Suffering From Zoom Fatigue? Here’s Why

2020-11-20T10:27:39-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology November 20, 2020 Zoom uses a lot cognitive energy because it violates so many social norms. Zoom is so prevalent that “Zoom” is now synonymous with video conferencing. The use of Zoom and other digital communications tools has skyrocketed given the number of people working and living in relative isolation due to COVID precautions and lockdowns. So many of us are Zooming (yes, it’s now a verb, too) that we are experiencing a new form of burnout: Zoom fatigue. Let’s face it. Zooming can be exhausting—and for good reasons. The numbers are impressive from a [...]

Suffering From Zoom Fatigue? Here’s Why2020-11-20T10:27:39-08:00

The Serenity Code: How Brain Plasticity Helps You Live Without Stress, Anxiety, and Depression?

2020-11-09T13:08:37-08:00

Christophe Morin, PHD Adjunct faculty, Media Psychology Novemeber 9, 2020 A new book revealing how you can use brain plasticity to lower your symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression? Until I turned 50, I was not the kind of person who would typically seek to experience altered states of consciousness or even seriously consider the value of spirituality. Indeed, I spent most of my life with no exposure or interest in psychedelics and no formal spiritual or religious practice. Nor had I ever entirely accepted the idea of “Spirit” or dared to use the word "God" unless discussing a movie or [...]

The Serenity Code: How Brain Plasticity Helps You Live Without Stress, Anxiety, and Depression?2020-11-09T13:08:37-08:00

Why Politicians’ Kids Publicly Take On Their Parents

2020-10-17T13:59:13-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology October 17, 2020 Social media lets kids fast track the developmental task of differentiation As the election draws near, kids of politicians are making news by speaking up to discourage voters from supporting their parents.  (See Beth Greenfield’s article.) Typical teenage rebellion?  That’s far too simplistic.  A combination of a major developmental task, prominent (and conservative) parents, and the amplification effect of digital media make a perfect storm for what psychologists would call differentiation and the parents under attack would call disrespect or rebellion. However you choose to label it, differentiating from the [...]

Why Politicians’ Kids Publicly Take On Their Parents2020-10-17T13:59:13-07:00

The Social Dilemma: Fact or Manipulation?

2025-02-25T11:27:55-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology October 8, 2020 Watching Netflix’s The Social Dilemma was interesting and disturbing.  It was interesting to see how it was constructed but disturbing to see that many of the psychological techniques the documentary vilified were used by the producers to tell their own story. As a persuasive piece of media, it is very successful: Part documentary, part drama, it hits all the anxiety triggers of the last few years. The content is compelling and frightening — and also one-sided. The issues raised are serious and important, but not new. The call to action is to [...]

The Social Dilemma: Fact or Manipulation?2025-02-25T11:27:55-08:00

Too Stressed to Commit? The Popularity of Half-Hour Shows

2020-08-04T17:21:54-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology August 4, 2020 You can manage your cognitive resources through program length. It used to be that sitcoms were 30 minutes and dramas were an hour (including commercial breaks).  However, there has been a trend toward shorter form 20-30 minute dramatic programming.  From a practical perspective, shorter programming allows for a greater breadth of consumption.  It’s pretty clear that the quantity of media choices has grown, but the number of hours in a day has stayed the same. Yet the avowed enthusiasm for programs that demand a shorter investment of time raises questions [...]

Too Stressed to Commit? The Popularity of Half-Hour Shows2020-08-04T17:21:54-07:00

COVID-19 forces us online; I think we should stay there

2020-07-21T10:06:21-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology JULY 21, 2020 What I Learned from the Virtual Media Psychology Symposium. An online symposium has the same benefits as online education, wider reach, easier access and better content. Now that Fielding Graduate University’s first Media Psychology Symposium is over, I have time to reflect on the experience.  The Symposium was held virtually over two days (July 16 & 17) on Zoom, rather than in Chicago in-person, due to COVID-19.  COVID or not, however, I think a virtual Media Psychology Symposium is really the way to go.  Not only is virtual connectivity thematically appropriate with [...]

COVID-19 forces us online; I think we should stay there2020-07-21T10:06:21-07:00

Announcing Karen Dill-Shackleford — incoming editor of APA’s Psychology of Popular Media

2020-07-01T10:15:23-07:00

Karen Dill-Shackleford, PhD The American Psychological Association (APA) selected Karen Dill-Shackleford, PhD, as the incoming editor of Psychology of Popular Media. The APA journal, Psychology of Popular Media, focuses on peer-reviewed research into popular culture and general media influences on individual, group, and system behavior. [Read APA Editor Spotlight] It’s easy to trivialize popular media. But, the fact is, many of our pressing social problems play out in those spaces. If we understand their dynamics, we can help make things better." Karen Dill-Shackleford, PhD, is doctoral faculty in Media Psychology at Fielding Graduate University's School of Psychology. Dr. Shackleford [...]

Announcing Karen Dill-Shackleford — incoming editor of APA’s Psychology of Popular Media2020-07-01T10:15:23-07:00

How Stories Spread Conflict: The Face Mask Story Wars

2025-02-18T12:46:23-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology JUNE 20, 2020 The voice of reason is entirely missing when stories activate fight or flight. Anything that is perceived as an attack on beliefs, identity or affiliation shuts down cognitive processes and makes collaboration difficult, if not impossible. Narratives reveal core values that have to be addressed for both groups for compromise to be achieved and conflict resolved. There is no “changing the other guy’s mind” when the fundamental worldview is so different. This is true in politics, business negotiations, consume behavior and interpersonal relationships. The solution: Deconstruct the competing narratives [...]

How Stories Spread Conflict: The Face Mask Story Wars2025-02-18T12:46:23-08:00

The Brain is Hardwired to Doomscroll: Can You Stop It?

2025-02-25T11:27:34-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology JUNE 10, 2020 According to Miriam Webster, doomscrolling and doomsurfing are new terms that describe continuous scrolling or surfing through negative news, even when it is depressing, demoralizing, distressing, or painful. Many people have found themselves continuously reading bad news about COVID-19 or the protests and police violence without the ability to stop or step back. This problem is a result of how the human brain is wired.  Our brains instinctively pay attention to any potentially dangerous situation as part of the biological imperative of survival.  Our brains are designed to constantly scan the horizon for potential threats.  Since threats are more [...]

The Brain is Hardwired to Doomscroll: Can You Stop It?2025-02-25T11:27:34-08:00

The Intersection of Media and Gender Diversity

2020-06-09T13:29:10-07:00

Fielding alum, Dr. Aiden Hirshfield, is a media psychologist and professional media consultant. His work focuses on the intersection of media and gender diversity, looking at the ways individuals use and engage with emerging media technology to explore and validate their identities. His dissertation provides context for important research in this area and offers insight on best practices for gender-inclusive research. Traditional social expectations of gender are being increasingly challenged by brave individuals who express themselves and identify outside of the gender binary (male/female). Gender is a social construct that differs greatly among cultures, generations, and geography. However, traditional depictions of [...]

The Intersection of Media and Gender Diversity2020-06-09T13:29:10-07:00

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