Whatâs Batman got to do with body image and eating disorders?
Reading Time: 3 minutes The unrealistic “Batman body” is the male equivalent of the Barbie doll. Find out what this type of modern imagery means for disordered eating in boys and men.
Reading Time: 3 minutes The unrealistic “Batman body” is the male equivalent of the Barbie doll. Find out what this type of modern imagery means for disordered eating in boys and men.
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Are you scrolling helplessly through your playlist? As youâre walking to class, commuting, or wishing you had a kitten to photograph in your coffee cup for Instagram, why not try a new kind of phone fix? Podcasts help us become more mindful of our downtime. Choose one that shakes up your perspective, tells a gripping story, or makes you laugh (good stress relief). We asked students and SH101 staff about their favorite podcasts, and it turns out that a lot of you listen in.
For brain work that wonât get graded
“Everything from the cadence of the narration and simple soundtrack to the relentlessly dedicated host and riveting story make it easy to binge on.”
—Savannah G., third-year undergraduate, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado
If you like crime shows but you find most scripted series too predictable, Serial will keep you enthralled. Follow the twists and turns of a reporter’s investigation into a real-life murder in Season 1. Two high school students’ lives have been ruined; one murdered, another jailed for life on weak evidence. Did the suspect do it?
For when life feels too predictable
“Virtually a mash-up of an audio book and a podcast. It has silly moments and rather serious ones. It may not serve an academic purpose, but the music coupled with the calming voice of the host helps me clear my mind and relax.”
—Kaitlin H., second-year undergraduate, Mount Ida College, Massachusetts
Listen in to the fictional local radio station of Night Vale and find yourself in a small desert town where there’s a blinking red light coming from an unknown source and a five-headed dragon who wants to be mayor. The superficially conventional townspeople get involved in plots that wouldn’t be out of place in Stephen King’s novels.
For when we wish our best friends had a radio show
“Hilarious, sometimes crude, and talks about a wide variety of subjects.”
—Caitlin B., first-year student, Berkshire Community College, Massachusetts
If you’re a gamer or movie buff, this podcast is a must. The Rooster Teeth panel dissects, discusses, and parodies everything from Minecraft to Hellboy to popular trailers and blockbusters. As addictions go, this one’s way fun and almost scarily harmless.
For when we need to reinvent the sports fix
“Most sports podcasts will do a Super Bowl mock draft or dream team, but His & Hers did a ‘Best Super Bowl party snack draft.’ Cue: a heated conversation about whether hummus worked.”
—Tom Haley, relationship manager, Student Health 101
Hosts Michael Smith and Jemele Hill add a pop-culture twist that takes the conversation far beyond stats and typical talking points. Discussions might (and often do) include whether or not Batman is a superhero. They aren’t afraid to turn the spotlight on themselves by discussing the media’s mixed influence on sports.
For when we don’t know everything already
“There’s one on almost any topic so you can find what you’re interested in. Or if you just listen to all of them, like I do, you will learn about topics that you didn’t know existed.”
—Alex C., fifth-year undergraduate, Drexel University, Pennsylvania
Think of it as an encyclopedia you would relish reading. Learn the intriguing history of PEZ (those weird-headed candy dispensers), how spiders work, what’s the deal with blood types, and a squillion other things you didn’t know you needed to know. This is a podcast that will make you smarter (and a riveting conversationalist) without you even noticing.
For looking through a funkier lens
“It often feels like you’re being let in on a secret about the world of design. Roman Mars and his team provide insightful storytelling, which makes listening a break from my day and offers an opportunity to learn something new.”
—Drew A., fifth-year student, University of Guelph, Ontario
99% Invisible deals with art and architecture, focusing on features that we often fail to notice or think about. Navigate through history with a fresh perspective, discovering new connections all around you. You might learn about the use of sound in the Hannibal TV series or the how the design of Sigmund Freud’s couch influenced his psychoanalysis.
Happier is a podcast by Gretchen Rubin, who researches happiness and the habits that lead to it. She and her sister chime in on what makes us happier and how those strategies are working (or not) in their own lives. Each episode, they award a gold star for taking a step toward happiness; e.g., if they said no to something they didn’t have time for (speaking of, see in this issue Can’t say no? 8 ways to take back your time).
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Taylor Swift, the ice bucket challenge, and Justin Bieberâs Calvin Klein ads have all âbroken the internet,â but what would you do if the interwebs were really down? Would you feel lost without Instagram? Do you struggle to put down your phone? Are you among the 75 percent of students in our recent survey who admitted to texting someone in the same room? If so, you may be nocial. Both introverts and extroverts can acquire this 21st-century condition. Find out if you are nocial, why it matters, and what to do about it.
You’re on a date with the person you like (a lot). Are you on your phone? |
Uh-oh, nocial alert. “Some students use their smart phone as a way to cope with [uncomfortable] social situations,” says Dr. Fjola Helgadottir, a psychologist at Oxford University, UK. “As a resultâĶyou miss out on an opportunity to confront your fear, which is the best way to improve.” In a recent survey by Student Health 101, one in five respondents admitted to checking their phone multiple times on a movie date.
Tips…
Congrats, you’re social.
Tips…
You’re eating with friends. |
Guess what, you’re being nocial—you and 30 percent of the students who responded to our survey. Research shows that being around other people in person makes us happier than being alone. When you’re happy, you can make other people happier too, according to a 2008 study by researchers at Harvard University.
Tips…
And your life is richer for it.
Tips…
You have just been notified that you’ve made a team or been awarded a scholarship. How do you first share the news? |
Sharing positive experiences in person makes us happier in the long term, according to the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (2012). We don’t get the same level of social support via Facebook, a study in the Public Library of Science journal suggests (2013).
Tips…
You’re social on this one, like three out of five students in our survey. “Face to face [is best because] you can see emotions. Texting is emotionless, even with emojis,” says Catherine L., a fifth-year undergraduate at the University of Alberta.
Tips…
When you’re in bed, do you text and check social media? |
You’re a nocial night owl. In our survey, 4 in 5 students admitted to texting or checking social media in bed. You know it’s wrecking your sleep, right? And lack of sleep wrecks everything else. “Using a phone or a tablet sends a signal to your brain that says, ‘Hey, this is wake-up time,” says Dr. Shelley Hershner, director of the Collegiate Sleep Disorder Center at the University of Michigan.
Tips…
Place your phone out of reach overnight so both you and it can recharge. Airplane mode muffles notifications but not your alarm.
You’re keeping it old school—in the best way.
Tips…
Place your phone out of reach overnight so both you and it can recharge. Airplane mode muffles notifications but not your alarm.
When you’re talking to someone, are you more comfortable looking at your phone or looking into their eyes? |
One in three of our survey respondents chose this answer. Twenty-first century adults make eye contact 30–60 percent of the time during a conversation, according to data from Quantified Communications. To make an emotional connection, we need 60–70 percent eye contact.
Tips…
Keep your eyes on the prize. You’re being social.
Note: If holding eye contact is very distracting or uncomfortable for you, a momentary eye-connection every couple of minutes helps the other person know that you’re still part of the conversation.
Tips…
You’re in class. Do you check your phone for notifications? |
Definitely nocial, like two in five students who took our survey. In a 2013 study, more than 80 percent of students acknowledged that their gadgets interfere with their learning, and one in four said this hurts their grades, according to the Journal of Media Education.
Tips…
You’re a double winner, socially and academically.
Tips…
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Having a hard time dressing without stressing about debt? Four inspired undergrads demo how itâs done.
Fourth-year undergraduate majoring in environmental biology at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland
âI love this outfit because Iâve put my twist on almost everything. I distressed the pants with a cheese grater and used a seam ripper to make the holes. The patterned tights are for the peekaboo effect. The tank top was originally a onesie; I cut off the snaps and sewed the hem. I took in the waist of the shirt and cut off the sleeves. I love feeling feminine while also being comfortable and realistic. I feel better about the day when Iâm excited about my outfit. Shoes are the one thing I spend money on. Iâve had these for more than eight years.â
Collared shirt:Â $9, The Gap menâs sale rack
Sweater:Â $15, The Gap
Tank top:Â $10, Urban Outfitters, sale rack
Tights:Â $5, Marshalls
White pants:Â $20
Frye boots:Â $200
Clothes spending per semester:Â $50â75
Bianca's inspiration and affordable style tipsFourth-year undergraduate majoring in biology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
âThis is the first blazer I ever bought, and it was to wear on my 21st birthday. I had a good time that night because I knew I was stylish and felt good about myself. I was one of the best dressed people out that night, but I didnât spend a fortune.â
Blazer:Â $9, Everbuying.net
Shirt:Â $5, Champs Sports
Jeans:Â $17, Walmart
Clothes spending per semester:Â Â $250â300
Jaysel's inspiration and affordable style tipsFourth-year undergraduate majoring in economics at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond
âIn Korea itâs trendy to wear any item of clothing with English written on it. The funny thing is that some of the English words and sentences donât make any sense! I went from Korea to Chile, where I was honked and whistled at on the street for wearing this tunic. Theyâre not used to seeing women wear short dresses.â
Tunic:Â $30, Street shop in Seoul where she studied abroad
Shorts:Â $25, H&M
Tights:Â $5, WalMart
Clothes spending per semester:Â $300
Connie's inspiration and affordable style tipsThird-year undergraduate majoring in biochemistry & molecular biology at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon
âI would never have gone into those thrift stores that hipsters always rave about. But I fell in love with a morbidly overpriced velvet skirt at Urban Outfitters and thought I might be able to find something similar. After visiting two thrift stores I found something just like what Iâd seen, and bought several bags of other cool items for the same price I would have spent on one skirt.â
Shawl:Â $5, World Market
Velvet skirt:Â $8, Portland thrift store
Socks:Â $6, Sock Dreams
Shoes:Â $28, Target
Clothes spending per semester:Â $150
Betty's inspiration and affordable style tips