Women’s Health Covid-19 and Mental Health Listicle
Below is an assignment for a Medill Winter 2021 course. We read disparate studies, chose a theme, selected a magazine, and designed a page sketch for our content. We had a word count limit of 300 for the entire page.
Women’s Health Packaging
Word Count: 292 without dek, 328 with dek
Hedline: These 4 Things Are Silently Swaying Our Minds
Dek: From Covid-19 to virtual body-swapping, recent studies have proven just how easy it is to impact our decisions and moods. Here’s a roundup of what researchers say are contributing to our risky behaviors and low spirits.
1. Headaches and Bungee Jumping
Ohio State University researchers found that acetaminophen, commonly found in painkillers like Tylenol, can lead to unnecessary risk-taking. In the study, those who took acetaminophen were more likely to rank bungee jumping off a bridge as less risky than those who had taken a placebo. The study found that this increased risk tolerance could lead someone to make a risky decision while driving. Researchers say it’s important to keep studying why acetaminophen seems to dull users’ risk aversion, especially since they estimate that about 25% of the U.S. population takes Tylenol every week.
2. Freaky Friday and Positive Self-Image
At Karolinska Institutet, Swedish researchers swapped friends’ bodies using VR-like goggles that showed live scans of participants’ figures, thus creating a virtual “Freaky Friday” scenario. When virtually body swapped, the friends were more likely to take on each others’ personalities and view themselves more positively. Researchers hope to eventually use these findings to help individuals with depression and other psychiatric disorders overcome negative self-images and negative thought patterns.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin found that electronic well-wishes like texts and emails aren’t the most effective way to feel connected. During a study, 200 participants either called or texted a loved one. Those who called felt more positive feelings and less lonely than those who just texted.
4. Parents Just Don’t Understand
The University of Delaware studied the science behind what makes some teens more rebellious and risk-prone than others. Researchers found that something much more basic than video games or other outside factors affects teens’ thoughts. Instead, they found that more impulsive teens had brains that looked different from more developed peers. Impulsive teens had less developed cognitive and socioemotional systems. Researchers hope the news can lead to better prevention strategies that help less-developed teens make safer and healthier decisions.
