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1 month ago | 
news-journal.com | Christopher Ferguson |Christopher J. Ferguson
Cellphone bans in schools are all the rage. Recently, New York became the fourth state to embark on one, as part of a budget deal for the coming school year. For many adults, the bans make intuitive sense: Who wants kids distracted on their phones while the teacher is teaching? Maybe getting rid of them could even reduce bullying or improve youth mental health?
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Dec 22, 2024 | 
tucsonsentinel.com | Christopher Ferguson
Auburn University/The Conversation It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”This is not a new complaint.
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Dec 16, 2024 | 
idahopress.com | Christopher Ferguson
Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. (THE CONVERSATION) It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”This is not a new complaint. History shows that Christmas traditions are just as subject to change as any other aspect of human societies, and when customs change, there are always some who wish they could turn back the clock.
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Jul 2, 2024 | 
orlandosentinel.com | Christopher Ferguson
The May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, tragically ended the lives of 19 young students and two teachers, with 17 others injured. Much attention subsequently focused on the failure of the police to swiftly confront the shooter, an 18-year-old male. Now, however, a new lawsuit by the parents of some victims has focused on an age-old scapegoat: video games.
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Apr 29, 2024 | 
grimoiremanor.substack.com | Christopher Ferguson
Recent protests at US college campuses have attracted much attention, renewing debates about free speech and where the lines between protected speech and illegal activity may be. These can be complex, particularly for college campuses, because free speech rights of competing groups may come into conflict, and young people may not always understand the ground rules (neither, often, do the older adults in fairness).
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Feb 8, 2024 | 
tandfonline.com | Christopher Ferguson
AbstractQuestions remain over whether internet and social media use are associated with mental health outcomes in youth. Data has remained inconsistent in previous longitudinal studies. The current study sought to extend this work with a longitudinal study involving Irish youth (N = 8,500) assessed initially at age 9 (time 1; T1), then again at ages 13 (time 2; T2) and 17/18 (time 3; T3). Analyses were preregistered.
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Feb 5, 2024 | 
orlandosentinel.com | Christopher Ferguson
After the protests and riots of 2020, considerable attention focused on the U.S. criminal justice system. Much interest understandably focused on police misconduct, but the larger criminal justice system also came under scrutiny. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, although Black Americans make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population, they make up 38% of the population of federal prisons. Similar figures are seen for state prisons and local jails.
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Nov 10, 2023 | 
hxaspeakers.org | Christopher Ferguson
Christopher J. Ferguson is a professor of psychology at Stetson University. His work has spanned topics related to violent video game effects, social media and youth mental health, and race, policing and violent crime. Many of his research projects have examined evidence for and against societal moral panics. Chris is perhaps best known for his work on video game effects, most of which have called into question whether video game playing has any influence on violence in society or mental health.
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Jun 15, 2023 | 
etxview.com | Christopher Ferguson
In the early 2000s the United States enjoyed comparative racial optimism. Majorities of both black and white citizens felt race relations were improving. Even left-leaning NPR highlighted “colorblindness” as an ideal. A generation later, race relations have nosedived. We hear regularly about “systemic racism” and “white supremacy.” Colorblindness now is considered racist. This whiplash may leave many people wondering what happened.
