Social Networking Articles

Listed by most recent articles first.

• Coping with Sudden Unemployment
  With all that is happening in our economy lately, we all have to realize that we could fall victim to ‘downsizing’ or ‘organizational restructuring.’ Just as with any loss, you are likely to face many ...
• Teaching Manners Breeds Empathy in Children
  "I don't teach my children manners," said my friend Sylvia. "I just teach them to treat people like they want to be treated." "Mmmm. Interesting concept," thought I. I asked what she meant. "Well, ...
• Post-College Planning: Build Your References from the Start
  "Dr. H. Can I see you for a minute?" A student has approached me after class. "Sure." I'm always pleased when a student shows some interest. "Well. I was wondering. Can you write me a recommendation?" Now ...
• The Importance of Friendship
  The causes of modern social problems, from divorce to homelessness and obesity, are often thought to be based in areas such as poverty, stress or unhappiness. But researchers suggest we are overlooking something crucial: friendship. ...
• Fairness and Reciprocity in Friendships
  My friend Richard shook his head as he told me the story of his latest visit with his mother, Harriet, now in her late 80's. "I'd really like to see Mildred," she said. "So why don't you ...
• Rx for Mental Health: Send Holiday Cards!
  It’s easy to get cynical about holiday cards. There certainly is a lot of pressure to send them for all the wrong reasons: Because the person sent one to us. Because it is a way ...
• Dealing with That Roommate
  You know the one: That roommate; the one whose roomie can’t stand her; the one the whole floor talks about. That roommate has the reputation for being impossible, spoiled, demanding, self-centered, or just too weird. ...
• The Benefits of Being an Introvert
  Extroverts have easier lives, it would seem, than those of us who place more value on peace and quiet. Popular culture appears to be in love with noise and speed, with high-energy, fast-paced TV shows, ...
• Making the Most of a New Job
  Many people long to change careers, but are put off by fear of the unknown. It is a scary thought — in the new job you will not be able to rely on the ...
• Surviving Valentine’s Day and Beyond: Coping with Relationship Stress
  With Valentine's Day fast approaching, our thoughts turn to the often-tricky area of romantic relationships. Along with the hearts and flowers come the inevitable difficulties, even in the best-suited couples. So let's not ignore the ...
• Happiness and Government Around the World
  Happiness might be determined by geography. Adrian White and colleagues at Leicester University's School of Psychology analyzed data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other databases to create a global perspective of well-being. The "happiest ...
• Teen Parties, Parent Responsibilities
  Teen parties can become parent nightmares. I’m not talking about get-togethers of a few friends for pizza and a DVD or some girlfriends sleeping over. I’m talking about big capital letter PARTIES! where a whole ...
• The Quality of Online Support Communities: People not Posts
  The popularity of online communities has never been stronger, with the growth of new groups (such as YouTube) skyrocketing past those of old. But sometimes people and companies confuse what makes a popular community, well, ...
• Organizing for Illness
  My grandmother once told me, "Getting older is not for sissies." As the health of her friends declined, she found it sad and painful not to be able to help in meaningful ways. Now in ...
• Are You Lonely?
  Many years ago, when I was a young adolescent, an adult in my life said that she dreamed about a great chasm, a chasm so deep that she couldn't see to the bottom of it, ...
• Self-Esteem and “Oops” Events
  I had a hero when I was a young girl: Loretta Young. On her 1950s television series, she represented all that was stylish, glamorous, and graceful. Each week, when she glided down those stairs in ...
• Getting What You Want Out of Life
  Have you wondered why some people are more effective in getting what they want than other people? What are they doing that makes them effective? What distinguishes them from people who walk over others or ...
• How Do You Get Your Needs Met?
  How do you respond to other people? Do you know the difference between assertion and aggression? Is it ever appropriate to be aggressive or submissive? Which style do you favor? While growing up, we learn ...
• Make ‘Successful’ Mistakes
  "Successful mistakes." Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Can there actually be a link between blunders and success? The answer to this question is a resounding yes! As human beings we err regularly — mistakes ...
• The Many Faces of Shame
  Shame has many faces. Is that one of them in your mirror? In "Shame & Guilt: Masters of Disguise," Jane Middelton-Moz, a Montpelier, Vt.-based trainer, consultant and community interventionist, lists the following as common features ...
• The Self-Confidence Formula for Women
  We don't enter the world with it. No one has it all of the time. Talking about it won't help you gain it. I'm referring to self-confidence. We women have particular difficulty developing self-confidence. We ...
• The Healing Power of Humor
  The Ojibway tribe recognized it. The Old Testament even references the healing properties of humor: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Although our ancestors couldn't explain it scientifically, they knew intuitively that laughter ...
• Growing Healthy Friendships
  What is a "friend"? Webster's Third Dictionary even appears confused on the subject. The dictionary offers multiple definitions for friend, some of which are contradictory. To me, a friend is someone you hold in high ...
• Investing in Yourself: Financing a Career Change
  "The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get." Do you remember this poster phrase? It was supposed to be funny! And yet, for more and more working people, it's no longer a joke. Over the ...
• Chronic Illness, Balance, and the World Wide Web
  Like so many of you, I live with chronic illnesses that have restricted my life. From first-hand experience, I know that, when you become physically ill, you do not also become emotionally or intellectually ill. ...