In late 2010, Steve Jobs was still at the head of Apple and had recently unveiled the first iPad. Jobs was well known for his personality and would often call reporters to let them know how he felt about their reviews. At times, these conversations would involve a pat on…
No one enjoys being lied to—but chances are, you’re absorbing some form of misleading or skewed information every day. This is known as misinformation—purposefully deviant reporting that aims to trigger an emotional response, usually in favor of the creator’s own biases. It can spread like wildfire across social media platforms,…
Your shoulders are hunched and your breathing is shallow, thumb propelling you through a dismal newsfeed with expert strokes. Each headline spells disaster for another city, species, or group of people, and we sink a little deeper into the tarpit known as doomscrolling. It’s a familiar scene: Whatever you name…
The other day I was watching an Instagram video of a woman’s nose job. (On Instagram, I’m always watching either cosmetic surgery before-and-afters or slow pans around dollhouse interiors.) The woman was adorable. Then she did this time-lapse thing with bandages on her nose and dark circles under her eyes….
People are starting to feel more comfortable opening up about their mental health problems, and in turn, crushing the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness. No one is immune to mental health disorders: for example, big name celebrities and athletes struggle too and are sharing their experiences. Mental health is…
You’ve heard it many times before: “Violent video games spark aggressive behavior in players and lead to violence in real life…” But, have you ever stopped to look at the facts and consider the validity of this statement? Heather Ness, a psychology professor and blogger who specializes in the psychology…
Despite the credentials, skills, and experience mental health professionals possess, they are often depicted as unprofessional, unhelpful, and unqualified. In many TV shows and movies, the characters who play counselors or therapists are often portrayed as unprofessional and emotional: they engage in unprofessional relationships with their clients and let their…
It’s often scary to be diagnosed with depression or experience depressive thoughts, but it can be especially frightening for teens. Fortunately, there are helpful resources readily available to teens on their smartphones. Resources include depression discussion guides, crisis text lines, and an app that comes with a depression test and…
We’re all guilty of it—scrolling enviously through our feeds, staring at all the pretty pictures and reading about our friends’ “glamorous” lives. But here’s the thing: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Have you ever heard someone refer to social media as a highlight reel? This means…
If you’re an avid social media user—say of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or all of the above—you’ve probably wondered at some point in your life if your habits would be considered healthy… or if there might be some room for improvement. Fortunately, Licensed Professional Counselor Julie Williamson is here to…
The capabilities and functionalities of social media are absolutely awe-inspiring. I mean, these platforms allow us to upload our thoughts and our experiences to the web in a matter of seconds; they enable us to have instant conversations with people on the complete opposite side of the world; and they…
We joke with one another about being addicted to our smartphones, eyes glued to whatever social platform we have pulled up at the time, but have you ever actually considered the possibility? Oftentimes, I reach for my phone and open Instagram or Snapchat without thinking twice or even realizing I’m…
