through social learning theory. According to Applied Social Psychology, social learning theory centers around learned behaviors (criminal activity) that develop through interactions and experiences with the social environment. This may include observing and imitating criminal behavior of others and receiving positive consequences such as peer approval from others (Coutts, Gruman, Schneider, 2012).

 

Because we live in a culture where media permeates nearly all aspects, it is unreasonable and nearly impossible to remove it from teenagers lives. Cyber bullying is a learned behavior which means it can be unlearned.It is important to recognize that cyber bullying is an ever increasing problem which needs immediate intervention. A possible solution to cyber bullying would include media appeals. Since media is being utilized to taunt other it can also be utilized to promote empathy and positive social behavior. Goals of this intervention include holding people accountable for their bullying behavior and decreasing bullying online. The intervention would be implemented through commercials on instagram as well as celebrity spokesperson to spread awareness. Commercials would include appeals to children as well as parents. Potential messages may be to keep computes in easily viewable places, talking regularly with children about online activity and etiquette(About health, 2014). Adolescents should have a healthy balance of exposure to media and should be open to other activities. This may include getting involved in intellectual and physical stimulating activities that promote mental, social and physical health. (Mokeyane,2013). For an example of an successful celebrity spokesperson appeal of anti bullying please click the link below.

Taylor Swift tells bullied teen keep walking in the sunlight. http://www.today.com/popculture/taylor-swift-sends-touching-instagram-message-bullied-teen-fan-1D80126920

It is also imperative that all appeals promote empathy as well as inform the public of the dangers of cyber bullying. Impact of this intervention may include decreasing cyber bullying statistics, promote reporting of cyber bullying as well as promoting media outlets to create measures against cyber bullying.

You don’t need to be a cape to help someone all you need is a voice. Don’t be afraid to use yours.

 

REFERENCES

About Health.( 2014). 8 Ways Kids are Using Instagram to Bully. Retrieved from: http://bullying.about.com/od/Cyberbullying/fl/8-Ways-Kids-Are-Using-Instagram-to-Bully.htm

Coutts, L., Gruman, J., Schneider, F., (2012). Applied Social Psychology Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (Second ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Enough is Enough.,(2011). Cyberbullying Statistics. Retrieved from:http://www.internetsafety101.org/cyberbullyingstatistics.htm

Mokeyane, K.N., (2013). Media’s Positive & Negative Influence on Teenagers. Retrieved from:http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/medias-positive-negative-influence-teenagers-10506.html

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27
Oct 14

Media Matters

 

Brian Kilmeade of Fox & Friends claimed that “not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims” -Brian Kilmeade (Fox news host)

US media constantly utilize the word “terrorism” in reference to Arab,Muslim and Islamic populations and culture. This may reinforce the anti-Muslim notions and stereotypes. Although some may not recognize or believe in anti-Muslim media propaganda, it does exist. r I write this blog post in hopes that you will question what knowledge you obtain from the media. This blog post will discuss themes of  anti-Muslim propagation in the media and its effects.

 

We gain a lot of information from the media especially concerning world conflicts.Propaganda may be utilized to rally people behind a cause. But what happens when it is at the cost of misrepresenting and exaggerating an entire culture and population. Media propaganda refers to all media including press, radio, television, film, buttons, speeches, etc. to spread a message.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/activist-terrorist-400x484.jpeg

Propaganda is powerful because everyone is susceptible to it whether they realize it or not. Propaganda is a systematic process including 1) the ideology and purpose of the propaganda campaign, 2) the context in which the propaganda occurs, 3) identification of the propagandist, 4) the structure of the propaganda organization, 5) the target audience, 6) media utilization techniques, 7) special various techniques, 8) audience reaction to various techniques, 9) counter-propaganda, if present, and 10) effects and evaluation (Bruck, Manzria, 2013)

 

While Anti-Muslim themes have always been present in the US culture after  9/11 they have become more present and in lately have become more frequent as well as blatant in their message. Anti-Muslim media propaganda utilizes selective stories, partial facts, narrow sources of experts as well as reinforcing reasons and motivations to excite audiences. For example fox news in particular is one of the most criticized stations for anti-Muslim themes. (Please watch the video below for an elaboration)

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A

The term terrorist is seldom applied to governments or pro-government paramilitaries. Instead the term is applied to an entire religion. The word terrorist carries a negative stigma and is specifically used to condemn and demonize a organization or particular demographic. Propaganda tends to appeal to emotions over intellect. Propaganda has the power to affect people’s everyday life, decisions as well as preferences. Effects of propaganda may include misplaced anger, promotion of hatred of a particular group, may increase hate crimes against this culture or population as well as promote fear in the public (Turley,2012)

 

In order to defend against propagation we must be aware of the general perspective media utilizes to frame the problem. The public needs to demand that media be sensitive to situational demands no matter how miniscule. News stations also need to be more diligent in journalist and advise them not to use terms indiscriminately and to avoid over applying them.  Media should also offer point of both sides  not one sided stacked arguments that center around name calling. Again the meaning of this post was to encourage readers to not blindly follow the media’s perspective but to acquire knowledge about a subject and create your own.

“Propaganda becomes ineffective the moment we are aware of it”

-Joseph Goebbels

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

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REFERENCES

Bruck, J., Manzaria, J.(2013)  Media’s Use of Propaganda to Persuade People’s Attitude, Beliefs and Behaviors. Retrieved from:

http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/war_peace/media/hpropaganda.html
Turley, J. (2012) Propaganda 101: What you Need to Know and Why. Retrieved from: onathanturley.org/2012/05/20/propaganda-101-what-you-need-to-know-and-why-or/

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27
Oct 14

It’s All Fun and Games

My nephew Jasen is 12 years old and is in 7th grade. He loves (some would say is obsessed with) video games. He lives with his grandparents and they monitor his “electronic time” very closely for precisely this reason. Recently, they caught him playing “Assassin’s Creed.” Since this video game had not been assassins-creed-deathblowpre approved by them, he was “grounded.” His response to the punishment was, “that’s not fair, it’s only a game.” Is that true? Do they have a reason to be worried? Who is right? Applied social psychology may help provide an answer.

It is proven that violent media increases aggressive behavior (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 140). How likely is it that Assassin’s Creed will help my nephew learn to be violent? I will use Bandura’s social cognitive theory as a measuring stick. According to Bandura’s theory there are four processes that need to happen before this can occur: attention, representation, behavioral production, and motivation (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 142). The more “Assassin’s Creed” helps to facilitate these processes, the more likely it is to teach my nephew Jasen to be violent. We will begin by taking a closer look at each process and then I will see how this video game impacts each before I render a final judgment.

So, the first process that must occur for vicarious learning is attention. Mostly, this has to do with how salient and attractive the behavior is (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012, pg 142). The second process is the representational process. This involves mentally rehearsing the behavior. The third process is behavioral production. This is learning how to take the observed behavior and apply it to related but novel behaviors. The last process that must occur is a motivational process. How bad does a person want to imitate the behavior? This is influenced by whether the behavior is punished or rewarded. Rewarded behaviors are more likely to be imitated. It is also motivating if the behavior is seen as justified. Yet another factor that motivates one to imitate violence is whether it is realistic. The last thing I will mention is whether or not the perpetrator of the violence is liked.

Now that we have a better idea of how this theory works, how does Assassin’s Creed stack up? Lets look at the first process, attention. Being that Jasen is playing the game, in other words he needs to be an active participant; it is clearly very salient to him. It is not in the background while he is doing something else. Also, it is a very exciting and action packed game. Thus, it is easy to attract and keep his attention. So the game scores high on the first process needed to facilitate imitation.

The second process, if you recall, is a representational process. I know for a fact he remembers the game because I asked him about it after he got into trouble. He emphatically recounted the “mission” he had to complete. To go along with the story, he acted out several of the solutions he had figured out along the way. He would tiptoe around the living room and jump onto the couch while he stabbed the air to show me how he snuck up and killed a guard. He was clearly mentally rehearsing what he had seen. Overall the game scores high for the second process as well.

We then move on to the third process of behavioral production. This involves taking the observed behavior and applying it to novel situations. I actually did not think much of it at the time (this incident took place before he got in trouble) but there was something that could apply to this process. I was in another room when I heard Jasen yell boo and then I heard his grandpa give a fright. Jasen then walked out into the room I occupied and told me with a big grin how he had scared his grandpa half to death. He had hidden behind the door and waited for his grandfather to pass. As his grandpa did this, Jasen leapt from his hiding spot and screamed at his bewildered grandpa. This sneaking around and pouncing is eerily familiar to the tactics used in the game. Now I am not sure how long Jasen had been playinAssassins-Creed-Fightg the game. I am also not sure if this episode was a result of having watched the game. It would not surprise me in the least if both were true however. So overall the evidence for the third process is not as strong as I would have liked but it is possible.

The last process we will examine is motivational. In the game the player is rewarded for successful assassinations by receiving new weapons and points. The next question is whether or not the violence is justified. In the game, the main character Desmond Miles is trying to stop an organization called Abstergo (who also kidnapped Desmond) from taking over the world. So clearly, Desmond is supposed to be justified in his actions. The violence is also extremely realistic as you can see from the screen shots above and at the top of the page. I would also say that Jasen definitely liked and identified with Desmond the assassin. He “is” Desmond when he plays the game. Also Desmond is a shadowy, rugged individual that seems to be an ideal in our culture.

Putting this all together, Jasen’s grandparents are wise to not let him play such a game. There is strong evidence that he would try to imitate this behavior. There is strong evidence for almost every part in Bandura’s theory. I would be especially worried because of his burgeoning cognitive abilities. A few years ago, he was not able to think in abstract terms and now he is. I feel like these new abilities make him very impressionable. Playing a game like that, at the age he is, does not seem like a good idea. Applied social psychology and the chapter on media can help explain why.

References

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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27
Oct 14

#2aday

Myfitnesspal, Mydailyplate, Sparkpeople. These are just a few examples of several social media applications/websites that are utilized to gain control over ones health by serving as a platform to record food and exercise. It is not uncommon to hear about the growing trend in obesity that is plaguing the United States. The growing waistlines have spurred application and website developers to create something to help the masses find their health. It is the era of preventative medicine. But what happens when something meant to influence the population positively does just the opposite?

According to Ginny Graves’ Huffington Post article titled, “How to Know If You’re Addicted to Exercise”, young women are developing unhealthy obessions with exercise, sprouted from the influence of social media, such as fitspo photos touting near perfect fit bodies and #2aday tweets bragging about daily workouts. Dr. Jordan Metzl, M.D., a sports medicine doctor for the New York hospital for Special Surgery confirms that while daily is helpful and even recommended, “it is possible to take exercise too far.” (Graves, 2009).

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1986, 2009) argues that much of what we learn is done vicariously through media via four processes: attention, representational process, behavioral production process and motivational process (Schneider,Gruman, Coutts, 2012). Applying this theory to the issue of over exercise tells us that one can be influenced by viewing fitness photos in social media, remembering the figures of fitness viewed, figure out how to perform and practice fitness activities such as dieting and exercise and lastly, are motivated by the athletic figures viewed and the goal of obtaining the same.

However, Social Cognitive Theory can also be applied in order to prevent addictive exercise behavior. Similar to Nathanson and Cantor’s (2000) study on reducing reward value in order to reduce desensitization on subject matter, social media can be used to reduce the reward value placed on exercise. Since young women are over-exercising in order to achieve the often unachieveable fit bodies represented in social media, interventions should include promoting realistic figures, diets and exercise plans that include rest. Also, if social media were to post stories of the fitness models describing how extreme and unrealistic their fitness schedules are to reduce the reward value on over exercise, this woud lead to more realistic ideas of what fitness truly is.

There are many approaches to evaluate the impact of this intervention. Social media websites and applications can use metrics to compare before and after rates of views on fitness and exercise themed photos. Gyms can use statistics to track the number of women partaking in back to back classes, or to track the average time spent in the gym during a visit, or how many same day repeat visits occur.

References

Graves, G. (2014) How to Know if You’re Addicted to Exercise. Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.com/self

Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2012). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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26
Oct 14

The Real Beauty not Media Beauty

In today’s media it hard to escape the flawless, beautiful and strong young men and women, but are they really like this? This can be a hard image for young people to escape as the media puts so much emphasis on the ideal body image for both men and women. As a mother of two young girls I have started to pay more attention to what is out there that could potentially harm my girls’ self-esteem and confidence. The media has a plethora of images that “do not distinguish between glorified fiction and reality” and the effects on today’s youth is kind of scary (Agliata & Tantleff-Dunn, 2004). This makes me question how to educate the young not to believe everything they see when it is in their face 24/7.

girl measuring waist

There is plenty of research that provides evidence that the media plays an important role in body image and this has a great effect on adolescent girls which leads to sociocultural pressures to be thin, fit and muscular or toned (McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2001). Magazines, TV shows, movies and advertising constantly show women in this ideal fit form but neglect to reveal the Photoshop, airbrush and heavy make-up used to project women flawless. This can be a deceiving image for little girls to grow up to if they are not secure in themselves and this could lead to eating disorders or excessive exercise, diet pills or other negative type decisions that could harm their body and worse their self-esteem. How can we help reduce these negative type outcomes?

images

Research suggests that early intervention may help decrease the negative effects that mass media has on our youth. One research study focused on “teaching recipients to be critical consumers of the media” and this kind of intervention “may reduce the likelihood of women experiencing increased body image disturbance when exposed to media images” (Posavac, H., Posavac, S., & Weigel, 2001). I believe this is a great approach to help young people not get caught in the media’s grip but teaching this will not be easy. Children have to be taught early and parents have to play a big role. I think magazines and other formats of advertising need to stop editing to the point people are flawless because in reality who really is flawless? It is our flaws that make us beautiful and those little imperfections that make us unique, it hard to understand why people want to take that away and blend in with everyone else.

I believe we should have more campaigns such as Dove, which celebrate women of all sizes and shapes and state such phrases as “imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety” (2014). More products should devote effort in campaigns to raise awareness of media’s influence and offer tools for parents and young people to learn how to love themselves exactly the way they are. This is something you have to start early for the intervention to really work and the reward of having confident youths who stand up against media is a plausible goal.

I focused more on the influence on females as there seems to be evidence that media influences females more than males. But males have their own media battle striving to increase muscle and add weight and may use supplements such as steroids to achieve this ideal image geared toward males (McCabe & Ricciardelli, 2001).I think all of youth should be taught at an early age to love themselves and not listen to what the media is showing you. Little boys and little girls shouldn’t have to worry about their weight and how they look. They should be taught how to live healthy lives and to be happy being who they are because we are all beautiful in our own unique ways. That’s the ultimate goal; at least it is for me and my girls.

Agliata, D., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2004). The impact of media exposure on males body image. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(1), 7-22.http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~scottd/image-1.pdf

Dove. (2014). Unilever. http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/

McCabe, M., & Ricciardelli, L. (2001). Parent, peer and media influences on body image and strategies to both increase and decrease body size among adolescent boys and girls. Adolescence, 36(142), 225-240.http://dro.deakin.edu.au/eserv/DU:30001199/mccabe-parentpeer-2001.pdf

Posavac, H. D., Posavac, S. S., & Weigel, R. G. (2001). Reducing the impact of media images on women at risk for body image disturbance: Three targeted interventions. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 20(3), 324-340.http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/pdf/10.1521/jscp.20.3.324.22308

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23
Jun 14

“Booth or table? Smartphone section or other?”

Study 1, article 1

So here are two links to a quick little article and its study I found online about cell phone users and our perceived concepts of privacy. In a lesson given by Professor Yarwood of Penn State’s World Campus Psych424 Applied Social Psychology class, the point that cell phone use in public has compromised the level of privacy for others was made. It is true that “privacy in public” can be in the eye of the beholder, or the eye of the smartphone-holder. According to a study done by Tel Aviv University, a fair majority of smartphone users will say that their devices provide them with plenty of privacy. But most of us know this is not true. Just the other day I was picking up a pizza order and the women behind me was on her cell phone. I can tell you this about her and her life.

  • She got caught lying about where she just was, then again lying about whose house she was staying at.
  • Her brother doesn’t feed his children.
  • If it wasn’t for her courageous, covert trip to the pizza shop, her nieces and nephews would starve.

There I was, waiting for pizza, and my ears were being forcefully violated with someone else’s business. That woman and many other smartphone users seem to be oblivious to the reality of their so called public privacy. I’m not sure she would have had that same conversation with complete strangers. So why did she have that conversation where complete strangers can hear her? Should I have to forfeit the rights of my ears in public because smartphone users can’t confine their own privacy to themselves? Do these smartphone users really expect others to respect their privacy when it isn’t being handled in a private way at all? Well at the end of the first link I provided, the author suggests an idea, which was also brought up in the original study that could lend my ears some relief. Imagine walking into a restaurant and being asked, “Booth or a table?” Now imagine the hostess’ next question being, “smartphone or other?” Well the researchers from the university anticipate the possibly of the public being redesigned around communications technology, the way it was years ago for smokers and non-smokers. One problem with this though. I am a smartphone user. Yikes. Will I have to be categorized before I make myself more aware of the reality of my own privacy in public? I hope not. I already worry about bad seating options in restaurants and airplanes just for having a child!

Communications technologies appear to be changing our social behaviors and the way we interact (or don’t interact) with others (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). We interact with each other differently and avoid each other in new ways. We let voicemail and auto responses like, “I’m driving” reject others, instead of just taking incoming calls. We are letting entire lobbies full of strangers know, you want pizza for dinner, and that you’ll be late because you have to pick up that cream from the pharmacy for that thing you got. Well as interesting as all that sounds, some of us would rather fresh, crisp silence than have clouds of pesky, private conversations be blown into our ears. Perhaps further research, like those being done at Tel Aviv University surrounding the behavioral habits of communications technology users will bring the public to a more communication-conscious state of public awareness.

 

References

American friends of tel aviv university; smart phones are changing real world privacy settings. (2012). Telecommunications Weekly, 1038. Retrieved from         http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015615980?accountid=13158

Perry, D. (2012, May 14). Smartphone Users Less Aware of Lack of Privacy in Public. Retrieved June 21, 2014, from http://www.tomsguide.com/us/smartphone-privacy-study-smartphone-users-public,news-15182.html

PSU 424. (2014). Applied Social Psychology. Lesson 9: Media/ communications     Technology. Retrieved June 20, 1014, from       https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/su14/psych424/001/content/10_lesson/02            _page.html

 

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23
Mar 14

Are cell phones helping or hindering society?

Are cell phones helping or hindering our society?  Poor social skills may equal loneliness, but this may be a classic case of which came first -the chicken or the egg?  It is also possible that loneliness results in poor social skills.  This is especially true given the high frequency of use of cell phones in today’s society.  It is also possible that the frequent use of non-face-to-face communication leads to poor social skills which then results in loneliness.  Loneliness is defined as perceived deficiencies in one’s ongoing relationships or the network of relationships one has is smaller or less satisfying than one desires (Jin and Park, 2012).  It may seem initially surprising that loneliness may be tied to mobile phone communication as it is always said that the world is at our fingertips.  Mobile phones may instead be the virtual feeling of being all alone in a room full of people if you haven’t learned to interact with others appropriately.

Social skills deficit hypothesis is loosely defined as the experience of lonely people lacking the social skill set necessary for establishing intimate or long-lasting relationships (2012).  Poor social skills are significantly associated with less face to face interaction and higher rates of loneliness, as found in one study (2012).  Face-to-face interaction is still important as more mobile communication is significantly related to higher levels of loneliness (2012).  This may be because mobile communication is being used in these cases as the primary means of communication in the individuals’ lives instead of as a means to scheduled face-to-face time with friends and family members.  The folks conducting this study acknowledged that a plausible explanation is that loneliness is the cause of more voice communication rather than the outcome of it (2012).

In addition, privacy may be a thing of the past.  Now people are almost always accessible and are almost expected to be.  Some people within my company even have two phones – one for their personal use funded personally, and another for their co-workers that is often paid for by the company.   Many people today seem to not mind the privacy they’re giving up or perhaps don’t remember a time when they had privacy away from the pull of mobile devices.  Perhaps this is because they were too young with they became addicted to cell phone use to remember the freedom that not answering to a mobile device entails.

Cell phones and mobile connections can be addictive.  Access to the internet and mobile networks has become more pervasive as cell phones have improved, allowing for anywhere, anytime access to the internet (Salehan and Negahban, 2013). This is potentially detrimental because social networking sites influence human interaction and have the potential to impact users lives (2013).

I suggest we help society to take a look at the time spent on a mobile device and attempt to set some personal boundaries to avoid enabling this potential addiction to play a role in our lives.  Perhaps we may challenge ourselves to stay off of mobile devices while eating.  Or perhaps we can train ourselves to not give in immediately when our phones beep by giving that sound our immediate attention.  Taking back control of our lives in these minor ways may make a huge impact on our control over our time.  I believe it is time to take back control over our social lives and begin to use mobile communication as a means to schedule face-to-face contact instead of replacing it.

References:

Jin, B. & Park, N., (2012).  Mobile voice communication and loneliness:  Cell phone use and the social skills deficit hypothesis.  New Media & Society 15, retrieved from http://nms.sagepub.com/content/15/7/1094

Salehan, M. & Negahban, A. (2013).  Social networking on smartphones:  When mobile phones become addictive.  Computers in Human Behavior.  Retrieved from www.elsevier.com/locatecomphumbeh

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