News

Is Social Media Causing Moral Panic?

Too much screen time — particularly related to social media use in kids, teens and young adults — is a major concern in modern society. Smartphones are ubiquitous. Social media is enticing. And the impulse-control and decision-making capacities in young brains are not yet fully developed.

Anthropologist Finds Inequity in Europe's Green Revolution

Environmental sustainability is often framed as universally beneficial — a shared global mission to curb climate change, reduce waste and build greener futures. But what if some of these well-intentioned policies deepen the very inequalities they aim to solve?

Communication Professor Wins $3.8 Million NIH Grant

A new $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health is helping UC Santa Barbara scholars reimagine how virtual reality can support older adults who are aging at home — and the family members and professionals who care for them.

Fitness Tech Boom Increasing Health Inequality, Says Communication Professor

Technology is making it easier to stay in shape, but only for those who can afford the steep prices of digital fitness devices and the subscriptions that typically go with them. That's why Amy Gonzales, an associate professor in UC Santa Barbara's Department of Communication, argues that comprehensive health data is rapidly becoming a luxury good amid a deepening digital health divide.

Dr. Walid Afifi Wins Distinguished Scholar Award

The National Communication Association has granted a Distinguished Scholar award to Dr. Walid Afifi, a professor of Communication and Assistant Dean of Social Sciences. The award, which was conferred on Dr. Afifi at the NCA's annual convention in November, is the highest honor granted by the organization each year.

Global Studies Professor's Migration Research Racks Up Book Prizes

While doing research for his first book, “Empire of Refugees: North Caucasian Muslims and the Late Ottoman State” (Stanford University Press, 2024), Vladimir Hamed-Troyansky visited more than 20 archives in 10 countries, a years-long endeavor during which he studied primary historical evidence in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Russian, Bulgarian and English. 

Sociologist Sees Promise of 'True Freedom' in Mamdami's Mayoral Victory

Anthropology Professor Michael Gurven explores how early humans adapted to water-scarce environments

Eating a diet of almost exclusively animal products and experiencing relentless, chronic dehydration would lead to serious problems for many of us, but not so for the Turkana of northwest Kenya.