Technology and media

A young person lying on a bed in a cluttered room with a suitcase, laundry basket, chest of drawers and desk, illuminated by window.

For young people, AI is now a second brain – should we worry?

As a resident tutor, I’ve seen how students are using AI as more than a tool. It’s a psychological shift we’ll soon all make

by Rhea Tibrewala

A switched-off smartphone on a bright yellow surface with fingerprints and smudges on the black screen.

A brief escape from social media

After leaving my phone behind for a week and coming back to it, I saw my social media use in a stark new light

by Tamur Qutab

A person using a smartphone, with focus on their finger scrolling the screen. Face partially visible.
ADHD

In an era of split attention, there is more than one type of ADHD

ADHD is typically thought to be wired into the brain early. But many cases may be better seen as products of digital life

by Paul Kudlow, Karline Treurnicht Naylor & Elia Abi-Jaoude

Photo of a businessman in a suit explaining with a Jenga tower, another man stands behind him, both in an office setting.
Psyche Exclusive
FILM

Our world’s complex issues can’t be solved by lone heroes. Our stories should reflect that

Video by Psyche

Photo of a woman with tattoos taking a selfie on a smartphone wearing an off-shoulder dress in front of glass doors.

Social comparison is driving us to despair. It doesn’t have to

In the social media age, it seems impossible not to measure ourselves against others – but we can dodge the worst pitfalls

by Wojciech Kaftański

World map illustration showing physical geography with oceans, continents and elevation.
ETHICS

What makes a map ‘good’? On the ethics of cartography

Rendering the world in a responsible way means wrestling with what gets depicted on a map, how, and for whom

by Nat Case

Photo of a person driving at night with dashboard lights on and a road visible ahead through the car windscreen.

The reason that even hands-free calls are risky for drivers

Cars are filled with ever more communication and entertainment tech, but our minds are stuck with the same limitations

by Robert Rosenberger

Photo of astronauts in spacesuits conducting moon surface activities near a lunar module in a studio setting.

Why deepfakes pose less of a threat than many predict

Applying Descartes’ sceptical puzzle to deepfake videos reveals the challenge they present is one that we can rise to

by Keith Raymond Harris

Photo of young people sitting on a stone ledge outside a historic building, some using phones, with trees and red phone boxes.

Why teenagers are deliberately seeking brain rot on TikTok

Talking to teens reveals a hidden sophistication to their media use. Rather than policing it, maybe we could learn from it

by Emilie Owens

A person in a red jumper with folded arms, a closed red phone case is placed on a wooden table in front of the person.

A psychologist’s tips for getting a grip on your social media use

Is social media causing you problems? Here are some personal and practical ways to reap its benefits with fewer drawbacks

by Daria J Kuss

Photo of a hand using a smartphone with a city street in the background, creating a double exposure effect.

What I learned from sharing my private self with an AI journal

‘Quantified self’ apps analyse our physical and behavioural data. Now, AI journals want to access our emotional lives too

by Angela Chen

Photo of a young child in a classroom sitting at a table playing with a padlock, with blurred shelves and children in the background.

Innovative three-year-olds expose the limits of AI chatbots

New experiments show that very young children are better at solving creative puzzles than ChatGPT and other AI models

by Shayla Love

Photo of people sitting on a park bench looking at phones, surrounded by trees and other park visitors.

The illusion of closeness: how social media redefined respect

As we share and like and post, have our notions of restraint transformed so profoundly that all dignity becomes abandoned?

by Lutif Ali Halo

Abstract blue figures in a dark room; some sitting around tables with candles, others standing or sitting on a bar counter. The image signifies a lively, crowded bar during a power outage.

When the lights went out and the city came together over two days in Toronto

Directed by Sharron Mirsky

Photo of a person reading on a tablet, facing left, wearing glasses and a jumper in a dimly lit environment.

What does switching from paper to screens mean for how we read?

It’s well established that we absorb less well when reading on screen. But why? And can we do something to improve it?

by Lili Yu, Sixin Liao, Jan-Louis Kruger & Erik D Reichle

Digital artwork of several topless figures in various poses on a black background, depicted in a glowing blue-green hue.
DANCE

Body heat illuminates a breathtaking dance of light, movement and humanity

Directed by Philippe Baylaucq