Media Psychology Matters: The Psychology of Media & Technology
Humans are social animals. The need to connect is a primal drive. Even our most basic needs, such as food and safety, have always been accomplished by humans as a group. We weren’t equipped to conquer the world with fangs and claws, so we got a prefrontal cortex that gave us cooperation and … [Read more...]
The 2008 Obama Presidential campaign made history. Not only was Obama the first African American to be elected president, but he was also the first presidential candidate to effectively use social media as a major campaign strategy. It’s easy to forget, given how ubiquitous social media is … [Read more...]
Moving on emotionally after a break-up is hard, with or without social media. But the easy access and speed of social media sites, like Facebook, can make it easier to torment yourself and harder to move on. When relationships don’t go as we expected, planned or hoped, we want to know why. … [Read more...]
In spite of Facebook’s prominence in the social media ecosystem, Twitter is becoming a central source for breaking news. From natural disasters to political campaigning, Twitter delivers real time messaging that have a sense of immediacy. But the characteristics of Twitter also open the doors to a … [Read more...]
The Sandy Hook tragedy has created an avalanche of response across social media. The senseless violence has so outraged and shocked people that is has turned observers into advocates and supporters. Whether it’s showing support, lobbying for gun control, promoting mental health initiatives … [Read more...]
Some celebrities are masters at using Twitter to build a fan base. Others, like Chris Brown, suffer from not understanding the potential impact of failing to think first, tweet second. Social media give celebrities great platforms for building a fan base. They have wide distribution as … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving is a time to look around and be grateful for what we have and to celebrate the richness and opportunities in our lives. Sometimes it helps to be reminded of just how much we do have by seeing the lives of others. My colleague Dr. Leo Chan was in Cambodia a few months ago. From … [Read more...]
Many people have the image of video games as socially isolating, if not psychologically addicting. Yet, like my friend Kristin demonstrated when she joined her son in the online game Wizard101 (see part 1), video games can connect families and friends across time and distances. In my last post, … [Read more...]
Video games have been at the forefront of interactive media and continue to be a significant part of the participatory media environment. The thought of a video game still may strike horror into the hearts of many, but video games are just a digital manifestation of a very basic human behavior: … [Read more...]
Many people have the image of video games as socially isolating, if not psychologically addicting. Yet, like my friend Kristin demonstrated when she joined her son in the online game Wizard101 (see part 1), video games can connect families and friends across time and distances. In my last post, The … [Read more...]
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to the press for comments and analysis of the impact of technology and social media use on individuals, business strategy, and society.
Contact: prutledge@mprcenter.org
