Media Psychology, Trauma & Growth

Welcome to me. I’m glad you are here. Chances are, you ended up here as a result of your interest in my research about humiliation, public shaming, cancel culture, media misrepresentation or any of the varieties of online cruelty. Truth is, I’ve been through it too.  I want you to know that because I came out the other side, something I never thought possible at the time.

Here’s how my academic friend summed me up.

 “Christine has lived a harrowing, made-for-TV personal history. Her story is as enchanting as it is engrossing, a meditation on what it means to be alive and at risk, looking for something to hold onto in a shaky world. Her story speaks to the tension between confidence and doubt, tradition and change, feeling found and feeling loss, an experience resonant for us all.” – Jeremy Sherman, PhD, author, researcher

Yes, I have been through a, um, colorful life journey, and happily I have ended up right here – as a vintage-and-coffee-loving media psychology geek with a touch of expertise in humiliation, shunning, cults and human trafficking.

FYI- A media psychologist is not a therapist. It is a person who specializes in media psychology, a new field in social psychology that focuses on how media and technology impact people; i.e. their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Media psychology encompasses television, film, music, technology, software, mobile apps, online gaming, user experience, social media, viral marketing, fandom and fan engagement, personal branding, celebrity studies, online cruelty, public shaming, augmented reality, online education, media ethics, and more.  If it’s digital, virtual, on a screen, or related to stories, I’m interested.

My current research obsessions include-

My doctoral research shows how being humiliated in the media can deeply traumatize the subjects of the stories, comments or tweets, and how media misrepresentation negatively impacts trauma survivors and marginalized populations, My dissertation is titled The Traumatic Impact of Media Humiliation, Misrepresentation, and Victim-shaming on Narrative Identity and Well-being.  You can read it HERE.

My drive to make a difference through the media comes from having once shared my sensitive story on a major cable network, only to see myself misrepresented and victim-shamed through a fictionalized and sensationalized version of my story. The bright side of that violating media experience is that it compelled me to go back to school and get my PhD in Media Psychology. I’ve had a colorful life journey indeed, but as a result of those challenging experiences, I am able to make a stronger difference in the lives of others today.

“The media‘s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” – Malcolm X

In addition to my PhD, I have an MBA, an MA in Media Psychology, and a special PhD concentration in Positive Psychology and the Media. I am a Certified Sexual Assault Victims Advocate, a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Individuals), and a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Sex Trafficking & Exploitation.)

To summarize, my passionate personal goal is to find ways to use media and technology for good and for growth, to give a voice to the voiceless, and to help individuals and businesses leave a positive legacy in the digital world.

To ask about my help with an issue, CLICK HERE

PERSONAL INFO:  MORE HERE.