I get a lot of questions about career paths in media psychology, particularly among those thinking of pursuing a degree in the field. I certainly empathize with that confusion--and the desire to make sure someone will give you a job if you do all that work. Media psychology, as a new field, doesn’t offer up any quick and easy answers. It's helpful to think about how to define media psychology broadly and then make it relevant to individual interests and goals. It the largest sense, media psychology is using psychological theory to understand how people use, consume, and produce media. It has applications to groups and individuals as well as nations. The word media is often assumed to be mass media, but media psychology looks at communication that is mediated by technology. Needless to say, the field paints with a pretty broad brush. Some people start with their current or hoped-for career and then target their approach to the degree in a way that supports their needs. … [Read more...]
Paths and careers in media psychology
I recently received this email inquiry from a college student: I am very interested in obtaining some sort of degree in psychology. I have been researching all the different areas and was just wondering if the pathway would be to just get a psychology degree? Or specialize in something for the media? And then what careers would be possible? Psychology has lots of avenues. Your interests will help you determine what degree path you should follow, but at the undergraduate level, majoring in psychology is a good place to start. If you are interested in doing clinical work, I would recommend making sure you have classes like abnormal psychology, educational psychology, developmental, adolescent and look for anything that might allow you to have some hands-on experience in a clinical setting. Different schools have different opportunities, so look in departments other than psychology. There are some great education, sociology, and anthropology topics and programs that can give you a … [Read more...]
