Remembering Media Psychology Past Faculty Member Jason Ohler, Ph.D.

2022-05-12T19:15:42-07:00

Dear Fielding Community, Sadly, Media Psychology past faculty member Jason Ohler, Ph.D., has passed away. Dr. Ohler retired from Fielding in 2021. Jason Ohler, Ph.D. Pam Rutledge, Ph.D., wrote about Dr. Ohler’s impressive background: “Jason was very accomplished; he was a pioneer in the use of digital storytelling in education at the University of Alaska, where he taught for many years. For years, he and his wife Terri would spend half the year in Alaska, where Jason would teach, and half in Arizona with family. He brought that same passion for the power of narrative to Fielding’s Media [...]

Remembering Media Psychology Past Faculty Member Jason Ohler, Ph.D.2022-05-12T19:15:42-07:00

How Memes and Media Are Crafting the Way We See War

2022-04-01T22:56:24-07:00

Social media aesthetics shape views and understanding of the Ukraine invasion. KEY POINTS Memes translate complex ideas into short-form cultural commentaries that construct social narratives. TikTok has taken over as the 'go-to' source for short-form content on the Ukraine invasion. Memes help humanize and simplify conflict, creating clear heroes and villains. Memes translate complex ideas into simple, easily digestible, emotionally evocative messages that draw on an existing cultural schema. Memes construct the narratives that frame events, as we see with the Ukraine Invasion and influence who is cast as the hero and villain, "like us," and "the other." Nowhere are [...]

How Memes and Media Are Crafting the Way We See War2022-04-01T22:56:24-07:00

2022 Super Bowl Commercials And Media Psychology

2022-03-28T23:30:25-07:00

Christophe Morin, Ph.D. Media Psychology Program graduate Christophe Morin, PhD’14 is CEO of SalesBrain, a neuromarketing agency. When he is not teaching as Adjunct Faculty at Fielding, he helps companies improve their marketing growth and performance. Of the many successful projects Dr. Morin has led, a recent one examined the relative successes of the 2022 Super Bowl commercials. As consultants for KERN, a division of the Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, Dr. Morin and his team evaluated six Super Bowl ads using a unique neuromarketing analysis. Given that companies spend more than $10 million for each Super Bowl ad, [...]

2022 Super Bowl Commercials And Media Psychology2022-03-28T23:30:25-07:00

Alum Aiden Hirshfield, Ph.D., Receives the Dianne Kipnes Social Innovation Award

2022-06-13T14:22:40-07:00

Aiden Hirshfield, PhD Media Psychology Program alum Aiden Hirshfield, Ph.D.’19, is the 2022 recipient of the Dianne Kipnes Social Innovation Award. The Award will partially fund his project, Providing Critical Support for ASL Interpreters in the Mental Health Setting. The project goals are to support and offer additional educational opportunities to American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters who face considerable occupational stress and financial challenges. The project’s mission is to improve the vocational skills of interpreters. As part of the project, Dr. Hirshfield anticipates assessing how this training could affect ASL interpreters’ mental health and job functioning. The Award [...]

Alum Aiden Hirshfield, Ph.D., Receives the Dianne Kipnes Social Innovation Award2022-06-13T14:22:40-07:00

Social Media: Think it over before taking a public stance

2022-03-04T19:21:57-08:00

Social media has changed the flow of information and public discourse, detaching it from geographic boundaries. Thanks to social media, almost everyone is exposed to events such as recent events in Eastern Europe, at least at a superficial level. There is, therefore, an increasing recognition of global events and how they might ripple out and impact individual worlds. After the pandemic, social unrest, and political challenges of the last few years, speaking up is a way to weigh in, and, thanks to the interactivity of social media, of being heard. The situation in Ukraine is a powder keg on a [...]

Social Media: Think it over before taking a public stance2022-03-04T19:21:57-08:00

Biotrackers: Good For Fitness, Bad for Mental Health?

2022-02-19T22:37:34-08:00

In a data-driven world, we look to biotrackers to improve our well-being. KEY POINTS Biotrackers combine sophisticated data-gathering technology with the long-standing drive for self-improvement. Data only helps if translated into useful, actionable information Biotrackers don't work for everyone but for most users, they improve accountability, motivation, and engagement Trackers are not one size fits all. Choosing the right approach to behavior change means figuring out what works best for you. Are you sporting an Apple Watch, FitBit, Oura Ring, or other smart wearables? If so, you're not alone. Many of us have been lured into the magical world [...]

Biotrackers: Good For Fitness, Bad for Mental Health?2022-02-19T22:37:34-08:00

Online Dating and Teens: Looking For Love in Digital Places

2022-02-10T18:48:28-08:00

Online Dating and Teens: Looking For Love in Digital Places KEY POINTS Interest in dating, intimacy and romantic love is a normal part of adolescence Increased use of social media during COVID has turned online dating into just plain 'dating' The joys and heartbreaks of virtual and online relationships can feel every bit as real as IRL The best way to keep online dating positive and safe is to focus on building healthy relationships and problem-solving skills If your teen is interested in mantic or physical relationships, they probably are already engaged in some form of online dating.  During [...]

Online Dating and Teens: Looking For Love in Digital Places2022-02-10T18:48:28-08:00

8 Ways to Help Your Kids Keep Online Dating Safe and Positive

2022-02-10T18:39:10-08:00

The rules of dating have changed. Are your kids ready? KEY POINTS Dating is a healthy part of teen development, and online dating is typical today. Having conversations early on can help keep kids safe as they date online and date offline. Parents should remain focused on healthy relationships and communication, not specific apps or devices. Valentine's Day may be around the corner. But dating and interest in romance, intimacy, and sex are normal parts of being a teen all year long. Online dating is the new normal, especially for kids locked up by COVID. While online dating has many benefits, it is not [...]

8 Ways to Help Your Kids Keep Online Dating Safe and Positive2022-02-10T18:39:10-08:00

Why We Mourn the Loss of TV Dad Bob Saget

2025-02-25T11:49:11-08:00

Parasocial relationships with TV dads create emotional connection and meaning. KEY POINTS TV dads are idealized versions of the fathers we’d all love to have. A parasocial relationship describes the one-sided emotional attachment we feel to real and fictional characters. Losing a loved character is experienced as the loss of a real connection; it leaves a hole. Parasocial relationships add to media enjoyment by increasing the immediate pleasure and creating a longer-term sense of meaning. Bob Saget was among the very best of TV dads. Like James Avery, John Ritter, Alan Thicke, and Tom Bosely, he raised his TV [...]

Why We Mourn the Loss of TV Dad Bob Saget2025-02-25T11:49:11-08:00

Are Tech Gifts Bad for My Kids?

2025-02-25T11:49:08-08:00

Tech gifts can introduce digital skills which are foundational to STEM. KEY POINTS Technology from iPhones to Nintendo Switch tops kids’ holiday wishlists. COVID has changed kids' expectations about digital devices—not to mention their parents'. Lots of tech toys teach digital skills, like critical thinking and collaboration. Digital skills are foundational to STEM skills and are a minimum standard for most careers. From an iPhone to Nintendo Switch, a tablet to a smartwatch, what’s on your kid’s wish list? How can you make sense out of what tech experiences are positive? How do you match technology choices with [...]

Are Tech Gifts Bad for My Kids?2025-02-25T11:49:08-08:00

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