Abigail Fagan

New York

Associate Editor at Psychology Today

Senior Associate Editor at @psychtoday | Writing in @sciam, @TheCut, @dailytonic, @Spectrum, and others | NYU Journalism #SHERP35

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Articles

Why Our Ancestors Were Slender

1 day ago | psychologytoday.com | Nigel Barber Ph.D |Abigail Fagan

Our distant ancestors did not contend with added sugar in their food and did not eat junk food. Yet, this is not the only reason that they avoided being overweight. Their lifestyles used a lot of energy and this meant they avoided weight problems. Energy BalanceA lot of what is written about weight control focuses on the energy content of food and how much of that gets stored as body fat. This is not irrelevant, of course.
How to Help Young People Navigate the Storm

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Sam Goldstein Ph.D |Abigail Fagan

Strong adult connections form the foundation of youth resilience. Stress hardiness and adaptability can be actively taught and reinforced. Resilience develops from genuine experiences, not merely support. Young people encounter unprecedented challenges in an era marked by rapid change and increasing pressures. From economic instability to digital saturation and the decline of traditional community structures, the world they inherit is complex and unpredictable.
Will AI Therapy Chatbots Replace Human Psychotherapists?

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Joe Pierre M.D |Abigail Fagan

Source: Cottonbro Studio / Pexels"Commerce is our goal here... More human than human is our motto." —Eldon Tyrell, Bladerunner (1982)Over the past several years, the hype over artificial intelligence (AI) has reached fever pitch, driving both rabid investment in and the development of new consumer products.
How Culture Shapes Parental Support or Rejection of Queer Youth

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Abigail Fagan

This post is written by T. Roy, Junior Research Assistant at Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala, Mumbai. June, also known as Pride Month, is a time when rainbows appear on the sidewalks, cheeks shimmer with glitter, and various corners of the world hum with the stories of courage and songs of revolution. Every gaze and every smile conveys internal confessions that have been masked for years.
My Lost Boy Who Never Wanted to Be Found

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Larry Carlat |Abigail Fagan

I was always a good finder. No matter who or what it was, I could find pretty much anything I was looking for. But my older son, Rob, was better at hiding. He kept all kinds of things hidden from me for all kinds of reasons. It didn’t make me love him any less. In fact, it may have been why I loved him more, as I knew the secret behind his instinctive ability to conceal. It was simply this: Rob was lost. He was lost before we lost him forever. He thought he was able to hide it, especially from me.
Can Love and Empathy Be Bad?

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Abigail Fagan

Love and emphathy are always good. Love and empathy shouldn't be blamed for a poor outcome. We have never needed love and empathy more than we do today. A recent claim that empathy is evil garnered a lot of public attention. Empathy, so the assertion goes, is the devil in disguise, luring people into foolish actions and sentiments. Some described empathy as “suicidal” or as the “fundamental weakness of Western societies”.
How to Reclaim Your Power in a Spectacle-Driven World

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Abigail Fagan

In the grand theatre of modern life, the line between performance and authenticity grows ever more blurred. Our democracies, once envisioned as transparent expressions of the people's will, increasingly resemble pantomimes—loud, colourful, and hollow. Behind polished speeches, media spectacles, and state-sponsored distractions, real issues are camouflaged. In a world saturated with noise and stimulation, truth itself becomes slippery, fragmented, and, at times, indistinguishable from fiction.
2 Ways an "Ambition Gap" Can Ruin a Relationship

1 week ago | psychologytoday.com | Mark Travers Ph.D |Abigail Fagan

Source: Kateryna Hliznitsova / UnsplashAmbition is deeply personal, and it can impact relationships in more ways than one. For many, it’s closely tied to identity and self-worth. But when one partner is highly driven and the other operates at a different pace or has a different set of goals, it can create mismatched schedules and emotional distance, ultimately fueling a sense of loneliness, even when the two of you are together. 1.
How to Psychologically Prepare to Write a Book

2 weeks ago | psychologytoday.com | Judith Fein |Abigail Fagan

Over the decades that I’ve been a professional writer, dozens of people have told me they want to write a book about their inner and outer lives as cabbies, baristas, pet sitters, pizza deliverers, chefs, mothers, docs, secretaries, or a stink bug collector. I’ve made a decision never to rain on someone’s parade, so I always nod and endorse their desire, but in my mind, many questions are quickly emerging.
2 Common Red Flags That Emerge Early in Relationships

2 weeks ago | psychologytoday.com | Mark Travers Ph.D |Abigail Fagan

Source: Kateryna Hliznitsova / UnsplashHave you ever been called “perfect” by someone who barely knows you, someone who constantly tells you what a blessing you are? Maybe you’re just starting to date and the attention feels flattering. But what happens when their idea of you is challenged? What if you make a mistake or fall short of their ideal? Will they still treat you the same? Now, picture the opposite. You’re with someone who constantly criticizes you.