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 us understand ourselves a little better by identifying our strengths. The slogan, “being true to ourselves,” implies that we know who we are. Yet, how many of us—kids especially—have figured that out? Ferdinand the Bull, is cute, for sure, and the trailer suggests it will be a charming and entertaining movie, but I have always loved stealth opportunities to sneak in a “teaching moment” with my kids. Pop culture is a … [Read More...]
Humor Is Social Media’s Antidote for Fire and Fury News
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 all channels, not just social media the news source for a frightening 62 percent plus of the population (Gottfried & Shearer, 2016). The psychological impact of the fire and fury climate lays as much at the feet of traditional news channels as social media—they report the event AND the response to it on social media. Like the telephone game, it's not long before … [Read More...]
Do Young People Feel the Need to Be Selfie-Ready?
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 peak of their need to figure out who they are—much of which comes from social negotiation. Our identity is not created in isolation from our social world. We define ourselves in many ways. Thus, the various social tasks of adolescence and young adulthood, such as finding and gaining acceptance in a peer group, looking for a mate, finding a vocation, establishing a "home … [Read More...]
Don’t Call Stephens the “Facebook Killer – It’s Catchy But Wrong
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 the flames of technophobia and doesn’t solve any real social problems. Facebook is being used to broadcast Stephens’ killing but it doesn’t play a “role” in the killing. Facebook is a tool, nothing more. The availability of a social media platforms does not make people do things that they would not otherwise do. Criminals have historically used whatever media was available to brag … [Read More...]