Imagine finding out your friends hosted a dinner party and didn’t invite you, or that you were passed over for a job you were excited about. These moments hurt, and people often describe rejection in the language of physical pain. While rejection can be emotionally painful, it can also teach us something. I am a social psychology […] … learn more→

Social media influencers have become cultural powerhouses, setting trends, shaping lifestyles and even swaying political views. As their influence grows, so do ethical debates about them: are they villains exploiting their audiences, victims of an unregulated industry or champions driving positive change? In our chapter in the recently released book, Influencer Marketing, we synthesized existing literature to […] … learn more→

Filming, editing, and posting videos on social media is now a central activity in young people’s social lives. But it’s also a complex, even dangerous, activity, especially for young women. What do they film, what don’t they film, and why? A look back at the findings of a survey. In an article dated March 12, 2025 , […] … learn more→

“Lies are often much more plausible, more appealing to reason than reality, since the liar has the great advantage of knowing beforehand what the audience wishes or expects to hear.” This statement might have been written last year – or last week – as a comment on the current state of political reporting. It is […] … learn more→

There are four key and interrelated dimensions that determine the well-being of children and adolescents: physical health, emotional well-being, digital technology use, and the relational environment. Each influences the others: therefore, we cannot talk about digital well-being without considering physical, emotional, and social connections. In Spain, most minors receive their first cell phone at age 11. They are […] … learn more→

Diversity, equity and inclusion, which has become the catchphrase DEI, represents a commitment to fairness and to tackling racism and exclusionary policies that limit access to resources and perpetuate injustice. The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI frame efforts toward equity and fairness as illegal, wasteful, immoral and shameful. However, unfair access to resources and opportunities remains a daily reality in […] … learn more→

When governments, policymakers or the news media discuss migration, the focus is almost exclusively on those who physically cross borders, seek asylum or arrive at ports of entry. But migration does not begin at at the moment of departure or upon arrival. It starts much earlier, as an aspiration. Recent surveys show a sharp rise in global […] … learn more→

Bullying is a serious problem that impacts hundreds of millions of young people across the world each year. Defined as the goal-directed, harmful abuse of a power imbalance, bullying can cause serious, long-term physical and mental health outcomes for victims. As a result, countries around the world have mobilized anti-bullying efforts. Unfortunately, these efforts have had relatively little impact on […] … learn more→

The rate of children permanently excluded from school in England rose against last year and is higher than before the pandemic. A recent BBC documentary by actor Idris Elba pointed out that being excluded from school can be a tipping point that pushes a child towards serious violence. This observation is backed up by convincing evidence. Data in […] … learn more→

When two junior employees bump into each other in the corridor and start chatting about their manager’s overbearing manner, it’s typically considered gossip. But what about when two managers have an off-record catch-up to discuss an under-performing employee? Both scenarios meet traditional definitions of gossip – the information being shared is about other people, the […] … learn more→