Is Apple's new VR a gift of nature or a nail in the coffin for social 'reality'?
I remember getting my first iPod and feeling like I held absolute magic in my palm (even though about 6% of its storage space was eventually filled by Limewire’s classic Bill Clinton track…). The Vision Pro, on first glance, brings me back to this memory. Even though there are other AR/VR headsets available on the market, Apple has a way of making you feel like this is the start of a whole new way of working, connecting, and existing in society. (Admittedly, I’m also someone highly susceptible to hype.)
But, in a world where we are already becoming more and more siloed away from each other, what would it mean to have mass adoption of VR headsets for everyday use? My initial reflections are that this tech could be a) absolutely incredible for the development of health interventions, particularly for some older, less mobile, or more vulnerable populations, and b) potentially quite concerning for the general populations’ social well-being…
Read More
I'm staring up your nostrils in 4K but here's a smiley emoji
Zoom fatigue and similar constructs generally describe the experience of exhaustion caused by sitting in many virtual meetings for long stretches of time; a process that seems disproportionately more draining than in-person work.
Research shows that this phenomenon tends to increase alongside app usage frequency, though notably, the quality of your internet connection also plays a role. And, as we might expect, ongoing exhaustion from poorly managed video calls could be a cause for concern. For example, some research has found a positive correlation between videoconferencing fatigue and burnout and depression.
Given the ubiquity of Zoom fatigue, researchers have been hard at work exploring this process in more depth. In a fantastic 2021 article, four theoretical arguments are presented by media psychologist Bailenson, all centring on the idea of Zoom causing ‘non-verbal overload’…
Read More
Yearly reflections: My big three for 2023
As one is wont to do amidst Spotify wrapped Instagram stories, heartfelt Facebook posts, and twitter threads inviting me to make 2023 my best yet (follow my Substack to learn how!), I find myself prompted into reflection on the last 360-odd days.
In some ways, this year has been challenging. At a personal level, I’ve taken a seat on the periphery of some loss and some illness. I’ve also experienced some great highs. At a professional level, the year has been characterised by hard work, growth, and questioning. Questioning within my topic of research, because I started doctoral studies this year, but also questioning myself; where I want to go, what I want to focus on, and what’s important. That journey is ongoing. The three ideas below are ones that, in one way or another, came into focus for me this year, which I hope to carry into 2023.
Read More
To Vax or Not to Vax? Potential Behavioural Science-Based Influences on the COVID-19 Vaccination Choice
As my social circle knows, I am ardently pro-vaccination. However, I have tried here to step back from my personal views to an extent and take an approach through the lens of behavioural science: What might influence our decision-making process when it comes to the COVID-19 vaccination?
What little nudges might we unknowingly experience that bump us towards one stance or the other?
Read More
How Much Money Do You Need to Earn to Be Happy?
Money doesn’t grow on trees.
If it did, though, I don’t know about you, but I’d buy a money tree. Definitely.
And although we all grew up on the idea that money isn’t everything, we can accept that it’s still something.
Does earning more money make us happier? It seems the answer is, potentially, yes. But with some careful caveats.
Read More
Book Recommendations September 2020
Reading is one of the most important parts of my daily routine – non-fiction books are practical, thought-provoking and educational. And fiction books, typically part of my before-bed routine, throw you into a story, prompt emotional responses and get the creative juices flowing.
These non-fiction books have all been recommended in my newsletters over the last two to three months. From philosophy to productivity, influence to insomnia - there’s something for everyone here.
Read More
Does Your Personality Change Over Time?
The brain and human behaviour are wonderful things because we are always learning more about them. They’re a bit of a mystery wrapped in an enigma, with fields from evolutionary psychology to biology to behavioural science all striving to uncover their secrets.
For a very long time, the commonly held view was that personality doesn’t change. I remember reading the long-standing theory that personality ‘locked in’ at around 30 years old. After 30, you were done. Finito.
Read More
The Average Person Doesn't Know What Average Means...
Would you consider yourself an above-average driver?
If you answered yes to that question, you’re not alone. In fact, one study found 93% of American drivers considered themselves more skilful than the average driver.
Read More
Narcissism and Plato's Reluctant Politician
Plato’s idea of the reluctant politician transcends history: That the best politicians are reluctant ones, who don’t serve their community for the honour, glory or fun of it. They don’t want limelight or power. They serve because they know if they weren’t to do it, they could end up being ruled by a buffoon. (Not Plato’s words, but I think it’s pretty accurate).
Read More
That's Not Funny... Or is it? The Dynamics of Laughter and Humour
Research suggests we can gain psychological and physical benefits from laughter and humour. There are theories that laughter can help reduce stress; decreasing cortisol levels and other elements associated with the stress response, and releasing endorphins. We now even have services providing therapies like “laugher yoga”, which uses simulated laughter to try and enhance participants’ moods.
Read More
Just Check That Selfie, Your Narcissism Might Be Showing
If the story of Narcissus were a modern tale, he wouldn’t be staring at his reflection in the river. More likely, he’d be gazing lovingly into his iPhone front camera. And, as it turns out, probably taking many a selfie along the way.
Read More
Panic Buying: What’s behind it?
Toilet paper. Who knew.
And with all the accusations of people being horrible and selfish, I felt the need to chime in with some potential behavioural science-based reasons influencing why panic buying is one of the many odd things happening since we hopped on this Coronacoaster in March of 2020.
Read More
Time and Gratitude in the Midst of COVID-19
Right now, somehow, someway, this is our lives. And although my attitude is generally bleak about our short-term future in Australia, I try to remind myself to be positive. Eventually, this too will pass, and father time Kronos will resume the flow of minutes, days and hours at a normal pace.
At the end of it all, we will pick up the pieces. And maybe, just maybe, we will ask ourselves what we have learned in this strange time — as a nation, as a community, as a generation, as individuals.
Read More
Urgency and Australia in the Time of COVID19
I have some friends who live overseas. Thanks to self-isolation, I’ve been able to connect with them more lately — checking in on each other as this weird new science-fiction-movie world continues to unfold.
Among them, a French best friend currently under an estimated 45-day Parisian lockdown; another in India, one of the 1.3 billion people confined to their home; Barcelona where my friend went downstairs to the street for a cigarette and saw only a police officer; and New York where my friend goes for a run and sees the famous concrete jungle… free of people.
Read More
COVID19 and Australia: On Collective Consciousness and Fighting an Invisible Monster
I looked at a picture taken from just over a couple of weeks ago, out with friends in a Sydney bar. We are all smiling, arms around each other, smushed in as close together as possible to fit into the frame. An easy move operating on instinct, “oh, come in closer everyone. There we go.”
It’s a beautiful photo, and I can hear that night’s laughter when I look at it. We had heard about the virus by then. In January, it was a headline…
Read More
