Why We Need Media Psychology
Media Psychology 101
On the frontier of a necessary field of study and research
A few years ago, after working in media and communications for ages, I started to think about the implications of social media / mass media / technology on our human brains. We are on full overload all the time, and only now are we getting some studies showing the impact on people, even though some previous psychology, media, and communications scholars were ringing the alarm. Enter Media Psychology, or rather “Psychology with an emphasis on media and technology”. For me, integrating this field into my work, and following a number of think tanks and researchers working in the arena, were the natural progression of my career and interests. When I brought this up to some of my colleagues, they too were intrigued, give the mountain of personal experience and observations we all have. Given the clear media literacy problems and technology cultural disconnect plaguing out society at large, I think the time is now to really double down on the field, which is also now listed in the American Psychological Association, Division 46.
Want to know more? Of course you do…
Media Psychology 101
Media psychology represents the convergence of psychology applied to media, technology, communication, and is both an art and science. A media psychologist studies how people interact with and are affected by media and technology, and apply psychological science to understand the "why" behind how people use, develop, produce, and distribute media.
It is still very much an emerging field, but one of the utmost importance given the rush of tech, AI, media, and more. There are overlaps with numerous fields, such as media studies, communication science, anthropology, education, and sociology, not to mention those within the discipline of psychology itself. Much of the research that would be considered as 'media psychology' has come from other fields, both academic and applied. It might involve critiquing different forms of media, like newspaper articles or movies, or studying the role of media in culture and society. Media psychology tends to focus more on the impact of media on mental health, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.
Study
While several universities and colleges in the West have begun adding Media Psychology classes to both communications and psychology major curriculums, there are few graduate tracks that offer a dedicated study. However, with the rise of subject importance, I have seen people create their own PhD focus in the field. I actually spoke to many professors during my own program research, and saw they all had different backgrounds. I only really found that Stanford University + its research, Emerson College, and Fielding Graduate University in the U.S. with dedicated departments, but I am seeing study expansion in Europe as well, and among early people in the field, Dr. Pamela Rutledge has a small research group at the MPR Center too. Media psychology is relevant to many industries and occupations, including: PR & communications, marketing & advertising, technology, public policy and government, telecommunications, software, education, health care, and entertainment. Most Psychology platforms have articles on it as well, such as:
Well: What is Media Psychology
I will have a lot to saw on this subject as I continue my career path and curiosity - and I suspect a lot of it will be relatable to a great many of you. Stay tuned for more soon.
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