Episode 04: Contemplating Connection on Social Media with School Psychologist Lauren Ross

In this episode, Prerna and Lauren discuss the psychological implications of social media. Social media is a complex mechanism that can greatly influence our well-being. How can we use it to promote equality, social justice, and elevate humanity without getting caught up in misinformation, deep division, and disconnection to our own selves? How can school systems implement media literacy to inform the next generation about how to maintain well-being and safety on the internet? How can we as adults use our technology mindfully to not only honor our own needs, but serve as role models for the kids in our life that look up to us? 

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Show Notes:

Lauren Ross is a school psychologist and yoga teacher in Brooklyn, NY and a PhD candidate in school psychology at Fordham University. Born of a conviction that mindfulness should be accessible to everyone, as well as a possible tool for social justice, Lauren is currently researching mindfulness and restorative justice practices in schools. 

Social Media Social Justice Movement: Teens Take Charge

Research Article: The Mere Presence of a Cell Phone May be Distracting: Implications for Attention and Task Performance

Thornton, B., Faires, A., Robbins, M., & Rollins, E. (2014). The mere presence of a cell phone may be distracting: Implications for attention and task performance. Social Psychology, 45(6), 479-488. http://dx.doi.org.tc.idm.oclc.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000216

Abstract

Research consistently demonstrates the active use of cell phones, whether talking or texting, to be distracting and contributes to diminished performance when multitasking (e.g., distracted driving or walking). Recent research also has indicated that simply the presence of a cell phone and what it might represent (i.e., social connections, broader social network, etc.) can be similarly distracting and have negative consequences in a social interaction. Results of two studies reported here provide further evidence that the “mere presence” of a cell phone may be sufficiently distracting to produce diminished attention and deficits in task-performance, especially for tasks with greater attentional and cognitive demands. The implications for such an unintended negative consequence may be quite wide-ranging (e.g., productivity in school and the work place).