Media Use

In today’s interconnected world, the internet has brought many benefits, but it has also given rise to a disturbing phenomenon: cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a pervasive form of harassment that occurs online through digital platforms such as social media, messaging apps, and email. It involves the use of technology to target…

In late 2010, Steve Jobs was still at the head of Apple and had recently unveiled the first iPad. Jobs was well known for his personality and would often call reporters to let them know how he felt about their reviews. At times, these conversations would involve a pat on…

It seems like nearly everyone with a smartphone has at least one social app that they dedicate a little time to. Around 72% of us pick up our phones and tap on those familiar icons daily, but the effects of using social media don’t affect everyone with the same intensity….

You’ve read it a thousand times: Social media apps can wreak havoc on our mental health. Many of us (if not all) have heard that distant “ding” that resonates off the kitchen counter and experienced the sudden surge of curiosity — only to discover it’s a spam message, or worse,…

Ask anyone headed to watch the next Marvel flick: It’s hard not to idolize the heroines and heroes within the realms of popular fiction. Whether they’re on the silver screen, in books,  TV series, or even video games, many of us admire these depictions of larger-than-life characters. But, even though…

Your shoulders are hunched and your breathing is shallow, thumb propelling you through a dismal newsfeed with expert strokes. Each headline spells disaster for another city, species, or group of people, and we sink a little deeper into the tarpit known as doomscrolling. It’s a familiar scene: Whatever you name…

The other day I was watching an Instagram video of a woman’s nose job. (On Instagram, I’m always watching either cosmetic surgery before-and-afters or slow pans around dollhouse interiors.) The woman was adorable. Then she did this time-lapse thing with bandages on her nose and dark circles under her eyes….

Self-care is a topic that’s been riding a perpetual tidal wave of popularity across social media. Self-care accounts on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter grew swollen with followers, as many people sought refuge in anything seeming remotely wholesome during the dark ages of 2020. This has given rise to toxic self-care—where…

Social media platforms are home to carefully curated content. Rarely (if ever) do we post an unflattering photo on Instagram, write an uncomplimentary Facebook status, or share a tweet that isn’t funny. I’m happy to be the lab rat here.  In the last photo I posted on Instagram, my hair…

I used to think that adults who play video games regularly were people who couldn’t face reality; man-child troglodytes who retreat into their sweaty lair in order to avoid the sun and going on dates. I’d long shoved video games into a corner of my head, adding to a mental…

For the seventh time this morning, I ogle at my wrist, shuffling through the features on my smartwatch until I can see my heart rate. It’s bumping along at a cool 102 bpm. I’m sweating slightly, nervously tapping my foot against the carpet. Whether it’s from this third cup of…

It wouldn’t surprise me if cavepeople worried about getting canceled. Steal someone’s share of the weekly mammoth meat and you’d probably be ostracized by the clan, forced to make your own fire in a lesser, lonelier cave. Until your people forgave your transgression and invited you back into the fold,…