The #1 Resource for the Communication Field
A new study from a Gothenburg-based research group sheds some light on how violent games affect online gamers and suggests that the link between real-life and in-game violence is more nuanced and less straightforward than previously believed. Read more »
Human existence being what it is, it would seem logical that people would seek out happy stories to help them escape from life's harsh realities. Yet people who experience the everyday tragedies, disappointments and losses that all human beings experience actively seek out movies, television shows and books that depict tragedy. It now appears that the reason people take pleasure in watching tragedies is that tragedies actually make them feel happier. Read more »
Today’s culture is obsessed with data. We love approval ratings of presidents, how the public feels about prescription drugs, and the ratings of our favorite TV shows. So it’s no wonder that infographics have been all the rage online. But just like anything, there’s good and there’s bad infographics. Bad infographics don’t go viral. Great ones do. Here are some tips for creating and designing brilliant, wonderful, great infographics. Read more »
A study suggests the thought that political partisans only immerse themselves in media which reinforce their beliefs may be unfounded. They discovered that even the most partisan readers visit mainstream news sites, as well as partisan sites that express views that oppose their own. Read more »
Recent research published in the journal Communications Research shows that the way the news of a disaster or tragedy is framed during initial media coverage has a strong impact on the way the public responds to the organization at the center of the crisis. Read more »
Television’s bad influence on viewers’ eating habits has long been a source of concern for health experts and parents. However, a new study by researchers in Italy shows that the more exposure to newspapers, television and the Internet people have, the healthier they eat. The study found that the more participants used television, newspapers and the Internet as a source of information, the more closely they adhered to a traditional Mediterranean diet. Read more »
Generation Y members -- also known as Generation Me, millennials, and echoboomers -- were born between 1982 and 2002, and are seen by many as over self-entitled whiners who believe they deserve at least a B for showing up to class, and a trophy for simply participating in events. Hara Estroff Marano, editor of Psychology Today, calls them "a nation of wimps." Read more »
Many of the products aimed at holiday shoppers this year are inspired by popular comic books. Most of these items, including toys, games, accessories and clothing, feature superheroes with names that parents will recognize from their own childhoods. According to new research from the University of Cambridge, however, these familiar characters may bear little resemblance to the wholesome heroes whose adventures filled the comic books of a generation ago. Read more »
Even in politics, good looks open a lot of doors. A study conducted by the University of Haifa found that the amount of television coverage a member of congress gets is directly proportional to how attractive he or she is perceived to be. Read more »
The effects certain aspects of culture on children has been a subject of study for a number of years, and the effects of sexualized musical lyrics on adolescents is of particular concern. Researchers from Brigham Young University are examining the growing trend of including distinct explicit sexual lyrics in popular music. The journal, Sexuality & Culture, has published the results online to help educators develop plans to promote appropriate sexual development in today's youth. Read more »