Social media has changed how people get information and communicate in many ways. We are not just consumers of media. With social media and new technology and tools, we also can easily make, change, and share media. There are images everywhere generated by commercial activity and a wealth of research looking at the impact of mass media on body image of men and women. Since the advent of social media, however, we now have access to a wealth of images that are predominantly not professionally produced. There are over 2 billion YouTube videos, 500 million Facebook profile photos, and 70 million LinkedIn profiles and that doesn't include the images you see on Twitter, Flickr, and a host of other social network sites. One of the tenets of social media is that you can't control your message, you can only participate in the conversation. Has the flood of "real" images from social media influenced the conversation about body image and what we view as social norms? Help us find … [Read more...]
Research Survey Launched: Social Media and Influence of Photos on Body Image
The Role of Media in International Conflict
I am very interested in the impact of media on how we view the world, and particularly in messaging that is framed in fearful and tribal contexts by various sources from politicians, religious leaders, and proponents of social causes to media outlets vying for audience attention. Biologically speaking, maintaining a heightened sense of fear is a stressor that can permanently alter our neurological wiring, even after the threat abates. A heightened sense of fear colors the way we see the whole world, influencing our perceptions and, consequently, our judgments, decisions, and behaviors. These are the ideas that I am measuring in my current research that will form the basis for a dissertation on Media Impact on the Core Beliefs that Predict Conflict. I hope to identify differences among information sources in their influence on core beliefs. I am using US and China as exemplars of this phenomenon and will gather data again, post-Olympics. The link to my questionnaire is here: … [Read more...]
