Familiar shows provide comfort by letting us connect with old friends-- characters we have known and loved, that make us feel like part of something.  But in times of change,  shows are also "research" as we see new behaviors or ponder larger questions about what's important in life.  This can lead to reflection about setting priorities and creating greater meaning and satisfaction.  #TV #WFH #Office #Severance #mediapsychology

#NGL (Not Gonna Lie) is the latest in a long line of #anonymous messaging apps. Thanks to @Valeriya Safronova and @TheNewYorkTimes for tackling this topic. And, Not Gonna Lie but I have a problem with apps that remove #accountability. They encourage and normalize irresponsible behavior, preclude social connection, and put people who are most vulnerable to external pressures (like peers) at risk. 

There is nothing inherently unhealthy about social media groups--they can provide valuable social support.  Ask yourself: do the group's members create a sense of belonging that is emotionally positive or does it undermine your confidence?  The need to belong when we’re scared and challenged by life is very strong.  It can make us vulnerable to coercion, persuasion, and misinformation. Check for qualifications, validate information sources, avoid people who tell you what you "should" do, and always triangulate information. #health #socialmedia #socialsupport

From the biological response to grooming behaviors and ASMR response to three-minutes or less narrative arcs with the most charming participants, watching sheep shearing on TikTok is like a NatGeo Zen experience with Mr. Rogers.  If you don't love Katie McRose after watching how lovingly she treats her sheep, something's seriously wrong.  And what a treat to focus on a happy story!  #positivemedia #mediapsychology #sheepshearing #TikTok

Join us for our upcoming Cyberwise Chat—TikTok & Gen Z: From Viral Dance Videos to Social Media Activism— a free webinar on Tue. 10/12 at 12 noon PST. My co-host, Diana Graber, and I will be joined by Dr. Brooke Foucault Welles. Brooke is the co-author of “#HashtagActivism: Networks of Race and Gender Justice” and an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University.  Register at Gen Z Activism #tiktokactivism #tiktok #mediapsychology #GenZ

The US Chamber of Commerce reported on the CVS-sponsored study showed that 83% of women ages 18 to 35 reported feeling better about themselves when they do a beauty routine. Brands and businesses should take note. Taking care of ourselves has psychological and physiological benefits that improve our mood and can positively impact our self-image. Self-image is at the core of well-being.   Brands have an opportunity to make promoting a healthy self-image and positive values a strategic priority. 

The choice of hiding "likes" on Instagram is a symptom, not the real issue.  The more control we have over our social media accounts, the better, for both our experience and our mental health, but the key is to practice mindful social media use, pay attention to what we use, why, and how we feel. Then we can figure out if using social media is supporting us--making our life better--or not.  Positive media use comes from evaluating how media affects each of us, deciding what we want from it, and then using it in ways that achieve those goals.  We have to exercise critical thinking, and have the ability to say, ‘Hey is this really working for me?” #positivemediapsychology #wellbeing #instagram #mediapsychology #mindfulsocialmedia

Doomscrolling really just describes the innate need to try and get answers when we’re afraid.  Our sense of safety is based on how well we understand the environment and feel equipped to cope. #doomscrolling #compulsion #news #mediapsychology #howtocope.  See my post The Brain is Hardwired to Doomscroll. 

We all know about the importance of rest days in between workouts so our muscles can repair and our brains can rest.  Illness or exhaustion are the same.  We shouldn’t have to “disguise” rest and recovery.  They are vital components of self-care, self-compassion, and self-esteem. #selfcare #selfesteem #workoutstreak #fitnesstrackers #recovery

When you're deciding how to respond to someone's grief or suffering online, remember that others benefit from being heard and validated.   Even if you don't know the person well, an appropriate emoji or a brief message signals that you listened.  

Social media, crime apps and NextDoor amplify anxiety and fear by focusing on danger--sharing events, news, and theories that increase vigilance and make the world seem more dangerous.  This can trigger instinctive reactions, such as the tendency to fear outsiders and increase the likelihood of violence in response to perceived threats.  #mediapsychology #Arbery #violence #gunviolence #fightorflight #Facebook 

The memefication of Squid Game is a way of processing some of the emotion, getting some distance with humor, and connecting back with our humanity after a year of COVID.  Dystopias tend to give us hope because it's like a lesson in how to survive the worst possible outcome.  #squidgame #meme #COVID #violence 

The response to this TikTok video are not about the couch guy.  The video is like a Rorschach test of the viewers' self-esteem, perspective, experiences and fears.   A parasocial relationship is where someone feels they know a someone in the media because of the investment in time the person spends watching, commenting, interacting about the parasocial object.  People form parasocial attachments to celebrities they see often and fictional characters in stories and programs they love.  It is experienced by the viewer as a relationship with emotional attachment, even though it is one-sided.  

It's more a parasocial relationship with the "event" than with couch guy.  However, people are definitely activated by the video and making their own interpretation as if they more information that a few seconds of video.  While all parasocial relationships are about meaning making, the cough guy commenters are invested in their own interpretations of what they think they see in ways that reaffirms their worldview or worries and lets them  increases their self-image by “sharing their wisdom.”  For those who are getting some satisfaction or self-aggrandizement out of sharing their negative interpretation and "advice",  it's just trolling.  #parasocial #couchguy #TikTok #trolls #truecrime #mediapsychology

There are a lot of physical changes when you become a mom.  Some research suggests that pregnancy impairs memory temporarily. It certainly was true for me, although I think that's nature's way of making the next kid seem like a good idea.  (It was.) The hormonal changes also increase the drive to connect and heighten sensitivity to danger to protect your young -- all of which makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.  Thus we gain vigilance and lose the ability to sleep deeply through the night and movies with gore or child abduction lose their appeal.  #mediapsychology #parenting #fightorflight #scarymovies

Kids aren't always equipped to handle inappropriate content such as violence, hate speech, or porn.  There are steps you can take to support and protect your kids before and after they come across something troublesome.  1) Stay calm--if you're freaked out, they will be too.  2) Communicate early and often to build trust. 3) Teach positive response strategies.  #parenting #mediapsychology #Internet  #medialiteracy