V. Krishna Kumar, PhD kkumar@wcupa.edu 2020 can be thought of as the year of multiple crises: worldwide genocide by COVID-19, police shootings of black individuals and consequent worldwide protests, and wildfires and hurricanes. The Zoom invasion that began in March 2020 turned our lives into virtual reality. Life without Zoom has become unthinkable. For the…
Christopher Ferguson, PhDcjfergus@stetson.edu Earlier this month, I began getting emails from students asking if I’d seen the new Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Our family had discontinued Netflix for a bit but with the new Haunting of Bly Manor coming, it was time to renew anyway. So, I watched it. Overall, I found it slick…
Kathryn Stamoulis, PhD Kestamoulis@hotmail.com 2020 has been a terrible year for many Americans. The relentless spread of COVID-19. Distrust of science. Extreme political polarization. A contentious presidential race. A rise in conspiracy theories. Heightened depression, anxiety, and loneliness, less sex, and on and on. All this negativity begs the question, how did we get here?…
Danny Wedding, PhD danny.wedding@gmail.com APA’s Council of Representatives met virtually August 5-6, 2020, during which it adopted a policy/position regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to forward to the Membership for a vote bylaws changes that would offer voting seats on the Council of Representatives to members of the ethnic minority psychology associations and voting…
Stephanie Miodus, MA, MEdstephanie.miodus@temple.edu Stephanie Joseph, MA, MEdStephanie.joseph08@gmail.com As 2020 draws to a close and we reflect on this past year as Student Committee co-chairs, we want to thank all the students who have been involved in our initiatives. We started the year with the primary goal of increasing opportunities for students within the Division,…
Dear Colleagues, Our division shares in the feeling of heartbreak and horror following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other Black Americans. These tragic events have raised concerns internationally as evidenced by organized demonstrations in Amsterdam, Auckland, London, Paris, and other cities. Whether at the hands of police or armed…
V. Krishna Kumar, PhD Kkumar@wcupa.edu Succeeding a line of highly competent presidents and then anticipating other equally competent individuals to succeed you can be an intimidating and anxiety-producing experience. Division presidents often have their own agendas, missions, visions, and themes. When I served as President of the Society for Humanistic Psychology a few years ago,…
Christopher J. Ferguson cjfergus@stetson.edu We are all facing crazy uncertain times. Our specific circumstances may be different … perhaps working from home, trying to manage restless and cranky kids stuck with virtual schools while maintaining some sense of sanity. Or perhaps more critically, worrying where the rent or money for food will come from or…
Kathryn Stamoulis, PhD kestamoulis@hotmail.com In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, when most Americans have been ordered to stay at home, people are using the Internet to fill multiple roles. To create a semblance of normalcy, many rely on their phones and computers to work, learn, maintain social support, and distract themselves from the horrors…
Danny Wedding danny.wedding@gmail.com WASHINGTON – The Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association adopted updated resolutions regarding LBGTQ issues and reiterated its positions on violent video games and climate change at its meeting Feb. 29-March 1, 2020. Council archived three outdated policies related to LGBTQ issues and replaced them with new versions that also…
Stephanie Joseph, MA, MEd stephanie.joseph08@gmail.com & Stephanie Miodus, MA, MEd stephaniemiodus@gmail.com Phew!!! A lot is going on in the world right now. And we know as students, we already have a ton on our plates in terms of academic and/or professional work. Coupled with trying to balance that with our personal lives—it is overwhelming. Fellow…
Kathryn Stamoulis, PhD kestamoulis@hotmail.com As I near the end of my presidential year I want to thank everyone who put in the hard work to make this a great year for The Society for Media Psychology and Technology. It has been a pleasure to serve and work closely with our membership and our amazing Executive…
V. Krishna Kumar, PhD kkumar@wcupa.edu If you belong to any social media, you are familiar with the endless stream of recycled inspirational and informational (nutritional/medical/exercise/travel/political) messages in the forms of sayings, videos, short—actually rather long—stories on social media that ping in your inbox 24/7. Of course, some of this is not restricted to social media.…
June Wilson, PhD junewilsonphd@gmail.com As my tenure as past president comes to an end, I can’t help but think about how technology has changed on a global and personal level over the past three years. I began writing this article in the dark, after receiving a text message, which stated power will be lost for…
Christopher J. Ferguson, PhD cjfergus@stetson.edu This August I was unable to attend the Council meeting for our division as it was my wife’s 40th birthday and I knew where my bread is buttered. Mary Gregerson graciously stepped in for me and did an excellent job representing our division. Here are some of the important things…
