Psychology of Media & Technology

There is nothing inherently unhealthy about social media groups--they can provide valuable social support.  Ask yourself: do the group's members create a sense of belonging that is emotionally positive or does it undermine your confidence?  The need to belong when we’re scared and challenged by life is very strong.  It can make us vulnerable to coercion, persuasion, and misinformation. Check for qualifications, validate information sources, avoid people who tell you what you "should" do, and always triangulate information. #health #socialmedia #socialsupport

 Between politics and the fallout from COVID-19, fear and anxiety are at an all time high .  People shame or stigmatize when they feel threatened to restore their internal sense of order.  Othering creates a narrative that explains and and assigns blame--if we have something or someone to blame, we feel safer.  The veneer of civility has been worn thin by an unseen enemy and massive misinformation.  Not wearing a mask denies the existence of a threat that many know is real from firsthand experience.  It signals that someone cares more about themselves than others or the community and disregards the magnitude of loss. It's not surprising to see a "serves you right" response to reduce cognitive dissonance as people look for order and logic (moral or otherwise) an uncertain world.  #shaming #COVID #masks #stigma

Kids love unboxing videos.  Why?  They are mini-mystery stories, crafted for kids (noisy, silly, fast) with a highly relatable child as the hero.  #mediapsychology #brandstorytelling

Happy to be tagged an optimist about technology by Pew Internet. My thoughts on the new normal: Starting with Generation Z and going forward, internet and 24/7 real-time connectivity will no longer be viewed as a ‘thing’ independent from daily life, but integral, like electricity. This has profound psychological implications about what people assume as normal and establishes baseline expectations for access, response times and personalization of functions and information. Contrary to many concerns, as technology becomes more sophisticated, it will ultimately support the primary human drives of social connectedness and agency. As we have seen with social media, the first adoption is noncritical – it is a shiny penny for exploration. Then people start making judgments about the value-add based on their own goals and technology companies adapt by designing for more value to the user – we see that now in privacy settings and the concerns about information quality…. Technology is going to change whether we like it or not – expecting it to be worse for individuals means that we look for what’s wrong. Expecting it to be better means we look for the strengths and what works and work toward that goal. Technology gives individuals more control – a fundamental human need and a prerequisite to participatory citizenship and collective agency. The danger is that we are so distracted by technology that we forget that digital life is an extension of the offline world and demands the same critical, moral and ethical thinking.

Technology can amplify and skew behavior, but it doesn't replace the fundamentals of human psychology . In bystander situations, capturing events on phones for social media may shift attention and create more psychological distance between a bystander and a terrible event or it may reorient the bystander’s concerns from the event happening in front of them to the potential audience response.  But social media didn't invent the tendency of people to help less as a crowd grows--there is a sense of diminished responsibility.  The good news is that social media also shines light on problems of neglect, irresponsibility, abuse and victimization and has the potential to change the conversations in meaningful ways.

If anonymous chat remains a need beyond the nefarious--such as identity exploration--and isn't just a shiny-penny experiment, as it was for many, then a new product will emerge.  But let's be serious.  This was a business decision.  Cryptocurrency triggers a lot less moral outrage as a business model than enabling anonymous chatting.

The real headline: Bianca Devins' murder is 'not an Instagram story,' domestic violence expert says.  It's not very often when you see a news headline about such a tragic story that just BEGS for something to blame to not point the finger at social media.  Well done USA Today.  Flaunting crimes isn't new.  The sharing of the girl’s dead body on social media screams narcissist showing off and an attempt to reclaim power and feel in control.   Male narcissists have been shown to become aggressive when romantically rejected.  It violates their inflated self-image and they feel justified in taking action and showing off to get approval.  #mediapsychology 

The power of entertainment: We find meaning in the stories we watch. Dramas and comedies alike.  Stories expand our 'database' of possibilities and emotions; they allow us to reflect on the past, reframe the future and create affiliations and enhance connections through shared experience.  #mediapsychology #savoring #thepowerofstories

Predicting human behavior requires us to make assumptions about cause and effect, which are proxies for the consumers’ priorities, motivations and goals. Narrative analysis--identifying narrative and visual frames and customer stories--enables me to understand the “why” along with the “what” of measured behavior.  The "what: tells the past.  The "why" is the key to the future.  #mediapsych #datastrategy

A good rule of thumb is that images for things you can change — teeth straightening, hairstyle, painting a room — can be inspirational. Looking at things you can’t change — body build, height, the fact that you’ll never own a divine midcentury LA home like Mandy Moore — might be counterproductive.  Best advice from Parks: Don't look at things that make you feel crappy."

Banal or profound? Unboxing videos as a movie premise - Pandora's box gets a facelift

There are a lot of physical changes when you become a mom.  Some research suggests that pregnancy impairs memory temporarily. It certainly was true for me, although I think that's nature's way of making the next kid seem like a good idea.  (It was.) The hormonal changes also increase the drive to connect and heighten sensitivity to danger to protect your young -- all of which makes sense from an evolutionary perspective.  Thus we gain vigilance and lose the ability to sleep deeply through the night and movies with gore or child abduction lose their appeal.  #mediapsychology #parenting #fightorflight #scarymovies

It's hard to keep things normal when school is closed!  Help kids stay calm and focused by focusing on what they DO have, not what's missing. Online learning can be an exciting experience.  While it's not the same as face-to-face, there are many benefits, including giving equal voice to the Introverts who couldn't get a word in otherwise!  It also gives anxious kids a chance to think before responding without feeling under the gun.  Many kids will get to explore some of the tools like “Classroom to Cloud” with Google classroom and Zoom or other tools. See Cyberwise for some great links and make online learning an adventure! #mediapsychology #onlinelearning

No matter how famous and "accomplished" you are, a barrage of hateful comments hurts.  Our brains are wired to care what others think--even when we know better.  #mediapsychology  #celebrity #bullying

Brains need rest.  Cognitive fatigue decreases self-regulation, the the ability to resist chocolate chip cookies, and lowers productivity and creativity.   Mindfulness, contemplation or even engaging in favorites activities that are consuming can all lead to a flow state which is energizing and psychologically rewarding.  The resultant positive emotions have a ripple effect on physical and mental health.  

Teens have figured out how to get around Apple’s Screen Time.  Why parents are surprised, beats me.  These are not solutions to parental concerns.  They are, at best, training wheels to lay a foundation for good digital behaviors if you're willing to do the work to teach digital skills, self-regulation and critical thinking.  #medialiteracy  #mediapsychology

Removing the likes that other people have doesn’t change our need to compare ourselves.  Social comparison is instinctive and works both up and down.  Without likes, people will use other symbols and markers of status, popularity and validation of who or what’s important to navigate the social landscape.  Removing likes is pandering to moral outrage but doesn't change any fundamental drivers.  Solutions?  Media literacy, critical thinking and self-efficacy.

Technology can trigger our cognitive biases--assumptions and attributions we make, often without thinking, applying social behaviors and rules to technology-mediated behaviors.  A read receipt is like saying "did you hear me?"  and our inclination is to assume that the stony silence of no response means we don't matter.   #mediapsychology 

Well done Will Smith! Teaching financial literacy is so necessary.  Technology impacts all kinds of behaviors and as money becomes less tangible and more digital (auto-pay, click to purchase, credit), it's harder to understand how to manage it (and easier to dig really big holes!) #medialiteracy #financialliteracy #mediapsychology

The rise of Influencer marketing as created a new dimension in storytelling, somewhere between Reality TV and true confessions. It is ripe with archetypes and emotions.  While it has disrupted multiple business models, it also raises the ante on the increasing monetization of personal lives and can put them in direct conflict with values, ethics and well being, especially when it comes to young children. More to come.  #mediapsychology #influencerpsychology #influencerparenting

The new year is a time for taking stock.  Whether you choose to delete social media apps or manage their use, start with YOUR goals, take back your power.  Deleting an app should follow intention and goals, not be a kneejerk reaction.  Choice and intention develop self-control and increase positive emotions.