Reality TV and the Dark Triad

2021-04-03T10:01:39-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology APRIL 3, 2021 Reality shows thrive on drama created by those who manipulate and deceive. SUMMARY Dark Triad personality traits including entitlement, deception, lack of empathy, and manipulation are common among reality TV characters. Dark Triad traits are also associated with con artists. On realiy shows, manipulation and self-interest attract viewers because conflict activates emotion and drama. Brands should be cautious about who they choose to represent them. Dark Triad traits may increase ratings, but they can damage a brand's image. Jen Shah of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, isn’t the [...]

Reality TV and the Dark Triad2021-04-03T10:01:39-07:00

The Fragility of Social Media Fame

2021-03-31T11:21:03-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology March 30, 2021 What Goes Up, Can Come Crashing Down. Many successful people will tell you that fame is illusory at best.  That doesn’t make wealth, privilege and adoration look less fun from the outside. Social media fame is particularly alluring when we hear stories of ‘overnight’ success and the economics of monetizing millions of followers based on personality, chutzpah, and the ability to attract attention are the critical talents, not years of studying Method Acting or busking on street corners.  Fame can come quickly as memes spread and followers, like moths to a flame, go with what [...]

The Fragility of Social Media Fame2021-03-31T11:21:03-07:00

Why Kids Love TikTok Challenges

2021-09-08T19:18:12-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology February 17, 2021 Fun, dumb, or dangerous? TikTok challenges offer connection and belonging. TikTok is the current app parents love to hate. A mobile app that allows users to create and share short videos, it was the most downloaded app of 2020. TikTok challenges continue to fill the news alongside reports of the big bucks that young TikTok stars are pulling down from endorsement deals—both of which terrify parents. As the name suggests, a TikTok challenge "challenges" the viewer to take some action and record it for sharing on TikTok. Challenges are found using hashtag searches [...]

Why Kids Love TikTok Challenges2021-09-08T19:18:12-07:00

Why Do We Like Holiday Movies?

2022-02-23T23:54:42-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology December 1, 2020 Holiday movies offer hope, joy, love, and the promise of a kinder world. Using entertainment for comfort, escape, and positivity can be an important antidote to COVID stress and Zoom fatigue. Holiday movies are a reliable and popular choice. Media companies have noticed, and some have upped their investment in holiday “feel good” movies. For example, according to the LA Times, Mar Visa entertainment has gone from investing about 10% of its development funds in holiday movies to about 50%. Why? Holiday movies make us happy. Psychologists talk about happiness by distinguishing between two types: [...]

Why Do We Like Holiday Movies?2022-02-23T23:54:42-08:00

How Technology Can Help You Conquer COVID Holidays

2020-11-24T11:01:08-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology November 24, 2020 8 steps to emotional connection online and offline. Every year about this time, there is a wealth of “how to survive the holidays” articles and advice.  It’s no secret that holidays can be stressful, even under the best of non-pandemic circumstances.  The holiday season is full of demands and it’s hard to ignore images of Insta-perfect holiday décor, artistically decorated cookies, and idyllic children wearing clean clothes.  The clean clothes alone should tell you it’s not for real but still, we torment ourselves. But this year, we’re faced with a whole new [...]

How Technology Can Help You Conquer COVID Holidays2020-11-24T11:01:08-08:00

Suffering From Zoom Fatigue? Here’s Why

2020-11-20T10:27:39-08:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology November 20, 2020 Zoom uses a lot cognitive energy because it violates so many social norms. Zoom is so prevalent that “Zoom” is now synonymous with video conferencing. The use of Zoom and other digital communications tools has skyrocketed given the number of people working and living in relative isolation due to COVID precautions and lockdowns. So many of us are Zooming (yes, it’s now a verb, too) that we are experiencing a new form of burnout: Zoom fatigue. Let’s face it. Zooming can be exhausting—and for good reasons. The numbers are impressive from a [...]

Suffering From Zoom Fatigue? Here’s Why2020-11-20T10:27:39-08:00

The Serenity Code: How Brain Plasticity Helps You Live Without Stress, Anxiety, and Depression?

2020-11-09T13:08:37-08:00

Christophe Morin, PHD Adjunct faculty, Media Psychology Novemeber 9, 2020 A new book revealing how you can use brain plasticity to lower your symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression? Until I turned 50, I was not the kind of person who would typically seek to experience altered states of consciousness or even seriously consider the value of spirituality. Indeed, I spent most of my life with no exposure or interest in psychedelics and no formal spiritual or religious practice. Nor had I ever entirely accepted the idea of “Spirit” or dared to use the word "God" unless discussing a movie or [...]

The Serenity Code: How Brain Plasticity Helps You Live Without Stress, Anxiety, and Depression?2020-11-09T13:08:37-08:00

Why Politicians’ Kids Publicly Take On Their Parents

2020-10-17T13:59:13-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology October 17, 2020 Social media lets kids fast track the developmental task of differentiation As the election draws near, kids of politicians are making news by speaking up to discourage voters from supporting their parents.  (See Beth Greenfield’s article.) Typical teenage rebellion?  That’s far too simplistic.  A combination of a major developmental task, prominent (and conservative) parents, and the amplification effect of digital media make a perfect storm for what psychologists would call differentiation and the parents under attack would call disrespect or rebellion. However you choose to label it, differentiating from the [...]

Why Politicians’ Kids Publicly Take On Their Parents2020-10-17T13:59:13-07:00

The Social Dilemma: Fact or Manipulation?

2020-10-08T10:52:55-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology October 8, 2020 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 documentary, part drama, it hits all the anxiety triggers of the last few years. The content is compelling and frightening — and also one-sided. The issues raised are serious and important, but not new. The call to action is to [...]

The Social Dilemma: Fact or Manipulation?2020-10-08T10:52:55-07:00

Too Stressed to Commit? The Popularity of Half-Hour Shows

2020-08-04T17:21:54-07:00

BY PAM RUTLEDGE, PHD Doctoral faculty, Media Psychology August 4, 2020 You can manage your cognitive resources through program length. 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 media choices has grown, but the number of hours in a day has stayed the same. Yet the avowed enthusiasm for programs that demand a shorter investment of time raises questions [...]

Too Stressed to Commit? The Popularity of Half-Hour Shows2020-08-04T17:21:54-07:00

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