Tessera

Ritika C

@ritikac.bsky.social

phd student @ucl @wellcometrust in mental health science. trauma researcher, ex-clinician. promote marginalised voices. been told I've got no chill. cat person. 💻: https://ritika-chokhani.github.io

44 Posts64 Follower 94 Folgt

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · last mo.

academia rarely recognizes this kind of love and community oriented pedagogical practice as a form of scholarship

Ordinary Notes@hystericalblkns.bsky.social · last mo.

leilacancode.github.io/everythinggo...

Gregory Kohn @kohngregory.bsky.social · last mo.

In the wake of Arday's death, Nathan Cofnas (who led the X mob against him) states his motivation. Beyond whistleblowing, he states that after a 'revolution' removes professors like Arday, it will open opportunities for him to become 'head of the department of eugenics and race science at Harvard'.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Elon Musk, owner of X, has called the editor of the Economist "a traitor to the West, plain and simple" after her recent interview with him. He now argues that "anyone who opposes remigration is a traitor" Musk has been socialising violence since Aug25: "fight or die, that's what it comes down to"

Lena Struwe @drgentian.bsky.social · 2mo ago

"Hence our dismal conclusion: rather than finding that LLMs free us to do a better job of what we were doing before they came along, they shift scientific incentives (and the playing field of academic competition) in ways that compel us to do more and more, faster and faster, less and less well."

Carl T. Bergstrom@carlbergstrom.com · 2mo ago

1. We—@eduede.bsky.social, @mjcrockett.bsky.social, Kevin Gross, and I—have a new preprint on the arXiv today, based on ideas that emerged during an @sfiscience.bsky.social workshop in November 2024: The unintended consequences of large language models as a labor-augmenting technology in science.

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 3mo ago

one of the most comprehensive surveys on children’s use of AI--conducted March 18-26, 2026, among 9-17yr olds in the US (N = 1,204)--has been released www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/defaul... highlighting key findings 🧵 "Nearly 9 in 10 kids age 9 to 17 (86%) use/interact with AI"

Nearly 9 in 10 kids age 9 to 17 (86%) use or interact
with AI, including about one in four (24%) who do so
on a daily basis.
Teens use AI more often, but use is widespread even among younger
adolescents, with 81% of 9- to 12-year-olds, 89% of 13- to 15-year-olds, and
92% of 16- to 17-year-olds saying they use or interact with AI. Nearly 3 in 10
teens (29% of 13- to 17-year-olds) and 17% of 9- to 12-year-olds use AI daily.
AI-generated summaries in search engine results are the most widely used
form of AI among 9- to 17-year-olds, with 75% having used or interacted with
them. Just over two-thirds (67%) have used AI chatbots, including 58% of 9- to
12-year-olds, 71% of 13- to 15-year-olds, and 77% of 16- to 17-year-olds.
However, when kids are asked which AI they use most often, ChatGPT is by far
the most frequently mentioned (by 40% of all 9- to 17-year-olds), followed by
Google’s AI offerings, including Gemini, AI summaries, or other Google AI
tools (24%).

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 4mo ago

New preprint from my PhD! We ask whether experiencing complex trauma in early childhood (ages 5 and 7) is associated with "social thinning" (a reduction in various objective and subjective measures of social functioning) in adolescence. Link here: osf.io/preprints/ps... (1/n) All feedback welcome!

OSF

osf.io

Eiko Fried @eikofried.bsky.social · 4mo ago

100% worth your 63 seconds if you have my reading speed. sinceyouarrived.world/taken

taken.

A web page that tells you what your browser gave away the moment you arrived. No login, no form, no permission. Most pages do this. None of them tell you.

sinceyouarrived.world

Molly McKew @mollymckew.bsky.social · 4mo ago

This plan is absolute madness. Building a data center that is SIXTY SQUARE MILES in mountain west drought land which on paper will raise the temperature of the entire area by 5-12 DEGREES F is mental Unless the reality show is to create an American Aral Sea www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

‘Irresponsible’: backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan

Facility would require more power than entire state uses and suck up vast amount of water in drought-stricken area

theguardian.com

Alex Lloyd @dralexlloyd.bsky.social · 5mo ago

📢 New Research Assistant opportunity at UCL! I’m excited to share a new 18-month Research Assistant opportunity in the Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology at UCL to work on a new project exploring social media, decision-making, and adolescent mental health.

Our World in Data @ourworldindata.org · 5mo ago

📢 We’re looking for a writer to join our team at Our World in Data! What we’re looking for is quite unique: someone who writes excellent narrative articles on large global problems, finds memorable framings to make hard ideas easier to understand, while being genuinely obsessed w/ technical details

We’re looking for a writer

We’re hiring a writer who can make the world’s largest problems understandable to our large Our World in Data audience.

ourworldindata.org

Eric Shuman @ericmshuman.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Are you an planning on appyiyng for a PhD in psychology in the fall? Want to learn more about the application process and what programs are looking for? Come to our info session!

Mariko Bennett @nachoriko.bsky.social · 6mo ago

I defended my PhD 10 years ago today. That was the least remarkable thing that happened that day. Sharing something I wrote about it last year. Since then "the horrors persist but so do we." And with dignity.

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Libby did a great job here and even managed to get out my love for fantasy!

ReSET Project@resetproject.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We've just published a new blog post around understanding the social impact of childhood trauma, featuring a thoughtful conversation with researcher @ritikac.bsky.social If you’re curious about the work, the science behind it, or those driving it forward, you can read the post here ⬇️ buff.ly/1NxccDN

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Excited to share 1st study of my PhD now published: scoping review of candidate mechanisms for the neurocognitive social-transactional model - the idea that interpersonal trauma in childhood can change how we think/feel/act in relationships, which in turn could affect mental health. Links below 1/5

Becca Lacey @rebeccalacey.bsky.social · 7mo ago

I'm currently hiring for a PhD studentship based at City St George's, University of London as part of @equalise.bsky.social 'Family and environmental influences on children's home learning, and inequalities in education and mental health outcomes' Apply here: www.citystgeorges.ac.uk/prospective-...

Postgraduate research degrees | City St George's, University of London

City St George's, University of London offers a variety of research degrees and has supported pioneering research for more than a century.

citystgeorges.ac.uk

Laurel Joy Gabard-Durnam @laurelgd.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Apologies, here is the right link to apply for postdoc positions in the lab: forms.gle/Hb8rS9hD3BV7... Please repost to help us spread the word!

forms.gle

Laurel Joy Gabard-Durnam@laurelgd.bsky.social · 7mo ago

PINE Lab is hiring up to two postdoctoral fellows to join our community in Boston summer 2026! If you are a senior graduate student interested in doing postdoctoral studies with PINE Lab, please submit an application here: lnkd.in/evTakygw

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Such an important topic!

Jasmine Lee@jasminelee.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Preprint of first PhD paper out now! 👇 Religious minority status is an important social determinant of mental health, but vastly overlooked in the literature. We summarise studies on religious disparities in mental health & propose a conceptual framework for future research. osf.io/preprints/ps...

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 8mo ago

I wrote a blog on applying for UK PhD programs, particularly based on my experience applying as an international student. I also link to other great resources I've found - do share if you think it might be helpful for someone :)

10 considerations for applying to UK PhD programs | Ritika Chokhani

I provide some tips on applying for doctoral programs in the UK, based on my personal experience as an international student

ritika-chokhani.github.io

Alex Lloyd @dralexlloyd.bsky.social · 9mo ago

⚠️ Job Alert ⚠️ I'm recruiting a postdoc to work with me and Professor @jonroiser.bsky.social on an exciting new project examining the link between young people's decision-making on social media and their mental health.

Mark A. Hanson @hansonmark.bsky.social · 11mo ago

We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing: a 🧵 1/n Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820 Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/... Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...

A table showing profit margins of major publishers. A snippet of text related to this table is below.

1. The four-fold drain
1.1 Money
Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for
whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who
created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis,
which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024
alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit
margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher
(Elsevier) always over 37%.
Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most
consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial
difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor &
Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American
researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The
Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3
billion in that year.

A figure detailing the drain on researcher time.

1. The four-fold drain

1.2 Time
The number of papers published each year is growing faster than the scientific workforce,
with the number of papers per researcher almost doubling between 1996 and 2022 (Figure
1A). This reflects the fact that publishers’ commercial desire to publish (sell) more material
has aligned well with the competitive prestige culture in which publications help secure jobs,
grants, promotions, and awards. To the extent that this growth is driven by a pressure for
profit, rather than scholarly imperatives, it distorts the way researchers spend their time.
The publishing system depends on unpaid reviewer labour, estimated to be over 130 million
unpaid hours annually in 2020 alone (9). Researchers have complained about the demands of
peer-review for decades, but the scale of the problem is now worse, with editors reporting
widespread difficulties recruiting reviewers. The growth in publications involves not only the
authors’ time, but that of academic editors and reviewers who are dealing with so many
review demands.
Even more seriously, the imperative to produce ever more articles reshapes the nature of
scientific inquiry. Evidence across multiple fields shows that more papers result in
‘ossification’, not new ideas (10). It may seem paradoxical that more papers can slow
progress until one considers how it affects researchers’ time. While rewards remain tied to
volume, prestige, and impact of publications, researchers will be nudged away from riskier,
local, interdisciplinary, and long-term work. The result is a treadmill of constant activity with
limited progress whereas core scholarly practices – such as reading, reflecting and engaging
with others’ contributions – is de-prioritized. What looks like productivity often masks
intellectual exhaustion built on a demoralizing, narrowing scientific vision.

A table of profit margins across industries. The section of text related to this table is below:

1. The four-fold drain
1.1 Money
Currently, academic publishing is dominated by profit-oriented, multinational companies for
whom scientific knowledge is a commodity to be sold back to the academic community who
created it. The dominant four are Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley and Taylor & Francis,
which collectively generated over US$7.1 billion in revenue from journal publishing in 2024
alone, and over US$12 billion in profits between 2019 and 2024 (Table 1A). Their profit
margins have always been over 30% in the last five years, and for the largest publisher
(Elsevier) always over 37%.
Against many comparators, across many sectors, scientific publishing is one of the most
consistently profitable industries (Table S1). These financial arrangements make a substantial
difference to science budgets. In 2024, 46% of Elsevier revenues and 53% of Taylor &
Francis revenues were generated in North America, meaning that North American
researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The
Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3
billion in that year.

The costs of inaction are plain: wasted public funds, lost researcher time, compromised
scientific integrity and eroded public trust. Today, the system rewards commercial publishers
first, and science second. Without bold action from the funders we risk continuing to pour
resources into a system that prioritizes profit over the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 9mo ago

also, i'm looking for a phd student to join our team at the @aial.ie bsky.app/profile/abeb...

Dr Abeba Birhane@abeba.blacksky.app · 9mo ago

are you disgruntled by the current safety evaluation landscape? curious about what conceptual clarity, methodological soundness and rigour in AI evaluation might look like? if so, consider coming to dublin and doing a phd with me apply here: aial.ie/hiring/phd-a...

$About the PhD Audits and evaluation of AI systems — and the broader context that AI systems operate in — have become central to conceptualising, quantifying, measuring and understanding the operations, failures, limitations, underlying assumptions, and downstream societal implications of AI systems. Existing AI audit and evaluation efforts are fractured, done in a siloed and ad-hoc manner, and with little deliberation and reflection around conceptual rigour and methodological validity. This PhD is for a candidate that is passionate about exploring what a conceptually cogent, methodologically sound, and well-founded AI evaluation and safety research might look like. This requires grappling with questions such as: What does it mean to represent “ground truth” in proxies, synthetic data, or computational simulation? How do we reliably measure abstract and complex phenomena? What are the epistemological or methodological implications of quantification and measurement approaches we choose to employ? Particularly, what underlying presuppositions, values, or perspectives do they entail? How do we ensure the lived experiences of impacted communities play a critical role in the development and justification of measurement metrics and proxies? Through exploration of these questions, the candidate is expected to engage with core concepts in the philosophy of science, history of science, Black feminist epistemologies, and similar schools of thought to develop an in-depth understanding of existing practices with the aim of applying it to advance shared standards and best practice in AI evaluation. The candidate is expected to integrate empirical (for example, through analysis or evaluation of existing benchmarks) or practical (for example, by executing evaluation of AI systems) components into the overall work.$

Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 9mo ago

This is not the first time RFK Jr or his fellow anti-vax travelers conducted a study they knew would harm or kill children in low-income countries. It is a dehumanizing, colonialist model of manufacturing evidence: sacrificing foreign kids for political pseudoscience. www.notus.org/health-scien...

CDC to Fund Controversial Study in West Africa on Infant Hepatitis B Vaccines

The study prompted swift outcry from scientists in the U.S. who say it’s “unethical.”

notus.org

Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Let me tell you a story. Perhaps you can guess where this is going... though it does have a bit of a twist. I was poking around Google Scholar for publications about the relationship between chatbots and wellness. Oh how useful: a systematic literature review! Let's dig into the findings. 🧵

The Psychological Impact of Digital Isolation: How AI-Driven Social Interactions Shape Human Behavior and Mental Well-Being
Felix Eling
3697-3705
Apr 30, 2025
Education
The Psychological Impact of Digital Isolation: How AI-Driven Social Interactions Shape Human Behavior and Mental Well-Being

Felix Eling

Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Gulu College of Health Sciences, Gulu City, Northern Uganda

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90400265

Received: 13 March 2025; Revised: 22 March 2025; Accepted: 25 March 2025; Published: 30 April 2025

ABSTRACT
The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in social interactions has transformed how humans experience companionship, communication, and mental well-being. This review examines the psychological impact of AI-driven social interactions, focusing on virtual assistants, AI chatbots, and digital companions. It explores the benefits, risks, and ethical concerns associated with AI companionship. A systematic review methodology was employed, detailing inclusion criteria, databases searched, and analysis techniques. Findings suggest that while AI can offer emotional relief and support, over-reliance may disrupt real-world social bonding. Ethical concerns such as data privacy, emotional manipulation, and regulatory gaps are highlighted. The study underscores the need for balanced AI integration in human socialization. The study also addresses gaps in previous literature by examining AI’s influence on different demographic groups and cultural contexts.

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Hilarious thread

Ian Hussey@ianhussey.mmmdata.io · 10mo ago

Significantly more devastating when I ask it. Ouch.

Ritika C @ritikac.bsky.social · 10mo ago

V excited to have 1st study from my PhD out as a preprint. We looked at whether interpersonal adversity in childhood is associated with changes in trust, mentalizing, agency and interpersonal emotion regulation and in turn, with mental health. All feedback much appreciated :) osf.io/preprints/ps...

OSF

osf.io

Dr Abeba Birhane @abeba.blacksky.app · 10mo ago

and all of the arguments we made 5 yrs ago in this paper about why the idea of robot rights relies on faulty assumptions about the nature of human cognition and intelligence still hold Robot Rights?: Let's Talk about Human Welfare Instead dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1...

Sarah Garfinkel @sarahgarf.bsky.social · 10mo ago

** Recruiting a postdoc ** We are looking for a postdoc to work on emotion, mental health, and interoception, based in London at @ucl.ac.uk in my lab (Clinical and Affective Neuroscience). Part of a large Wellcome Grant (co-led with the brilliant @camillanord.bsky.social)

Jacques Wels @jacqueswels.bsky.social · 11mo ago

6 days to go to apply to 2 postdoc positions (3-year and 2-year) at @ucl.ac.uk with @pravpatalay.bsky.social! For all those interested in employment<->health, trade unions & longitudinal methods. Feel free to share. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DPB406/r...

Research Fellow (x2 posts) at UCL

Apply for the Research Fellow (x2 posts) role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.

jobs.ac.uk

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Here this all is as a story. The Conservatives said they would provide clarity, but they have not as yet. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Deporting legally settled people is ‘broadly in line’ with Tory policy, says Badenoch’s office

Conservative leader’s spokesperson sets out plan to strip the right of indefinite leave to remain from people claiming benefits

theguardian.com