social psychology

FOMO Is Real, But It's Not New

Fear of Missing Out—FOMO—has become synonymous with the social media age. But here’s something that might surprise you: FOMO isn’t actually new. What’s new is the scale.

Peer Pressure Isn't What You Think It Is

When most people hear “peer pressure,” they picture a scene from an after-school special: a group of cool kids explicitly pressuring someone to smoke, drink, or do something dangerous. “Come on, everyone’s doing it!”

The Comparison Trap: Why We Can't Stop Measuring Ourselves Against Others

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s a nice quote, but telling people to stop comparing themselves to others is like telling them to stop breathing. Social comparison is fundamental to how humans work.

Group Identity in the Digital Age: Tribalism Isn't Going Away

Humans are tribal creatures. We’ve always organized into groups, defined ourselves by group membership, and sometimes viewed out-groups with suspicion. The internet didn’t create this tendency—it amplified it.