The Department of Health and Human Services is recommending loosening federal restrictions on marijuana but stopped short of advising that it should be entirely removed from the Controlled Substances Act.
Asbury Park Press
If it looked like the unmasked throngs who stormed the Capitol last week would simply walk away from the deadly insurrection, the long arms of social media, internet sleuths and federal officials are telling a different story.
While at least 55 criminal cases have been brought against rioters including several of the most brazen figures seen in widely circulated photographs and video the top federal prosecutor in Washington says hundreds more could face charges.
In some cases, the rioters themselves brought law enforcement to their door, after posting pictures of themselves on social media mugging with artifacts of the siege or showing themselves inside the Capitol. Technology is doing the work in some cases.
These were not teenagers posting photos on social media – psychologists say teens have a developmentally appropriate level of egocentrism – but rather adults motivated by the misguided notion that what they are doing is an act of heroism or bravery.
“They re proud of it. They post about it because this is something that they want the world to see, said Alexandra Stratyner, Ph.D., a psychologist who practices in Manhattan. In fact, they re domestic terrorists, but they believe that what they re doing is a valiant, brave act.”
“Speaking from principles of cognitive psychology, this (mentality) has been reinforced by the messages of the president, she added. They believe that what they re doing is what their leader wants them to do.”
The need for likes
Since the nature of social media is communication, it makes sense that the motivation for posting comes from the urge to connect with others. But this constant quest for likes (acceptance or attention) can lead to major psychological problems for some, said Peter Faustino, president of the Westchester County Psychological Association.
Identifying with a group too intimately can change the way someone thinks and behaves, resulting in a social media identity that’s reinforced by prolonged engagement with the group. In other words, social media groups can trick users into thinking that their real identities are concealed by virtual ones and that the behavior of the group is even acceptable and encouraged,” he said.