Tag: social media
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Is a Negativity Bias Justified in News Reports?
Many prior studies have documented the predominant tone of news content across news agencies (newspapers, television, news magazines, and citizen journalists). News stories lean heavily toward negative rather than positive content, and can even lead viewers to experience visceral physiological reactions.[1] “If it bleeds, it leads” aptly describes how news media skews toward negative content.…
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Social Media: A Convenient Scapegoat?
Social media users number in the billions, and the most popular platforms include Facebook, X(Twitter), YouTube, WhatsApp, WeChat, and Instagram. Given the popularity of social media, numerous studies have attempted to document the effects of social media on users. As of January 2020, there were more than 110,000 publications with “social media” cited in the…
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Can a Positive Mindset Be Toxic?
Tragedy is a part of human existence, and no one completely escapes it. We may experience physical, mental, and psychological damage as a result of our own or others’ actions. We may develop diseases and illnesses that are short- or long-term, treatable or untreatable. Built in to our genetic code is the desire to seek…
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Empowering Parents: Mediation Strategies to Tackle Problematic Media Use
Media use is a daily, and some would say an hourly, activity for children and adults. According to Statista, the average daily time using digital media in the U.S. was 7 hours, 19 minutes in 2022. Children 8-10 years old spend 6 hours per day on screens and those 11-14 spend almost 9 hours per…
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Mindfulness and Problematic Social Media Use: Are They Connected?
From its origins in Hinduism, Buddhism, and yoga, mindfulness has hit the mainstream and is now the subject of intense psychological research. Mindfulness meditation training, a big business, caters to people seeking to counteract the numerous distractions of modern-day life. Mindfulness describes a person’s ability to focus on the present. It differs from other types…
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FOMO and Social Media Addiction: Is the Platform to Blame?
In a previous post, I referenced the explosive growth in Tik Tok, a social media platform popular with adolescents and young adults, which is expected to grow to 900 million users by 2024. WeChat, a popular messaging app in China, now boasts 1.2 billion users (statista.com). Social media apps show no signs of slowing down…