Reality Bites: Are Reality Shows Making Bullying a Ratings Grab?

We've all seen them - the reality shows where drama reigns supreme and a select cast of characters dish out insults like confetti. But what's the actual cost of this entertainment? This trend of showcasing bullying as a path to success might be warping our perception, especially for younger viewers.

The Vicarious Thrill: Are We Secretly Playing the Game?

Many of us get sucked into these shows, subconsciously placing ourselves in the contestant's shoes. We wonder how we would handle the relentless pressure and calculated abuse. This self-insertion can be dangerous. It normalizes bullying as an inevitable part of the claim to the top, a hazing ritual on the way to achieving your dreams. The message, however subtle, is clear: success comes at a price, and that price might be your dignity. (Fucci 2017) 

Beyond the Glitz: What Gets Lost in the Edit

Sure, glimpses of valuable lessons are buried beneath the layers of manufactured drama. We might see the importance of self-image reflected in a contestant's breakdown or the power of support highlighted when alliances crumble. But the shows often paint a success-at-all-costs picture, where bullying those below you becomes an acceptable stepping stone. What about the emotional toll on contestants who don't win? The shows rarely address the long-term impact of this manufactured drama. We're left to imagine the psychological scars of being publicly humiliated and ostracised, not for bad sportsmanship, but simply existing in the game.

The Bully Label: Does it Tell the Whole Story?

1. Fucci (2017) states that the standard definition of cyberbullying - using electronic media to hurt or embarrass others  - seems a bit toothless when faced with the reality show phenomenon. Fucci (2017) argues that simply labeling someone a bully doesn't capture the whole picture. Mental health issues might be at play, creating a complex web of motivations behind the hurtful behavior. Perhaps the contestant is simply mirroring what they've experienced themselves, perpetuating a cycle of abuse. On a broader scale, the shows themselves might be a form of bullying, exploiting the vulnerabilities of participants for entertainment value.
   

Media Literacy: Equipping Ourselves to See Through the Script

These shows highlight the importance of media literacy. We need to be critical viewers, questioning the messages these programs portray. Is success really defined by how many people you can belittle on your way up? Fucci (2017) questions whether it is necessary for drama or simply lazy storytelling. By engaging with these questions, we can become more discerning viewers, refusing to be manipulated by the manufactured outrage.

Shifting the Narrative: From Rating Grab to Conversation Starter

Fucci (2017) offers some advice :

1. The next time you watch a reality show where prof
   Sedimental bullies reign supreme; use them as springboards for conversation.
2. Talk to your kids or friends about the portrayal of bullying, the impact on contestants, and the importance of building each other up, not tearing each other down.
3. Let's challenge the narrative that bullying is a necessary evil and instead promote empathy, respect, and healthy competition.

References

1.  Fucci, D. (2017). Cyberbullying: Hateful, Harmful and Insidious - Six Students Speak Out [Review of Cyberbullying: Hateful, Harmful and Insidious - Six Students Speak Out]. https://learningcloud.infobase.com/5703/learnit/138590

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Can Your Phone Hurt Your Thinking? Why Keeping It Close Might Not Be the Best Idea

 We all know the struggle of focusing on work while our phones buzz and beckon from our pockets. However, research shows the negative impact goes beyond just notifications. Even a silent phone sitting there can hurt your ability to concentrate and complete tasks. Liu and colleagues (2022) call this the cell phone presence effect, which describes how the mere presence of your phone can drain your cognitive resources. Your brain is constantly guarded if you miss an important call or text. This divided attention makes it harder to focus on the task at hand, impacting things like working memory, attention span, and overall cognitive performance. Liu and colleagues (2022) give us some bad news:

1. The closer your phone is and the more notifications it throws your way, the worse this effect gets. 
2. Studies have shown that phones on desks are more distracting than silenced phones tucked away in pockets or even in another room.

Liu and colleagues (2022) built on previous work where participants completed two tasks at once:

1. One task is in their central vision, and another is in their peripheral vision.
2. They focused on how aware you are of potential information on your phone, calling this phone activeness, and they created three levels:
1. Not active: powered off the phone -  no distractions
2. Low active: Powered on the phone, silent - you might see a notification light
3. High active: Powered on the telephone with notifications  - most distracting.

The researchers hypothesized that the more active your phone appears, the more it will distract you. They also expected a vibrating phone to be the most distracting because touch is more challenging to ignore than sight or sound.

Cell Phones and Attention: It's Complicated

Liu and colleagues (2022) concluded the following with their study:

1. Regardless of being powered on, having a phone nearby hurts performance on a task requiring focus on faint light changes way off to the side - think glancing at your phone while working on your computer - this means our attention is drawn to our phones even when they're not actively demanding it.
2. The researchers expected powered-on phones to be more distracting, but the effect was weak and inconsistent. There was only one specific situation where a powered-on phone was slightly more distracting than a powered-off phone,
3. Holding the phone only affected performance in a particular situation - detecting the closest light changes. The effect was small, and the researchers are still determining exactly why it happened.
4. Interestingly, when a phone was on, participants responded faster to identify letters on the screen, but their accuracy decreased. This suggests that people prioritize speed over getting things right when their phone is around.

Hold on, There's More to the study by Liu and colleagues in 2022:

1. The study has limitations. Participants didn't use their phones, making them seem less relevant and distracting.  Also, the two tasks required different levels of focus, making it hard to say how phones affect both.
2. The Bottom Line: Cell phones steal some attentional resources, but the effect of phone state (on/off) and whether you hold them is weaker than expected. Future research using people's phones and similar tasks is needed to get a clearer picture.

References

1. Liu, Wenjuan & Dempo, Akihiko & Shinohara, Kazumitsu. (2022). The Impact of Enhancing Phone Activeness on the Negative Effect Induced by the Presence of a Cell Phone. Frontiers in Psychology. 13. 920878. 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920878. 

Hands-Free Chat, Not-So-Hands-Free Attention: Teens Need to Hang Up and Focus

 Texting while driving is a well-known danger for teens, but what about hands-free calls? They seem safer. Not exactly. Research has shown that even hands-free conversations can significantly impair a teen driver's attention for up to 27 minutes after the call ends.

The Science Behind the Lag

Our brains are wired for focus. When we engage in a conversation, even a hands-free one, a part of our brain is dedicated to processing the conversation and keeping it flowing. This distracted state lingers even after we hang up. Imagine your brain like a computer program—it takes time to switch tasks completely.

This lag in attention is particularly concerning for teen drivers. Their brains are still under development. According to Munro and colleagues (2014):

1. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, decision-making, and impulse control, fully matures in the mid-20s.
2. This makes teens more susceptible to distraction and slower to react to sudden changes on the road.
3. This makes the 27-minute window after a hands-free call more critical, potentially leading to delayed reaction times, reduced situational awareness, and increased risk of accidents.

The Importance of Focus

Driving requires constant focus and quick decision-making. The road is unpredictable, and a lapse in attention can have serious consequences. So silence your notifications or airplane mode, pull over if you need to talk in a safe space, and focus on the drive. Hands-free calls might seem convenient, but the lingering effects on attention can be just as dangerous as talking on the phone itself.

References

1. Munro, P. R. T., Endrizzi, M., Diemoz, P. C., Hagen, C. K., Szafraniec, M. B., Millard, T. P., Zapata, C. E., Speller, R. D., & Olivo, A. (2014). Medicine, material science and security: the versatility of the coded-aperture approach. Philosophical Transactions. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, 372(2010), 20130029. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2013.0029