Biography:
Professor Angela Paradise joined the Department of Communication at Stonehill College in the Fall of 2007 after completing her doctorate in Communication at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Prior to graduate school, Angela attended Tufts University as an undergraduate. Currently, her teaching and research interests include the social impact of media, issues surrounding children, teens and media, and media literacy efforts both within the United States and abroad.
Before pursuing a career in academia, Angela worked in the media industry, holding various fellowships, internships and jobs both during and after college at WBZ-TV/Channel 4 in Boston (serving as an assistant to the Arts & Entertainment anchor), Columbia TriStar Television in Los Angeles and Sesame Workshop in New York City.
Social Media and Its Harmful Effects on Youth
with Professor Paradise
Episode Synopsis:
In this episode, Professor Paradise defines what social media is, explains the advantages and disadvantages of it, and explores the rise in popularity of TikTok and Snapchat. Parasocial relationships stemming from social media and beyond are examined in the context of the pandemic and the concept of "doom scrolling" is explained further. As younger people begin to rely on social media more, Professor Paradise and Jenna discuss the harmful implications it has on mental health, body image, and more. However, the episode ends on a positive note where Professor Paradise shares her guidance on how to unplug from social media and stay present in real life.
Key Takeaway:
"In this podcast episode we discuss the explosive popularity of social media, delve into the benefits and drawbacks of social media use and highlight the importance of occasionally disconnecting from social media."
Soundbite: