Media Use

Starting in the mid-20th century, father figures in pop culture, especially those portrayed on TV, have been characterized with negative attributes. Don’t be mistaken; there’s comedic gold to be mined from the blunders of characters like Bernie McCullough in “The Bernie Mac Show,” Hank Hill in “King of The Hill,”…

One foggy April morning in 1672, a woodsman stumbled upon a gruesome scene in the woods just outside the French village of Barfleur. The woodsman was already familiar with Madame Perrault’s forest cottage. Madame Perrault was an ailing, elderly woman, so the woodsman often stopped by with bread and soup…

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,…

On the surface, the fitness guru you follow is inspirational—but they’re also driving unhealthy, relentless exercising into some of their followers. What about the diet teas or fizz drinks that everyone is drinking (according to the influencers you follow) in order to lose weight? How about the waist trainers they…

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…

A new study published in The Medical Journal of Australia suggests that online symptom checkers only provide accurate diagnoses 1/3 of the time. A team of researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) evaluated the accuracy of 36 different symptom checkers, inputting symptoms of 48 different “patients.” They pulled clinical information…

Click here to schedule online counseling at Thriveworks. Hi. My name is Ashley Costello and I’m a Licensed Clinician at Thriveworks Richmond. So the question is, “Is it bad to watch the news during COVID-19?” Well, like many mental health answers, yes and no, depending on your situation. Here are three examples…

Since the 1970s, video games have captivated imaginative minds across the world. While they were once viewed as a new fad for younger generations to enjoy, the scientific community has begun to accept the numerous cognitive benefits that playing video games can provide to both children and adults. Today, video…

The average person spends around four hours each day on their phone; you can better spend this time looking into helpful apps for improving wellbeing. You can start with an app like Booster Buddy, which helps you stay mindful of your mood and track it over time. Meditation applications are…

Most of us could probably agree that social media can damage self-esteem—especially in women. Think about it: every magazine has a slender woman on the cover and a story within about how she lost the weight—and how you can, too. Additionally, TV shows and movies cast female leads that make…