Overheard at GMM HQ
"Social media is rooted in psychology. Tap into the elements that make us human." – Kiara Jackson on the four social media sins smart marketers avoid.
.What the Industry is Buzzing About
What About Doctors’ Poolside Manner?
A recently retracted, controversial article published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery posited that half of the field’s recent and preparing graduates had posted social media content deemed unprofessional. And by "unprofessional," we mean pictures while wearing a bikini or using profanity. News flash: Physicians are people, too. It’s called out of office for a reason—and it doesn’t make them any less capable or professional.
Why It Matters
There are several issues with the study. Fake social media accounts were set up to spy on study subjects who did not know they were part of the study. The authors, mostly male, attempted to decide what acts or words should be defined as unprofessional or inappropriate. During a pandemic, when prioritizing personal wellness matters more than ever, many young doctors were unduly scrutinized for behavior that most would agree is not inappropriate. Hundreds of doctors have since taken to Twitter posting photos of themselves in bikinis and other swimwear, using the hashtag #MedBikini. Most notably, Dr. Candice Myhre a.k.a. Dr. Bikini was quick to rally alongside her fellow medical professionals to show that not all heroes wear scrubs.
Is the Cure for Suicide in the Water?
Kind of. Researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College London believe the key could be lithium, a naturally occurring element. They collated research from around the world to find that areas with relatively high levels of concentration of lithium in public drinking water had correspondingly lower suicide rates.
Why It Matters
The boundaries between medication and nutritional interventions are not as rigid as we used to think. Next steps might include randomized community trials of lithium supplementation in tap water, particularly in at-risk communities. Preventing tooth decay with fluoride in water seemed cool but this could literally be life-changing.
One Time at Summer Camp
With the Americans with Disabilities Act celebrating its 30th birthday, its birth story can be found in a new documentary called Crip Camp. It tells the story of Camp Jened, a summer camp for children, teens and adults with disabilities that operated in the Catskill Mountains of New York from 1951 to 1977. Creating culture-changing legislation sure beats the s'mores I roasted back in my summer camp days.
Why It Matters
The anniversary and film celebrate the strides that have been made but highlight the fight that still exists for the 61 million Americans with hearing, sight, mobility, or cognitive challenges. The pandemic is also disrupting day-to-day routines and impacting quality of life. Access to medical assistance, transportation, and other vital resources can be a struggle. Make sure this is on your Netflix watch list to gain perspective on how far we have come and what challenges still lie ahead.
GOOD TO KNOW
COVID may be robbing us of our live sports fix, but it’s certainly not robbing us of our sports heroes. From the record-breaking sales of the Dr. Fauci’s baseball card (yes, you read that right) to Kansas City Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif who chose to sit out this year’s NFL season to continue working at a long-term care facility in his home province of Quebec, Canada, there’s plenty of proof that a virus can’t kill sportsmanship.
