Monthly Archives: December 2018

Spotlight Post #3

--Original published at Chey's Blog

I decided to look at single- gender schooling instead of year round education. Before reading any of these articles my stance is that single-gender education is not a good option. I personally so not think that it gives males and females the social skills that are necessary for them to interact with each other.

The first article I read was called “The Research Spotlight on Single-Gender Education.” It essentially claimed that girls would thrive more in a single-gender school. The author of this article noted that boys are praised more often than girls for things like calling out answers in class in mixed-gender schools. I located another article called “Is Single-Gender Education Better for Students?” This article said some similar things. It noted that girls tend to do better in single-gender schools. It was also stated that girls feel more confident and treat each other better when boys are not around. It was also noted that both genders could potentially do worse socially when not interacting with each other every day in schools.

On the opposite side I located some articles against single-gender education. This particular article, “Single-Sex Schools Are a Bad Idea,” was written by a woman that attended a single-gender school. She spoke of a level of competition that was not in mixed-gender schools. She noted that every girl in her school went on a diet to try and eat less than every other girl. She said that it was very damaging to her and made all of them see the opposite gender as lower than them. I found another article called “Single-Sex Education: The Pros and Cons.” This article talked about how these schools could make you see the opposite gender as lower and that many teachers are not able to create gender-specific lessons and techniques to teach.

Overall I found that these articles did not change my opinion. I still feel that single-gender schools could be detrimental to social skills with the opposite sex. They could also cause a lot of emotional harm as well. I think too much estrogen or testosterone in one building is a bad idea in general.

http://www.nea.org/tools/17061.htm

https://www.goodcall.com/news/single-gender-education-010826

https://thetab.com/uk/student/2016/02/05/went-single-sex-school-think-theyre-bad-idea-421

https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons/

Spotlight Blog Post 3 (option 1)

--Original published at Site Title

Peer pressure is something that people of all ages face throughout their life time. I believe that peer pressure is the highest during the college years. It can be really hard at times to say “no” due to the pressure to fit in and look “cool”. For this reason I choose to look up ways to resist peer pressure for teens/college students. Some of these methods include following your heart, knowing you do not have the obligation to fulfill someone’s request, and to act cool when someone is pressuring you. There were other methods listed but these are the ones I personally believe that most college kids would agree with or think of when put in these situations. I think remembering these tips when being pressured can be successful. Deep down everyone has their ID and super-ego reminding them of the right and wrong choices and if they listen to their heart, or super-ego they will be able to make the right decisions. I also think acting cool when someone is pressuring you can be a successful task because it is easy to come up with excuses for why you cannot do something, such as “I can’t, I have a lot of homework to do”. I also found a website with ways to resist peer pressure for athletes since that is something that I can personally relate to. A lot of athletic teams operate under a “dry season” where alcohol is not permitted to be consumed throughout the duration of the season and at times this can be very difficult. The methods from this website that I find to be most successful are earning the respect of your teammates by your hard work, when you earn their respect they will also respect your values and to make friends outside the team who share common values. I know when someone on my team is working hard and is successful on the field it drives me to become a better version of myself and I would not want to give into peer pressure and drink alcohol and risk getting my team in trouble or disrupting my performance. I also think finding friends outside of the team is an easy solution to avoid peer pressure if you are uncomfortable with the activities your teammates participate in outside of practice/games. This can easily be accomplished by finding clubs with people who share the same beliefs/values, for example a Christian Athlete Group. Lastly I looked up ways to avoid peer pressure that parents can use to guide their children. Some of these methods include talking to children about how to avoid undesirable situations or people who break the rules, remind children that there is strength in numbers, and let children know that it is okay to seek an adult’s advice. I think these are all successful methods especially if they are taught at a young age. Teaching children at a young age to stay away from people who, for example smoke cigarettes, can help ensure that if put in a situation where they are offered a cigarette they will remember this and resist the temptation. Reminding children that there is strength in numbers is also a good lesson. Groups help keep each other accountable when placed into tough situations. Being able to turn to someone you trust such as adult that has been through the same things when they were younger is another key part in avoiding peer pressure.

 

https://collegelife.nl/peer-pressure/

https://www.universitysurvival.com/student-topics/avoiding-pressure-from-teammates/

http://paofdurango.com/helping-kids-avoid-peer-pressure/

Spotlight Blog #3- Intelligence

--Original published at Kaylyn's PSY105 Blog

School is a place that we all must go when we grow up in order to get the education that we need to be successful. Normally there is a fall and spring semester of school, both of which last for around four months. After the fall and spring semesters conclude, there is a two-and-a-half-month-long break. Recently there have been many debates over whether or not students benefit, or are harmed, by summer break. This has led to an investigation of year-round schooling and if it should be implemented into the public education system. There are pros and cons to both types of schooling and people are definitely sharing their opinions.

One article written in “The Edvocate”, by author Michael Lynch, spoke about the pros of year-round schooling for students. “The traditional school year, with roughly three months of vacation days every summer was first implemented when America was an agricultural society” (Lynch 1). Students would spend their summers out on the farm maintaining and harvesting crops (Lynch 1). America has now moved a bit out of farming and there are now many more opportunities for people in terms of livelihood. Since America has moved into the future, he believes that schooling should move forward too. One big factor was that students will be able to remember what they learned, instead of falling victim to forgetting information over the summer and having to play catch-up in the fall. Also, it would be easier to bridge the achievement gap for students with learning disabilities or students who have English as their second language. “Studies have found that disadvantaged students lose about 27 percent more of their learning gains in the summer months than their peers” (Lynch 1). This shows that not only do they get the problem of forgetting over the summer, but it is worse for them on top of that. The last point he made was that students will actually begin to like school. He believes that they will get closer with their teachers due to the extended amount of time they need to spend with them. Also, the students will not feel as detached from the school environment, since they will be there all year. Michael Lynch is credible in my opinion because he has written many articles on this topic, and writes on a website that is education based. He has a doctorate degree which means that he has education on the topic and will be able to provide a look into how it affects students.

Another article that is written on “Everyday Health” provides some more insight into how year-round schooling is good for students. The article did share some of the same points as in “The Edvocate” article; however, there were some more points that they added on. One of these facts includes that parents would need to find child-care for their children for the summer. This will create a financial burden on the family and it is hard to find all daycare for the summer since people like to go on vacations. Also, students would get longer breaks for traditional holidays, two or three weeks, rather than the usual three or four days (Health 10). It would only lack a two-and-a-half-month summer break for students. Also, when school starts back up after summer break, there is a large portion dedicated to reviewing material taught the previous year. With year-round schooling there would not be a need to review as much and students will be able to learn more during their time in school. It will also reduce stress on the students because teachers will not need to shove all of the projects and homework on students in order to meet deadlines. They will be able to spread homework and assignments out better with the additional time they have to teach the material (Health 15). The credibility of this source is fairly high because they talk about the health of people in society, and this article discusses mental health of students. Since they are a website based on health, it makes sense they would talk about school, which is a big source of stress for students, teachers, and parent. Even though there are pros to having year-round schooling, there are also cons that need to be taken into account.

Another article written on “The Edvocate”, again written by Michael Lynch, talked about the cons of year-round schooling. One major factor is that it could result in higher bills for the school system because they will need to pay for year-round air-conditioning/ heat, and other needs. “It may seem like a minor point, but an increase in utility bills for one-quarter of the year really could hurt schools’ bottom lines” (Lynch 2).  That is three additional months that they will need to power the schools, have water running, pay for food, and other aspects of running a school. Another argument presented is that students will not have any downtime to go outside and enjoy the weather. Having that break will be able to provide some aspects of healthy development for younger students (Lycnh 3). The last point mentioned is that it may cause scheduling conflicts for families when planning for child-care. People believe that it would be easier for people to find childcare for an extended break, three months, rather than elongated breaks of two or three weeks. In the summer there are camps and other places that children can go while their parents are at work. There would be a risk of not having these camps and situations occurring during two- or three-week breaks. There would be time, especially in the beginning, where there will not be these available. As stated in the previous article written by Michael Lynch, he is a credible source due to his background in education. He also has written many articles on both topics assessing both sides of the argument. Talking about the pros and cons of year-round schooling makes him more credible since he is not just arguing one side.

Another article based on the cons of year-round schooling is posted on “The Mentor”, and written by Michael Simmons. Simmons brought up the statement that some people may use their summer to work and help their family. Students who have jobs in the summer may be trying to save money to get a car, or they need to help earn money for the family (Simmons 4). This will not only affect students and families but also will affect businesses who rely on students to work over the summer. Places like ice-cream shops and other families looking for babysitters need students to work in the summertime. Also, according to some, summer programs such as camps, or activities are crucial to a student’s health. These programs take students outside and they will get vitamin D and other health benefits. Having this time off from school may reduce anxiety and depression in students by giving them time without as much stress (Simmons 5-7). Simmons is not as credible of a source as Lynch; however, he is a student who would be affected by the change in school schedules. It is interesting to look at a student’s point of view on the topic since normally students do not get a say in the outcome. Normally it is adults who would decide the outcome for the students, and students would need to just accept it. He did bring up very interesting points on the topic of year-round schooling.

I definitely agree with points from both sides of the argument on year-round schooling. In terms of cons of the argument that I agree with, one would be the financial burden placed on schools.  From my personal experience I came from a school district without a ton of money, and having to run for additional months would be a financial burden. They would probably need to cut some programs in order to offset the costs, normally arts programs, which I was very involved, in high school. The music program at my high school was almost cut multiple times, and classes like that are very important to student’s mental health. They provide less stress for most students and give them a creative outlet. Mental health is extremely important and having a break from the stress of their everyday school life is important. For the pros, I really resonate with the fact that there would be a cut back on the review time teachers need to do. I remember spending half of a semester reviewing old Spanish class material and just thinking that there has to be a better way to do it. Students are missing out on learning new material and instead are just relearning old material. Students lose out on learning more material or just learning information more in-depth. I do believe that year-round schooling would be something to consider because it will ultimately lead to a greater amount of information learned for students. I believe that there are more pros to having year-round schooling than cons.

 

Works Cited

“Benefits of All Year Round School.” Everyday Health, Ziff Davis, LLC, 15 Nov. 2017, http://www.everydayhealth.com/kids-health/benefits-all-year-round-school/.

Lynch, Matthew. “3 Reasons Not to Adopt Year-Round Schooling.” The Edvocate, 27 Oct. 2016, http://www.theedadvocate.org/3-reasons-not-to-adopt-year-round-schooling/.

Lynch, Matthew. “Top 3 Reasons the US Should Switch to Year-Round Schooling.” The Edvocate, The Edvocate, 13 Aug. 2016, http://www.theedadvocate.org/top-3-reasons-the-us-should-switch-to-year-round-schooling/.

Simmons, Micheal. “Year Round Education a Bad Idea.” The Mentor, Manhattan High School, 30 Oct. 2017, http://www.mhsmentor.com/8349/opinions/year-round-education-a-bad-idea/.

 

Spotlight 3: Social

--Original published at Tyler's Ideas

Peer pressure is a growing problem in our society today with the growth of social media use. Children and adults alike are forced to think that doing what other people are doing, even if it is dangerous, will benefit them in some way. Although escaping the influence from the people in one’s peer group may seem difficult, there are always sources that provide helpful tips in dealing with it. The first website I looked at was aimed at kids. It gave different tips on how to resist peer pressure. A couple of the tops included ask “what could we do instead?” and walk away. I think these are great tips for children. Being able to redirect the situation is a great skill for young people and allows them to take control of a situation they might not have If this strategy does not work out, the next strategy could include simply walking away. Walking away takes yourself out of the negative situation and is a great life choice.

 

The next website I visited included tips for female athletes to resist peer pressure. The site gave 5 stops to resisting peer pressure. These steps were:

Step one: awareness

Step two: the simple question

Step three: gather support

Step four: own it every day

Step five: inner amour

Each step entailed different key ideas to resisting peer pressure. Step one focused on the feelings of the athlete. It emphasizes being aware of how on Is feeling and how much they care. Step two requires the athlete to ask the simple questions. These questions include “is this in my best interest?” Or “whose happiness do I care about?” The third step encourages the athlete t find teammates or other female athletes to surround herself with, who have the same interests and goals that she has. This reminds the athlete that she does not have to do anything she does not want to in order to gain friends because she already has her supportive group. The fourth step teaches the athlete to be confident. Even if the athlete is unsure, faking it in front of others who want to force her to do something wrong will ward off these types of people. Finally, if the athlete takes time to reflect on herself daily, as the fifth step suggests, she will no longer second guess herself. Understanding that she is powerful and smart will help her live out her dreams.

 

The final website I chose gives advice to parents about how to help their children deal with the peer pressure they face at school. This website is important because how individuals deal with peer pressure is usually dependent on what boundaries parents have set up for them, and how they have been raised to handle situations that seem difficult. The first step parents must take to help is simply talking with their student. It is important for parents to remember that when giving a child advice, they must make themselves approachable. They should not want to scare their child but remind them that they are their best friends who look out for their child. Once they create that bridge of communication, the child can open up to them about problems they may face with peer pressure. The second step says for the parent to make a plan with the child. Many children give into peer pressure because they see no other way of getting out of it. By teaching their child something like texting them in code, the parents have given the child the confidence to get out of tough situations. The third step is applying your own positive pressure. Children need encouragement from their parents daily in order to make the right decisions. The fourth step is giving the child information he or she needs. Children do not know everything, so it is important for parents to teach the children about the dangers of the world. It is not to scare them, but educating the child is better than leaving them in the dark because the parents are too afraid to expose them. The next step is setting rules. It may seem hard to set harsh rules, but it is crucial for kids to know their boundaries. Showing that you are confident in your child to make right decisions encourages them to continue making those good decisions. Finally, opening up with your children about struggles you have faced will help the child know that it is possible to make good decisions and be happy.

 

Kids – https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/5-steps-resist-peer-pressure/

Female athletes- https://www.positiveperformancetraining.com/blog/female-athletes-and-peer-pressure

Parents handling children – https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/peer-pressure/

 

Spotlight Blog 3

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/peer-pressure.html

https://www.loveandlogic.com/articles-advice/helping-kids-resist-peer-pressure

https://www.positiveperformancetraining.com/blog/female-athletes-and-peer-pressure

The first website that I looked at had advice on how teens should go about resisting and dealing with peer pressure. The website talked about who peers are, and how they can influence you. It explained how the idea that not all peer influence is bad, since peers can serve as friendships, advice givers, and so forth. When negative peer pressure arises,  the tips that this website gave on how to deal with peer pressure are as followed: listen to yourself- if something seems off, it probably is, plan out how you’ll react to peer pressure before it happens, have some sort of excuse to leave a pressured situation, make it known that it’s okay to say no, be with people that you know won’t pressure you into doing something you don’t want to do, aka people that agree with you and will stand up for you, and if you don’t want to do something, say your parents would not want you to do this. Our psych textbook talk about how people normally do what the other people around them are doing (often referred to as the chameleon effect). This automatic mimicry allows people to empathize with others. This can be considered a type of conformity. Asch found that people are more likely to conform to something if you’re in a group of people who are all doing the same thing, or if we are made to feel like we’re wrong. I think these methods of resisting peer pressure are beneficial, because it’s important to stand your ground, and have that sense of individualism, which is focusing on yourself, but sometimes you will be faced with a group of people that don’t agree with you. In those cases, you have to make sure you stand your ground, and even if you don’t agree with what’s happening, you have to be able to accept their opinions, also known as the informational social influence. These tips can be used especially with teens, because they can be pressured into doing things they don’t want to do, don’t think is right, or even things that are illegal, so I feel that these tips will help you in a pressured situation, especially if other people in the group are using the informational social influence.

The next website talks about how parents can help their kids resist peer pressure. Their strategies are as followed: teach your kids what decisions lead to negative consequences, as parents, don’t fight with your kids about who their friends are, give your kids positive encouragement about making smart choices, and allow your kids to blame you if they don’t want to do something (i.e., my mom would not want me to do that). I think that these tips can be successful, because the parent is able to explain to the kids what the consequences will be if they make bad decisions, which I know for me, if I knew the consequences for something weren’t in my favor, I wouldn’t do something. If your child is made aware and has known that bad behaviors cause negative consequences, they’ll be able to use social facilitation, where the audience (group in this situation) will make them do things better, and the drive theory, which says that this takes place when behaviors are mastered. If your child has mastered the art of saying no to something, then in peer pressure situations, they won’t have a problem with saying no.

The last website talked about how a female athlete was a star basketball player, but then her performance started getting worse because the other girls on the team were jealous of her skill and success, so she would pass to them, or purposefully get less points, and make her own game suffer, just so she would feel liked by the team. In order to fight back against this type of peer pressure, here were the steps given: know that it’s okay to feel how you feel, knowing the right question to ask yourself (i.e. do I really care more about other people’s happiness or my own?), find support from friends, family, etc., remind yourself daily your reasons of resisting peer pressure, and build yourself up. I think these tips can lead to success when dealing with peer pressure, because it allows you to validate your feelings during a situation, and it lets you know that it is okay to not feel the same was as others. Informational social influence can also be used here because   you have to accept others opinions as well as your own. These tips can also lead to success because you’ll be able to find support in friends and family, and with this, you’re not doing what other people around you are doing, rather you’re doing what you feel they want you to do. So, if you believe in yourself and tell yourself why you are resisting the peer pressure, you’ll be more successful in situations where you are faced with it.

Spotlight Blog #3

--Original published at Psychology 105

Mental illness is caused by a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. There are many different types of mental illness. Major depressive disorder, classified as a mood disorder, can be effectively treated using a variety of techniques. Each person with the disorder is different, however, and this can greatly impact how effective different treatments may be. What is more beneficial for patients – psychotherapy or medication? Researchers have asked this question for years, but the answer may not be completely unambiguous.

Medication is one of the most heavily marketed treatment options for mental illness. Especially for mood disorders like depression, which is one of the most common among the general public. Although sometimes stigmatized, medication does have merits that make it a very valid option for patients. According to an article published on bhevolution.org, the clearest benefits of prescribed medications is that they quickly and effectively reduce or even eliminate symptoms. It is often noted that illnesses like depression are a “chemical imbalance” in the brain. It makes sense that by restoring balance using medications (MAOIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, etc.), that symptoms would be alleviated. Research has also shown that these drugs also are effective in preventing relapse in a lot of cases. The article also argues that although therapy is shown to be effective for mild cases, medication is often necessary in more severe instances. I believe this source is credible since the information found here was provided from an excerpt from the Hazelden Co-occurring Disorders Program.

Another article, found on www.nimh.nih.gov, gave more insight to why medication may be a more popular and effective treatment option. This source argues that although research has demonstrated that psychotherapy methods are effective, there is no set standards or way of regulating therapy options. Therefore, there is no way to ensure that patients are receiving the same therapy that was tested in a clinical trial. Medications are tested and then approved by the FDA. The patient knows exactly what kind of treatment they are receiving and how it will generally affect them. Although rigorous training programs can be put in place to ensure all clinicians use similar methodologies during therapy, this is much more difficult to regulate. This article seems credible, as it was written by Thomas Insel, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who led the National Institute of Mental Health for several years.

Some research has shown that psychotherapy may be more effective than using medication. An article from centerforanxietydisorders.com says that the effects of therapy are longer-lasting. It claims that unlike medication, therapy gives patients coping mechanisms and other tools that help them combat their disorder on their own terms. In case of relapse, these are also skills that people can use their entire lives. Psychotherapy does not have the potential for addiction like prescription medications have. It is much more likely that a patient will become dependent on their medication. The authors of this article are from a regional clinic of the National Social Anxiety Center, so I believe it is a credible source.

My final source is from the website of the American Psychological Association. Here, they argue psychotherapy should be the first line of treatment applied to patients with psychological disorders. This is because research has shown its results to be more long-term and enduring. This makes it more cost effective than only using medication in a lot of cases. Also, there is a lot more opportunity to personalize how a patient is treated when they’re in therapy versus just simply prescribing a medication. This seems like a quality source because it was written by two APA psychologists A. Brownawell and K. Kelley.

Overall, most of my sources concluded that a combination of both treatment types is often best. There are obviously pros and cons to each type of treatment, but both show substantial amounts of empirical support. In conclusion, I believe that since mental illness has many sources, there is no clear answer to what type of treatment type is definitively better.

 

Sources

Brownawell, A., and K. Kelley. “Psychotherapy Is Effective and Here’s Why.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Oct. 2011, http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/10/psychotherapy.aspx.

Insel, Thomas. “Post by Former NIMH Director Thomas Insel: Quality Counts.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 14 July 2015, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/directors/thomas-insel/blog/2015/quality-counts.shtml.

“Medications Play a Key Role in Treatment | Behavioral Health Evolution.” Mental Health Disorders, http://www.bhevolution.org/public/medications.page.
“Psychotherapy or Medication – Which Should You Choose?” The Center for Treatment of Anxiety and Mood Disorders, 7 Apr. 2017, centerforanxietydisorders.com/choose-psychotherapy-medication/.

Spotlight Blog Post 3

--Original published at David's Blog

For our third and final spotlight blog post I decided to do my topic on mental illness in tv and how it turns it into entertainment. We are to compare different articles on mental illness in tv and discuss weather or not it is ethical or not. Before starting this blog post I am sort of on the edge and I am not to sure if it is ethical or not.

“Some are less offensive than others, but overall they tend to highlight examples of low or no insight, such as a client who cannot recognize that a food item is rotten, and they zoom in on squalor.” stated by Everyday Health. One of the biggest problems with mental health tv shows is how they only look at the worse cases. This is done since viewers are more likely to view shows with more odd or strange people with these illness. By doing this it can misinform the public on on the mental illness portrayed in the show.

“media should ‘desist from using mental health problems to entertain and shock the public.'” written by Anna Almendrala. One of the other big reasons on why these tv shows are not ethical is how it exploits peoples personal problems. This alone can be fine but the producers are doing it so they can get more views on their shows.

“In this case, the families or individuals have to agree to the ‘intervention’ and work with the organizers.” stated by Movie Rewind. This is one of the up sides to the television shows. They bring in teams and experts to get the people with the mental illness help. The teams that come in do their best to help people turn their lives around for the better. Having a whole group of people helping to turn someones life around can do so much good in their lives, sometimes in the show they even do check ups on past people to see how they are doing.

“These realistic depictions of mental illness can be deeply helpful to those who suffer at home.” written by By showing these mental illness to the general public it can help people more aware of the illness. By making the public aware of the illness it can also help others see if they may have a mental illness of their own. This can be both good and bad. If a show gives false info and bad symptoms on the illness audience members can do a false diagnostic. But if the info is portrayed correctly it can help people do accurate self diagnostics and the audience will be more likely to seek help from professionals.

After looking at all the articles on mental illness in tvI was able to form a better opinion on weather it was ethical or not. Personally I think I can be good and bad. If the person that is focused on in the show give consent to filming I think it can be very beneficial for the general audience to learn more about certain illness. We have to be carful though when producing shows like hoarders they need to include correct and accurate information for the public. If that can be do those tv shows can be both ethical and beneficial.

 

 

Citations

Spotlight#3

--Original published at Marisa Psych Blog

Many people are victims of peer pressure everyday. This seems to be a climbing issue in todays society, sen at all ages or life. Peer pressure is given into to what others do and how they act, just to feel as sense of belonging. Following with what the majority is doing, just to not be left behind. It is almost impossible to escape peer pressure, or so it feels as it is right infront of you, tempting to control how and what you do. it is a social  influence and is connected to acceptance. Peer pressure is not just confined to the idea of doing things you wouldn’t do, it carries many factors and different group this issue can effect.

Teenagers are one of the biggest group that peer prose is thought to effect. They are the age that most things begin and change and settle in your life, going from a child to a young adult. While you are trying to find who you really are, there will be things that you will or will not do. Not everyone follows the same life rules, and this introduces peer pressure. Doing new things and trying what works and doesn’t work for your life. Teenagers are influenced heavily by the outside world. Social factors like clothing and hair styles, music , social media, and various other thing cloud and form a persons judgment and. personal feelings toward life and how they want or feel as if they should be living it. It is important for teens to find a balance, between outside life like school and friends in addition to their home life. Depending on whether or not you give into peer pressure or how much you do, you can potentially lose who you were before and turn into something you are not. In school and other teenage environments, this is where temptation to try new things and test your limits will arise. Understanding how to access a situation and the potential decisions you can make and how it will affect you both short and long term is very important. Taking risks every once is=n awhile is not bad, but if you are doing various things that you wouldn’t before, just because of outside influence, this is peer pressure. Being self confident in yourself an the life you have is very important. Showing yourself self love and understanding that you do not have to change to be accepted. Saying no is easier said than done. It takes will power and strength to say no to something, especially if your friends or peers would like you to branch out. Peer pressure is a fact of your personal outer circle and environment, and you are in control of your decisions and actions. conforming inot something you are not is a greats issue and result of peer pressure. Feeling a sense of social solidarity and union to one another makes you feel normal as well as powerful. Looking for approval and seeking things from a different lifestyle are all connected to the idea of pressure on teens.

College students are another huge group that is subjected to possibility of peer pressure. This is one of the biggest populations in the world. At this age you are also trying to find who you are, becoming an adult and living without parent rules and influence. This allows you to wonder and try new things you may not have before during your teen or childhood years. You are entering a new realm or world, nothing that you have experienced before. living amongst other young adults your age, forming different relationships and acting in ways you see others around you. Making your own decisions and being responsible for yourself with nobody else worrying if you are okay or not is the biggest change from coming from high school years and staying at home to living on a college campus. One of the biggest things a college student can learn is to assess a situation quickly and decide if its a no go or if it is a smart idea for you to stay and partake in the activities happening around you. Saying no to your peers can be very challenging. Feeling as if you will be judged for not participating in what your friends are doing can really influence soemones decisions. The pressure to fit in and conform to the same actions and behaviors surrounding ones self is very challenging to dismiss. Believing in yourself and possessing self esteem and confidence is also important to have during your college years. A lot of college kids test the limits. Trying different drugs, drinking alcohol and going out to parties with the rest of your campus can be quite tempting. Doing what others do around you and conforming to the “norms” college has set is pressure, without it even being said. Social influence is the biggest factor of potentially feeling peer pressured into something. Facing college shows you so many new things it can be overwhelming. Being away from home and not having parental influence on the decisions you ae able to make for yourself, give you a new found sense of power. Having to make designs for yourself and not having to ask for permission is a great deal to young adults. Freedom to a child is important yet very different from going from highschool and living at home with rules to going to college with absolutely no rules and you are responsible for yourself, how you act, and your life success. Boundaries are still there, yet a finer line. Finding a group of friends that lives closely or similar to the way you do or would like to lessons the potential peer pressure that you may succumb to.

One last group of individual that we do not usually think of undergoing or being tempted my peer pressure is parents. Parents face pressure everyday. A mother and father are judged greatly on ho their child behaves and does in the community. Being a successful child shows a parents success in how they raised you. Parenting skills and styles can be observed through the life of their child or children. The decisions that your child makes is a reflection of their parents and how they are taught. The amount you are involved in your childs life is also a huge factor. Parents are not just influenced by the community of other groups of parents, but even from their own children. Children have a hold on their parents as well. They are always wanting and hoping to please their children. Children look for their parents approval, but parents look for the same from their kids. Pleasing and satisfying them, making them happy and giving them whether need to succeed in life is a lot of pressure. Parents learn through experience. Nobody learns how to be a great parent over night. The outside of the community an the overall  society give you and guide you with direction. Peer pressure effects a variety of social groups.

Sources

Alexandra, Shawn Francine. “Peer Pressure: 9 Ways You Can Avoid as a Student.” College Life, College Life, 28 Dec. 2017, collegelife.nl/peer-pressure/.

http://blogs.uwhealth.org/kids/2017/05/parent-peer-pressure/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/behaviour/peers-friends-trends/peer-influence

 

 

 

 

Spotlight 3: Option 1: Peer Pressure

--Original published at Carly's College Blog

Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers. The person experiencing peer pressure may be strongly encouraged to do certain thins or to act a certain way in order to “fit in” or “be cool.” For example: when at a party, I may choose not to drink. If all my friends are drinking they might keep asking me to drink with them or continuously try and hand me a drink. This could lead me to conformity, which is adjusting my behavior to coincide with group standards. Here, I reviewed 3 websites providing advice on how to resist it.

The first website I chose to look at is aimed towards college students. It is an article published by Stanford University’s college success blog. It offers 5 tips: choose your friends wisely, don’t depend on one friend group, seek advice from others, engage in confidence-boosting activities, and lastly, accept occasional loneliness. When first coming to college, nobody knows each other so the first priority for most people is to socialize. I know that when I first got here, I wasn’t evaluating each person in my head as to whether or not they were good friends because I didn’t know them well enough yet. This goes along with not relying on one friend group. I am friends with about 3 friend groups on campus. They each engage in different activities, some party and some don’t, but the perk to this is that I can still be friends with everyone and not be “tied” to just one set of people. I like the idea of getting involved in confidence-boosting activities. I think this would be a successful tip because the more comfortable and confident someone is with themselves, the more confident they will feel turning down a situation or offer they do not want.  I do not think accepting occasional loneliness will be a more successful tip because in an environment full of peers and things to do, who wants to be alone? I think a lot of people would rather spend time with others than be alone.

The second website I chose to look at is aimed towards college athletes. It was published on university survival. It tells a story about a student who was pressured into drinking by his teammates, and he was the only who got caught. He lost his entire football career and never earned a degree. While this story may be a worst case scenario, team peer pressure is still very real. This website offers 4 tips: Earn respect from your teammates through hard work, allow your personal values to guide you, make friends outside of the team too, and join other groups on campus. I think these are all effective tips. By staying true to yourself and having more friends off the team, it allows for you to feel more confident in decision making.

The last website I looked at took a different approach. it is advice offered to managers whos employees are experiencing peer pressure. The number one point the article makes is for the manager to assert him/her self and recognize the pressure their employees are placing on each other. It offers for managers to host a meeting with the pressured employees and assure them that they can reach out without fear of repercussions, and encourage them to say no if they disagree with their group. It states that a manager should strive to create a positive and equal environment. I agree that these are great ways to improve the relationships in an office or organization.

Resources:

https://collegepuzzle.stanford.edu/5-tips-to-deal-with-peer-pressure-in-college/

https://www.universitysurvival.com/student-topics/avoiding-pressure-from-teammates/

https://www.mtdtraining.com/blog/handle-peer-pressure-office.htm

 

Spotlight Blog Post: Mental Health

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

Although I am pretty familiar with the reality television show, Hoaders, I could never actually bring myself to watch it. I never understood why millions of people would take time out of their schedules to watch other individuals struggle with a serious mental illness. A few years ago, just thinking about the show made me feel uncomfortable. Before this assignment, I initially thought Hoarders was an inappropriate form of entertainment because it put people’s lives on display. I never thought this was right – or even ethical! I felt as if those who were on the show were being wrongfully exposed, and I thought the purpose of the show was to mock what they are going through. Now, after learning more about mental health in our psychology class, I realize I may have been ignorant, and I might have misjudged the motivations behind airing this type of show. I wrongfully assumed Hoarders to be an unethical program without even watching it, but after reading various articles, I now realize the people on the show have agreed to be on television. I think this is because the majority of the individuals on the show actually have the desire to get better, and they want a public platform to share their stories. Throughout this semester, we have observed what psychology looks like in the media. In order to solidify my opinions concerning this topic, I discovered differing online sources to ensure I understood both sides.

The first article I found, written by Laurie Edwards-Tate, discusses how Hoarders has successfully created necessary awareness for the serious psychological condition of compulsive hoarding. The author effectively paints a picture describing what the hoarders’ homes look like, and how much the clutter, lack of organization, and reclusiveness devastates their families. This article accurately draws connections between the show and the symptoms of serious hoarding, citing reliable sources like the Mayo Clinic. Edwards-Tate points out how Hoarders accurately depicts the ways in which these very real symptoms show up in the lives of those with the illness. Instead of simply reading the symptoms in order to gain perspective into this type of mental illness, by watching Hoarders, viewers can truly see how these symptoms dictate those who are affected. Although it is unfortunate, Edwards-Tate also expresses how much the older generation is affected by this disorder. The show is important because it can show the younger generation ways to care for those with compulsive hoarding tendencies. Edwards-Tate closes this article with advice and evidence centered around what not to do around these individuals. For example, she explains how going behind a hoarder’s back and throwing their stuff away while only isolate the hoarder further. Although this article helped me gain perspective into why Hoarders should be watched, it still is not extremely credible because it was deeply opinionated, and it read like a blog. Regardless, it was still an informative article to read because it did cite the Mayo Clinic, and the author clearly understood the ramifications of this type of mental illness.

The next article I read in support of TV shows which delve into mental health disorders, like Hoarders, is located on a website called “Everyday Health.” This article is set up like a blog post, with health professions, Debbie Stanley, Marilyn Tomfohrde, and Lori Watson, commenting their opinions on the benefits, and the negative aspects, of this type of show. This was an interesting article to read because two of the health professions, Tomfohrde and Watson, agree that Hoarders is a positive program, which gives an honest representation of what it is like to have a mental illness like compulsive hoarding. Stanley, however, disagrees and believes Hoarders does more harm than good, and it even exploits those who are on the show. The evidence she uses to support stems from how the show treats the hoarders. For example, she explains how the show highlights the affected individuals as societal outcasts. Instead of causing people to be sympathetic, Stanley believes these types of shows targets individuals and makes them feel alone, which furthers their compulsive behaviors. The health professions who are in agreeance with TLC’s choice to air Hoarders also use evidence to support their opinions. For example, Watson explains how Hoarders not only shows people how to deal with their mental illnesses, but it also brings families together because this program allows them to deal with the illness as a family unit. She expresses how difficult it is for people with mental illness to seek help on their own, so having a program, which brings organizing specialists into their lives, helps them cope. It even helps their families become part of the process, which produces greater odds in them overcoming this type of illness. Much like Lori Watson, Marilyn Tomfohrde also believes Hoarders is an accurate representation of this particular condition. She expresses how effectively Hoarderscaptures the realness behind what it is like to have a mental illness. By helping people deal with their hoarding addiction and airing it publicly, it provides hope for others who are dealing with compulsive hoarding tendencies. This article was interesting because it came from three healthcare professionals: one who disagreed with the show, and two who agreed. Although the two agreed with Hoarders, the person with disagreeing input gave me a new perspective, and also decreased potential bias. Although this site was insightful, and the comments were meaningful, I wouldn’t say it has a lot of scholarly merit. Since it was set up like a blog, it consisted of three individual’s opinions instead of pure psychological facts and findings.

After reading these first two articles, which were mainly in support of controversial mental health TV shows, I wanted to get a different perspective. The first article I visited which advised against watching Hoarders is called, “Hoarding Reality Shows Might Do More Harm Than Good.” The author, Anna Almendrala, believes this show degrades the seriousness of mental health issues. She states those who are on the show are rushed to throw away their things just so they can entertain people. Almendrala critiques the show because it suggests compulsive hoarding is a disorder which can be resolved quickly. It suggests people can hire a cleaning lady to fix all their problems, and then they don’t have to deal with their mental health again. Despite her criticisms, Almendrala does commend the show for drawing attention to mental health issues; however, she does not believe it should be a form of entertainment for people since it is such a serious issue for some. This article seems the most credible out of all of the websites I visited. Almendrala addresses the pros and cons of watching the show, instead of simply stating the negative impacts it may have. She references reports from the British Psychological Society, and she also quotes multiple psychologists about what it means to suffer from compulsive hoarding. This article was easy to read because of its organization, and it also presented a logical and well-researched argument for not watching shows like Hoarders.

I chose to view “Stop Watching ‘Hoarders:’ Our Lurid Reality TV Obsession with Mental Illness Has Crossed a Line” as my last article, which highly disagrees with how the show represents mental health illnesses. The author, Rachel Kramer Bussel, never watched the show because she personally dealt with hoarding tendencies. She did not want to watch others deal with it since she herself battles with it. After overcoming her issues with hoarding, she decided to give the show a try, in hopes it would help people by showcasing the hardships they are going through. She, however, was disappointed with how those on the show are represented. She believes the hoarders are exploited and are often misrepresented in order for the show to be approved for more seasons. Bussel supports her claims with evidence centering around how the commercials advertise the phrase “more extreme than ever.” She is sickened by this because the TV show is selfishly benefiting off the illnesses of others instead of trying to help them for honest reasons. The author does not believe Hoarders should be a reality TV show because mental health should be not a form of entertainment for “normal” people. Also, if people are trying to overcome compulsive hoarding, they shouldn’t watch Hoarders. Instead, she suggests reading memoirs, such as Judy Batalion’s White Walls, because it does not exploit the condition like reality TV does. She concludes the article by stating those who watch reality TV to avoid their own problems, should stop worrying about others and should take control of their own lives. I found this article, and the website, to be credible. Not only does the author supply evidence from how the show advertises to support her thoughts, but she also gives credit to other websites and psychologists who agree Hoarders should not be watched as reality television.

After reading all of these articles and gaining much more insight into this topic, I still believe Hoarders has the power to do good things for those who are struggling with compulsive hoarding. If people want to watch reality TV, I think it should be about something meaningful, that promotes change and understanding. After reading the articles opposed to the show, I realized the producers of Hoarders need to refrain from dramatizing mental illnesses in order to get viewers; however, I still think the way the show highlights the effects of hoarding, both on the individual’s personal life and their family, is a great way to promote the seriousness of mental health issues. After this semester, I now realize the effects of mental health, and how necessary it is to continue to help those who seek attention.

Sources:

Almendrala, Anna. “Hoarding Reality Shows Might Do More Harm Than Good.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 17 June 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/hoarding-reality-shows_n_7605804.

Link: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hoarding-reality-shows_n_7605804

Bussel, Rachel. “Stop Watching ‘Hoarders’: Our Lurid Reality TV Obsession with Mental Illness Has Crossed a Line.” Salon, Salon.com, 23 Jan. 2016, www.salon.com/2016/01/23/stop_watching_hoarders_our_lurid_reality_tv_obsession_wth_mental_illness_has_crossed_a_line/

Link:https://www.salon.com/2016/01/23/stop_watching_hoarders_our_lurid_reality_tv_o            bsession_with_mental_illness_has_crossed_a_line/

Edwards-Tate, Laurie. “Ending Its Fourth Season Next Week, the A&E Network Series Hoarders Is Drawing Huge Audiences and Higher Ratings than Ever.” Hoarders: Reality TV Exposes a Serious Psychological Condition | At Your Home Familycare, 11 Aug. 2011, atyourhomefamilycare.com/washington-times-communities/hoarders-reality-tv-  exposes-a-serious-psychological-condition/.

Link: http://atyourhomefamilycare.com/washington-times-communities/hoarders-reality tv-exposes-a-serious-psychological-condition/

Stanley, Debbie, et al. “Does Reality TV Accurately Portray Hoarding?” Stroke Center EverydayHealth.com, Ziff Davis, LLC, 10 Jan. 2014, www.everydayhealth.com/anxiety- disorders/experts-does-tv-accurately-portray-hoarding.aspx.

Link: https://www.everydayhealth.com/anxiety-disorders/experts-does-tv-accurately- portray-hoarding.aspx