The Conversation

Why people post 'couple photos' as their social media profile pictures

Written by Amanda L. Forest, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh

Two people, one profile pic.Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com

As you scroll through your Facebook news feed, you see it: Your friend has posted a new profile picture. But instead of a picture of just your friend, it’s a couple photo – a picture of your friend and their romantic partner.

“Why would someone choose that as their...

Real pay data show Trump's 'blue collar boom' is more of a bust for US workers, in 3 charts

Written by David Salkever, Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

When looking at your paycheck, don't forget about inflation.Leif Skoogfors/Getty Images

If you thought workers’ hourly pay was finally rising, think again.

At first glance, the latest data – which came out on Feb. 7 – look pretty good. They show nominal hourly earnings rose 3.1% in January from a year earlier.

But the operative...

Research in China is complicated by the Communist Party's influence, says researcher who worked there

Written by Wenrui Chen, Fellow at the India China Institute, The New School

A large portrait of Mao Zedong at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Jan. 27, 2020.AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

What is the coronavirus? How does it spread? Should I be worried? When a new virus surfaces, the unknowns loom big. When a new virus comes out of China, potentially clarifying information needs to be weighed and...

As China suffers from coronavirus, some wonder: Is it really that serious? 3 questions answered

Written by John A. Lednicky, Research Professor, Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida

A women wearing a protective face mask delivers a leaflet on coronavirus, in Hong Kong, Friday, Jan 24, 2020. AP Photo.Achmad Ibrahim

Editor’s Note: The coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen in China, with 28,200 confirmed cases as of Feb. 6, 2020. The Chinese government has announced even stricter measures to stop the spread of the...

National Prayer Breakfast was a moment for leaders to show humility – Trump changed it

Written by Diane Winston, Associate Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper to show a headline that reads, 'Acquitted,' at the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast, in Washington D.C..AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

A heaping plate of partisan politics, sprinkled with religious faith, topped the menu at the 68th National Prayer Breakfast.

On the morning of Feb. 6, President Donald Trump...

Employment gaps cause career trouble, especially for former stay-at-home parents

Written by Kate Weisshaar, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

It is harder for stay-at-home moms to return to work than for stay-at-home dads.Liderina/Shutterstock.com

Understanding how employment gaps can affect careers is especially relevant given the recent policy discussions around paid family leave and childcare access in the U.S.

I am a sociologist whose research examines what happens to people’s...

AI could constantly scan the internet for data privacy violations, a quicker, easier way to enforce compliance

Written by Karuna Pande Joshi, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

You leave bits of your personal data behind online, and companies are happy to trade in them.metamorworks/ iStock/Getty Images Plus

You’re trailing bits of personal data – such as credit card numbers, shopping preferences and which news articles you read – as you travel around the internet. Large internet companies make money off...

'Sea-level rise won't affect my house' – even flood maps don't sway Florida coastal residents

Written by Risa Palm, Professor of Urban Studies and Public Health, Georgia State University

Floods as a result of Hurricane Irma in Fort Lauderdale. Shutterstock.com/FotoKina

Advertisers understand that providing consumers with the facts will not sell products. To get people to stop and pay attention, successful advertising delivers information simply and with an emotional hook so that consumers notice and, hopefully, make a purchase.

Clim...

The Philippines has rated 'Golden Rice' safe, but farmers might not plant it

Written by Glenn Davis Stone, Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies, Washington University in St Louis

Golden rice, right, compared to white rice, left.IRRI/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

“Golden Rice” is probably the world’s most hotly debated genetically modified organism (GMO). It was intended to be a beta carotene-enriched crop to reduce Vitamin A deficiency, a health problem in very poor areas. But it has never been offered to...

The dystopian experience of skiing in New Jersey's new American Dream mall

Written by Robert Snyder, Professor of Journalism and American Studies, Rutgers University Newark

Snowboarders and skiers enjoy the grand opening of Big Snow.AP Photo/Seth Wenig

In 50 years of skiing, my first downhill run of 2020 was like nothing I had ever experienced. The 28-degree temperature and machine-made snow were familiar enough, but I ended up skiing through a windowless rectangular box, beneath girders and electric lights, and...