Why Do We Care Who Taylor Swift Dates?

2023-10-02T08:59:37-07:00

Parasocial relationships can increase meaning and enjoyment. KEY POINTS Taylor Swift’s level of success can attract our curiosity, even if we’re not a fan. Swifties, and other fans, feel deep emotional parasocial connections due to media’s "illusion of intimacy.” Swift-Kelce dating rumors multiply emotional stakes for fans invested in Taylor's romances. Most parasocial relationships are perfectly healthy, adding to meaning, sense of community, and enjoyment. Taylor Swift attended several recent Chiefs games, amidst rumors that she’s dating NFL star and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. If you didn’t know this, you probably haven’t been paying attention, either to the news or to social [...]

Why Do We Care Who Taylor Swift Dates?2023-10-02T08:59:37-07:00

#GirlMath: How Social Media Trends Perpetuate Stereotypes

2023-09-18T03:05:33-07:00

Jokes that infantilize women and glorify irresponsible spending aren't funny. KEY POINTS #GirlMath is a popular TikTok trend, rationalizing spending purchases with irresponsible logic. Mental accounting provides the theoretical logic for the human tendency to subjectively value money. Even in jokes, labeling women as "girls" can undermine self-esteem and perpetuate stereotypes. I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see #GirlMath. It is one of those TikTok trends that has grown out of the popularity of "girl" hashtags (#girldinner, #hotgirlsummer, #lazygirljob). I don't know what bothers me most: the continued labeling of women as "girls," a gender-neutral cognitive bias being attributed [...]

#GirlMath: How Social Media Trends Perpetuate Stereotypes2023-09-18T03:05:33-07:00

Why Is Digital Literacy So Often Overlooked as a Solution?

2023-09-11T15:47:29-07:00

Digital literacy builds protective internal strengths for every tech use.KEY POINTSParents are very concerned about media's impact on kids' mental health.Digital literacy builds protective factors for healthy media engagement.Digital literacy is often overlooked as a solution despite the psychological benefits.Whether it's AI, social media, or video games, the headlines are dire about the threats that media poses to our kids' mental health. In fact, in a 2023 Pew Research Center study, parents' main post-pandemic concern was their kids' mental health (Minkin & Horowitz, 2023), and fingers often point to media use. With so much concern over the negative impact of media on [...]

Why Is Digital Literacy So Often Overlooked as a Solution?2023-09-11T15:47:29-07:00

A Celebrity With a Stress Patch Was Big News: Do They Work?

2023-08-29T05:47:01-07:00

Celebrity endorsements change product desirability but do not guarantee results. KEY POINTS Celebrity endorsements enhance perceptions about product desirability but are not evidence for efficacy. A placebo effect can impact well-being, even if an intervention can’t be “clinically proven” to work. Any tools that increase our mindfulness and self-awareness can help decrease stress. Nothing raises the visibility of a product faster than seeing it on a celebrity. When Meghan Markle was photographed wearing a NuCalm stress patch, it got a lot of attention on social media and the popular press. Many theories circulated about why Markle was wearing the patch, but aside from all [...]

A Celebrity With a Stress Patch Was Big News: Do They Work?2023-08-29T05:47:01-07:00

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory

2023-08-10T12:35:28-07:00

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory Fielding Media Psychology alum (Media PSY, 2016), recently penned an article titled “Social Identity Theory—Are We the Company We Keep?” for Verywell Mind. Dr. Vinney is a scholar, author, and freelance writer who focuses on psychology and popular culture topics. Her research examines how audiences understand, engage with, and respond to popular media. She has published two books and numerous academic articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Psychology of Popular Media Culture, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, and Review of Communication. Her latest book, Finding Truth in Fiction, was published [...]

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory2023-08-10T12:35:28-07:00

Why Did Influencer Kai Cenat’s Live NYC Meetup Turn Ugly?

2023-08-10T04:45:31-07:00

Influencers have no experience translating online audiences into live events. KEY POINTS Young influencers don't have relevant experience understanding influence or managing fame. Gen Z and Millennials relate more to influencers than to traditional celebrities. Parasocial attachment increases an influencer's persuasiveness because they feel like a friend. The popular social media streamer Kai Cenat and fellow streamer Fanum announced to their followers that they would give away electronics, including PlayStation 5 consoles, on Friday, August 4, at 4 p.m. Thousands of fans showed up to get the prizes, filling the street, stopping traffic, and becoming increasingly unruly. Police were [...]

Why Did Influencer Kai Cenat’s Live NYC Meetup Turn Ugly?2023-08-10T04:45:31-07:00

Social Media and Video Gaming: What should parents be concerned about and what can they do?

2023-07-03T10:22:49-07:00

What should parents be concerned about and what can they do? LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW between Dr. Ryan DeLapp and Dr. Andreas Miles-Novelo Intended For: Parents of children and teens Recorded Podcast - 1 Hour Important Takeaways: It’s not just kids we should be concerned about Parents can support their children in developing intentional and conscientious media use Parents can try to take a collaborative approach to minimizing the adverse effects of media on the family as a whole Parents should ‘stay plugged’ in to the media their children are consuming And, remember social media and video [...]

Social Media and Video Gaming: What should parents be concerned about and what can they do?2023-07-03T10:22:49-07:00

How Social Media Turned the Titan Tragedy into Entertainment

2023-06-26T06:41:59-07:00

What empathy? The Titanic, a lost sub, and wealthy explorers—it's too good a story. KEY POINTS Disasters capture attention but stories keep us coming back. The Titan incident had all the elements of a blockbuster movie, it was too much for social media to resist. Social media is attention-driven and rewards extreme content and conspiracy theories. Continued speculation perpetuates the increasingly archetypal narrative, independent of actual facts. The Titan submergible went missing on its way to take five people to see the wreckage of the Titanic. The navy reports it suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion,’ and the five passengers are [...]

How Social Media Turned the Titan Tragedy into Entertainment2023-06-26T06:41:59-07:00

Building UX Personas That Cultivate Empathy, Instead of Bias

2023-05-23T09:39:46-07:00

Personas have a long history in digital products and services. In fact, you’ve probably built a few yourself. They come in varying levels of fidelity and traditionally document key demographic information about your average or likely users. Personas can be incredibly helpful for teams, especially newly established ones, to help build context and guardrails around who they are building for. The problem with personas is they haven’t really changed much in the last few decades. If you run a basic search right now it will generate a hundred of the same templates with a standard array of demographic inputs; fake [...]

Building UX Personas That Cultivate Empathy, Instead of Bias2023-05-23T09:39:46-07:00

Media Psychology Alum Stephanie Jiroch Hired as Adjunct Faculty at University of Nevada, Reno

2023-05-19T11:50:41-07:00

Media Psychology alum Stephanie Jiroch was hired as an adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Nevada, Reno - Lake Tahoe campus teaching Advanced Marketing Strategy in the business and entrepreneur program. Stephanie Jiroch, M.A., doctoral candidate Stephanie Jiroch is a graduate of Fielding's Master's in Media Psychology and is currently a doctoral candidate in Psychology with an emphasis in Media at Fielding Graduate University. In addition, she holds an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, and a bachelor of arts in Advertising and Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. As an [...]

Media Psychology Alum Stephanie Jiroch Hired as Adjunct Faculty at University of Nevada, Reno2023-05-19T11:50:41-07:00

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