The classic story of Ferdinand the Bull has been expanded into a new animated film due to be released by Fox in December. It’s family friendly and has a great message for all of us: Be true to yourself. But Ferdinand can be much more powerful. It can be used to help... read more →
Nov
27
Aug
09
Widespread and anxious reactions to statements like Trump’s fire and fury spread fast across the Twittersphere. We can’t blame Twitter alone for the far-reaching impact of this kind of news. Only about 25 percent of the population is on Twitter (Greenwood, Perrin, & Duggan, 2016). This type of news reverberates across... read more →
May
10
Do young people feel the need to be “selfie-ready”? Before you go to the knee-jerk ‘yes,’ it’s important to separate out the developmental drives of young people—including a craving for social acceptance—from the impact of an increasingly visual culture. The bulk of selfie-taking occurs when young people are at the... read more →
Apr
19
It may be catchy, but wrong. Facebook is a tool, a platform. It’s irresponsible to call Stephens the Facebook killer. Yes, he live-streamed a murder on Facebook. It’s heinous, for sure, but to blame Facebook is like blaming the gun. That line of logic, while it may hold psychological and political appeal, fans... read more →
Apr
12
In spite of the proliferation of selfie-taking in all kinds of contexts, people remain wedded to the idea that they are inherently bad. Early experimentation and the overabundance of duckfaces have given way to normal types of documentation of the process of life. Like all tools, intention and purpose define... read more →
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to reporters for comments on the psychological and social impact of media and technology on individuals, society, organizations and brands.