Watching Netflix’s The Social Dilemma was interesting and disturbing. It was interesting to see how it was constructed but disturbing to see that many of the psychological techniques the documentary vilified were used by the producers to tell their own story. As a persuasive piece of media, it is very successful: Part... read more →
Oct
08
Sep
05
The increasingly contentious and politicized environment is changing how we publicly align with issues, especially when it comes to seeking relationships. As political arguments become increasingly binary and emotional, there is a premium on knowing a potential partner’s political affiliations. OkCupid saw a 187% uptick in mentions of political affiliation... read more →
Aug
06
It used to be that sitcoms were 30 minutes and dramas were an hour (including commercial breaks). However, there has been a trend toward shorter form 20-30 minute dramatic programming. From a practical perspective, shorter programming allows for a greater breadth of consumption. It’s pretty clear that the quantity of... read more →
Aug
05
Media psychology is an applied field. The value comes from applying what we learn from research and theory to the real world. I am proud to be among those who use psychology as the basis for media and technology research, use and development. Psychology keeps my work human-centric. It doesn't... read more →
Aug
05
It's easy to underestimate the importance of media literacy. Media literacy isn't just about evaluating media content, although that's important. Media literacy is a set of tools that promote critical thinking and awareness of the behavioral and structural issues we all face as we navigate our increasingly digital world. This... read more →