#FF Wonderful Weekend Review: Mental Health, Parenting, Alzheimers, Songs4TheSoul, & Sunday's Comics

Click here to view the Magazine: 

http://flip.it/KHzRY

Thought for the Day; Another week has seemed to fly by and it's time for my #FF Fabulous Finds for your weekend pleasure. It includes an eclectic mix of inspirational articles and a video about Psychology, Parenting, Fitness, Depression, How the Internet is changing medical research and saving lives interspersed with inspirational quotes. For Saturday's Songs for the Soul, there are two music videos (one from Lightnin' Hopkins, one of my all time favorites, Trouble in Mind, and a movie preview for Unbroken. Finally, there's Sunday's Comics. Don't miss the Tae Kwondo video.

Wednesday, I saw B.B. King live in Stamford CT. My iphone is overloaded with photos, so I was only able to shoot a very short clip from the performance. I'm sharing it since it was wonderful to see a jazz icon still performing at 89 years young. Thanks for all the years of amazing music!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Dr. Barbara Lavi The Power of #Hashtags to #Empower Us

"Hashtags when used wisely have the power to empower the powerless and change the world." Dr. Barbara Lavi

Thought for the Day: We are living in very troubling, yet exciting times. If someone woke up from being in a coma for a year or two, they would be shocked to learn that a simple sign on a keyboard like a hashtag (#) could be changing our world. Hastags played a major role in the Arab Spring revolutions. In the last few days, we had yet another example of the power of hashtags to make a difference. Ramaa Mosley, an LA director and mother of two created the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls after hearing about the kidnapping of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls. The tweet went viral and it has led to worldwide pressure to free the girls from their captors. As a psychologist, I spend my days helping empower people by better understanding themselves and those with whom they live and work. My words of wisdom for today are: "Hashtags when used wisely have the power to empower the powerless and change the world."

Motivational Mondays: Tabitha's Wish and A Video Everyone Should See

Thought for the Day: I have two motivational pieces for today. One is an example of how social media can do good and the other on how important it is to "Look Up" from your phone and computers. The 1st story cam to me via a message from a facebook fan. Duncan K McLindon had left me a note some time ago. His message went unnoticed  since he had posted it on a Facebook page for my psychology practice, ACT Now Psychotherapy.  An intern created the page, but until about a week ago I had not posted anything there. I post regularly on a facebook fan page for  my book, but simply never made time for the other page. Last week, I posted how a 3 year old can teach us about philanthropy. When I read Duncan's message, I was moved and wrote back that I would share his 12 year old daughter Tabitha's story today.  It is yet another story of what children can teach us.
     My plan was just to share Duncan's story, but today I saw another post of a video which we all need to see and share with everyone we know. It has been viewed on YouTube by over 13 million people, so it is clearly a powerful video. I hope you will read on, see both sides of the equation and share it with people you know and care about. On the one hand, social media can enhance our lives. However, on the other hand, too much of a good thing can detract from our lives.  

Reader's Choice Top 5 Psychology Trivia Posts of 2013

Thought for the Day: We continue to celebrate close to 84,000 page views over the two years since this blog was born in January of 2012. At the current level of page views the total number of  views will double in 2014!!! Thank  you all for reading, commenting and sharing my posts online. Please let me know what you would like to see more of here.

Two weeks ago I shared Part I: Readers' Top 10 Psychology Trivia Posts 2013. Here is Part II: Reader's Top 5 Psychology Trivia Posts 2013. These are the posts with the highest number of page views in 2013 in this category. As those of you following my trivia posts know, there is nothing trivial about them. They report interesting sometimes surprising new research from the field of psychology,  education, society, social media's impact on our relationships and personality, intelligence, neurology and parenting. Here are your choices of the top 5 from 2013:

#5. At What Age Do Humans Have the Largest Number of Brain Cells? 11/21/2013

#4. Does Facebook Change Us for Better or for Worse?
 6/13/13

#3. How Often Is a Child Bullied On Playgrounds in the USA? 11/7/2013

#2. How to Prevent Divorce? 3/7/2013

#1.  Why Doesn't IQ Predict Success?

10/17/13

Sunday's Comic Strips: Some Funny Signs

 

Thought for the Day: Today I decided to share some of the humorous "Signs" that my interns & I have been preparing & will be posting many more on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr & LinkedIn for the next 3 days as part of our Social media campaign. Some are like these single signs, others are a series of signs. Although all of this is about a self help book related to serious endeavors in the fields of psychotherapy and psychology, these photos are just fun to make! Feel free to share them with friends & make sure you get your free copy as soon as possible. It will only be available for 3 days! Here's the link:  http://goo.gl/8F2TbU

 

Thursday's Psychology Trivia Answer: Does Facebook Change Us for Better or for Worse?

Does Facebook Change Our Personality, Make Us Happier, More Outgoing? *Photos

Thought for the Day: This week the blog has been exploring the impact of online "community living" on our work, lives, & relationships. Yesterday's Words of Wisdom brought renowned psychologist, Howard Gardner's view on online communities. On Monday, I asked for help from the people behind over 43,000 page views to understand what they would like to see here on my blog. (If you missed the post, I hope you will visit, since I really need some help!(A Twist: A Psychologist Needs Your Help, "We Need to Talk.") On Tuesday's Psychology trivia, I asked this psychology trivia question:
            Facebook & Facebook profiles, photos & posts have been found to change our personality by:
                   a) Predicting a couple's happiness
                   b) Contributing to breakups of relationships
                   c) Impacting on Self Affirmation
                   d) Increasing narcissism
                   e) Increasing extroversion
                   f) all of the above
                   g) b), d), & e)
     Now, it's time for the answer. Drum roll please! The answer is f., Facebook (and other social networking sites) have been found to impact on users in both positive & negative ways. Although the negative findings like option b) strain on marriages, option d) increases in narcissistic tendencies & an exaggerated sense of option e) self-importance among teens, get more publicity, there are studies showing positive effects of participating in online communities as well. According to a study reported by Reuters there appears to be a correlation between the number of Facebook "friends" & the size of some parts of the brain. Could online social networking change our brains? Some studies seem to indicate that more extroverted people post more often & are happier than those who post less often. Is not clear yet, if extroversion, increased size of the brain or nacissism come first & lead to being active on virtual communities or increased social networking leads to option e) increased extroversion & d) narcissism.
     An article by TARA PARKER-POPE, Does Facebook Turn People Into Narcissists? in The Well Column reports the findings of a CT study. The study found that frequent Facebook users tended to be more open & less worried about privacy. They therefore do not think that all those who post frequently are narcissists.  Lynne Kelly, director of the school of communication at the University of Hartford & one of the study’s authors, believes, “It’s a huge oversimplification to say Facebook is for narcissists.” She believes that sharing information on facebook is a way to maintain & develop relationships. Privacy concerns which need to be addressed may keep some people from sharing & using online communities. 
      Catalina L. Toma from the University of Wisconsin & Jeffrey T. Hancock from Cornell University found Facebook profiles are (c.) self-affirming in that they enhance users’ need for self-worth & self-integrity. They also found that often promoting a Facebook profile helps people feel better about themselves "after receiving a blow to the ego, in an unconscious effort to repair their perceptions of self-worth." 
     In  Can You See How Happy We Are? Facebook Images and Relationship Satisfaction results of a study by Laura R. Saslow, University of California; Amy Muise,  University of Toronto, Emily A. Impett & Matt Dubin  Claremont Graduate University were cited. They found that couples who posted pictures of both members of the couple in their profile pictures on Facebook, reported (a) "feeling more satisfied with their relationships & closer to their partners" than people who did not share joint photos on their individual profiles. They also found that "on days when they felt more satisfied with their relationships, they were more likely to share relationship relevant information on Facebook."   
     It seems to me that the jury is still out on how Facebook (& social networking) impacts on our lives & relationships. It can be detrimental, beneficial or neutral depending on how you choose to use the communities. Online connections can develop into offline relationships. Relationships can be maintained & enhanced or severed & hurtful in "virtual" online or in "real" offline life. What seems to be clear, however, is that virtual communities are growing in all age groups & are here to stay for better or for worse. My suggestion is that we should learn how to use online communities for social good, since the potential benefits seem worth it.  
     What do you think? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? How can we enhance the benefits & reduce the negatives of online communities?  
 
*Photos
Facebook logo (top right)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/westm/4690323994/">west.m</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Photo Painted girl
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/5848390943/">kevin dooley</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

From FlicrCC.net
'Portrait of a sweet lass giving out free hugs at the 2011 Carnevale+in+Venice+(IMG_9803a)'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/5817538354

'Makeup Design for Film & Television - Final Projects'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38174668@N05/4903132605

'g^2'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36613169@N00/2245501
Found on flickrcc.net

'AndrerbnA'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73344134@N00/2416560163
Found on flickrcc.net

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Psychologist Howard Gardner on Online Communities

Thought for the Day: This week I am wondering about how social media impacts on our lives & personalities (Motivational Monday: A Twist: Psychologist Needs Your Help, We need To Talk!" & Tuesday's Psychology Trivia Question: Does Facebook Change Personality?). Therefore, Wednesday's Words of Wisdom address these questions as well. Today's quote: “The biggest communities in which young people now reside are online communities,” comes from developmental psychologist, Howard Gardner.  A community is a unified group of individuals that share a common interest, location or characteristics. Gardner was right when he said it, but, his quote already needs to be updated. The demographics of online communities are increasingly populated by people of all ages not just the "young." In a comprehensive analysis by Pingdom in 2012:

• 55% of Twitter users are 35 or older.
• 63% of Pinterest users are 35 or older.
• 65% of Facebook users are 35 or older.
• 79% of LinkedIn users are 35 or older.

 My version of Garner's quote would be: “The biggest communities we live in today are online communities.”

**Howard Gardner, Contemporary Psychologist

Howard Gardner was born on July 11, 1943. Most notably known for his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner was Professor of Cognition & Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His theory of multiple intelligences describes how humans learn & process information in seven independent & different ways as opposed to a singular general IQ factor.

Dr. Gardner's  multiple achievements earned him awards for his contributions to psychology & education. In 1981, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. He became the first American to receive the Grawemeyer Award in Education in 1991. He was selected by Foreign Policy & Prospect magazines as one of the top 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world in the years 2005 and 2008. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences.

*Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Since virtual communities are becoming increasingly important, psychologists & all professionals are studying how to communicate effectively online. It is a vast uncharted territory & we all have a great deal to learn. The largest online communities are sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & LinkedIn, however blogs, like this one, are not only an alternative interactive newspapers, they are also online communities where one can learn about topics of interest, & share thoughts, theories & observations about their common interests. It is truly a "brave new world" we are all exploring. We can meet & stay in touch with people from across the street or around the world without leaving home

What online communities do you belong to? Do you feel they enhance or complicate your life? What do you like or dislike about living in a world filled with online communities? How do you feel about sharing online? Would you consider skype, e-mail or online therapy sessions?

*Photo from
http://www.glogster.com/xenitered/howard-gardner/g-6ln8k3mqsqoqa6v66laf5a0
**Photo from a great article about Garners on Harvard's website:
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2008/fall/features/gardner.html

Tuesday's Psychology Trivia: Does Facebook Change Personality?

*Photos from PinPhoto.com

Thought for the Day: I had a busy day yesterday & posted my Motivational Monday post late last night. This morning I had a wonderful comment from a psychologist in Australia responding to my request for help. It only shows that online, it may never be too late to post somewhere in the world! I hope you will take a peek at Monday's post since I need some help as I try to understand how to make my posts suit your needs & interests better. In keeping with my attempt to understand how social media impacts on my readers & our modern world my trivia question relates to how Facebook impacts on our lives & personalities. How does your profile reflect on you, your personality & your relationships? What do you think? Here's the question:

            Facebook & Facebook profiles, photos & posts have been found to change our personality by:
                   a) Predicting a couple's happiness
                   b) Contributing to breakups of relationships
                   c) Impacting on Self Affirmation
                   d) Increasing narcissism
                   e) Increasing extroversion
                   f) all of the above
                   g) b), d), & e)

What do you think the answer is? I hope you will come back on Thursday for the answer & my reflection on the answer.

*Photos

Man (top left)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/73630031@N02/7312448950/">DannyGetz</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
Woman (bottom right)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/werkunz/4601782906/">Werner Kunz</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
Woman Taking Photos (Right top)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/8398478080/">pedrosimoes7</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
Couple (bottom left)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_jones/3794424224/">Adam Jones, Ph.D. - Global Photo Archive</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
Facebook (top)
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/westm/4690323994/">west.m</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>