Even though we might be far away from global tragedies as they unfold, our minds tend to fixate on negative events. While doing so can help us learn to avoid danger, news fatigue can occur when we spend too much time absorbing negative content. Burnout has been a popular topic…
Humans haven’t yet adapted to facing their own reflection all the time, whether they’re looking into mirrors, taking selfies, or talking to their coworkers on Zoom. People now ask cosmetic surgeons to make their faces look more like their Instagram filters. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a serious mental health…
It’s not always obvious when our cognitive biases are being manipulated by digital marketers and neuromarketing experts. Retail websites use a variety of psychological tactics to persuade consumers to buy their products. Occasionally these tactics stray into manipulative territory, for example when websites use dark patterns, greenwashing, and price discrimination. …
Couples aren’t as happy as they look on social media; and modeling your relationship after these picture-perfect facades will never end well. Happy couples actually post less on social media because they’re focused on their time together, they aren’t looking for validation, and they show their love in private, more…
Even though most of us are comfortable with binge-watching a TV series, the thought of playing video games might seem out of the question. Part of our hesitancy comes from the stereotypes that we hold about gaming and those who play—but our outdated misconceptions shouldn’t hold us back from picking…
A new study finds that fewer than two hours of daily screen time can adversely affect a kid’s life satisfaction. Physical activity is crucial to wellbeing, and sedentary screen time interferes with exercise hours. Screen time guidelines can become more nuanced as children return to in-person learning. Experts recommend separating…
Community values are reflected in our norms about social sanctions and third party punishments (TPPs). Our online interactions with celebrities reveal shifts in a society’s moral codes. “Cancel culture” can indicate a time-honored practice of regulating social behavior or pure trolling. Gossip, concept creep, and identity can also feed into…
True crime documentaries, true crime podcasts, and other forms of murder media continue to be a growing obsession in the United States and beyond — especially among women. Murder media can have positive psychological effects on its mostly female audience, whether they’re motivated by hedonistic (pleasure-seeking) or eudaimonic (meaning-seeking) reasons….
You probably don’t think twice about turning on the news or reading the latest stories online about what’s happening in the world. But did you know that too much news exposure can seriously harm your mental health and wellbeing? People are consuming more media than ever before. Even before COVID,…
Your daily screentime average is up 25% from last week. My screentime has been increasing weekly—and my iPhone loves to let me know it. If I had to guess, this is likely the case for many other people right now, too. We’re stuck at home; we’re bored; we’re checking news…
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” When it comes to device addiction, this may very well be the case. As society becomes more dependent on smartphones and as we are bombarded with new apps on a daily basis, a large percentage of the population has become chained to devices….
Binge-watching Netflix; getting sucked into a YouTube channel about cats or cars; scrolling through Instagram and Facebook; shopping online; engaging in a heated discussion on Reddit; playing Minecraft, World of Warcraft, Fortnite; reading the news; taking personality quizzes; gambling; googling your symptoms; swiping left and right on dating apps. What…