MPR News with Angela Davis Minnesota Public Radio

Parasocial relationships are the one-sided connections someone develops with a celebrity, fictional character or other prominent figure that they don’t know in real life.

In a changing world where social media influencers, YouTubers and podcast hosts feel like close friends, what are the implications of these one-sided relationships? What are the benefits? 

MPR News host Angela Davis talked with two psychotherapists about parasocial relationships about how these relationships develop, their psychological impact and what they mean for our real-world interactions. Are they harmless, or do they blur the lines between reality and fantasy in potentially troubling ways?

Have you ever had a conversation about politics that grew into a heated argument or maybe the opposite — froze into a chilly silence?  

Or maybe you just avoid talking with people who don’t share your opinions on issues you care deeply about.  

MPR News with Angela Davis shares a conversation that will help you communicate better in a politically polarized time.

On April 24, a group of college students and other community members gathered for a workshop at the Historic Chateau Theatre in Rochester organized by MPR News, the University of Minnesota Rochester and Braver Angels, a nonprofit organization that seeks to restore trust, respect and goodwill in American politics. 

It’s the latest conversation in a series from Talking Sense, an election-year project from MPR News that aims to help Minnesotans have hard political conversations ... better. 

The workshop was led by Braver Angels’ Co-Founder Bill Doherty and participants included conservatives, liberals and independents. Listen back to an edited recording of the live event and learn concrete skills for listening respectfully and sharing your own opinions in a way that another person might hear — even if they disagree.

Guest:


Bill Doherty is co-founder of Braver Angels, a nonprofit that seeks to restore trust, respect and goodwill in American politics. He’s also a professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota.

New home buyers are facing a tough market, snarled by high home prices and high interest rates.

Real estate took off during the pandemic. These days, home buying has slowed down significantly. What does that mean for 2024’s first-time homebuyers?

Our guests shared advice with MPR News host Angela Davis on how to get on the path to home ownership despite the challenges of today’s economy.

The first iPhone came out in 2007, when this year’s graduating high school seniors were toddlers learning to speak. Today, almost all high school students (95 percent) have access to a smartphone, according to the Pew Research Center.

Scrolling through social media posts has become central to young people’s lives, but there’s also a growing conversation about the downsides. Constant connectivity is linked to an increase in teen mental health struggles, attention problems and slumps in academic achievement.

The issue got more attention at the state Capitol this year too. Lawmakers passed legislation that requires schools to have cellphone policies in place by next spring.

MPR News correspondent and guest host Catharine Richert talks about how lawmakers, parents, educators and teens themselves are trying to better manage screen time for their wellbeing. 

Guests:  

Rep. Sandra Feist, DFL-New Brighton was co-sponsor of the bill in the Minnesota House that was passed into law this spring requiring Minnesota public schools to adopt a cell phone policy by March 15, 2025.  

Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove was co-sponsor of the bill in the Minnesota House that was passed into law this spring requiring Minnesota public schools to adopt a cell phone policy by March 15, 2025. 

Katherine Myers is the executive director and co-founder of LiveMore ScreenLess, a Minnesota nonprofit organization that works with families, communities and schools to reduce screen time and promote digital wellbeing. She retired in 2018 after teaching English for 25 years in public and private schools.  

Catalina Martinez is a junior at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights and a member of the school’s Digital Wellbeing Club. 

LaRae Dodson is a senior at Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights and a member of the school’s Digital Wellbeing Club.  

Would you know the signs of a stroke if you saw them in a friend or a family member? 

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Nearly 800,000 people have a stroke each year in the United States. 

MPR News host Angela Davis hears from a neurologist about the causes, signs and symptoms of a stroke.  


She also hears from a survivor about her road to recovery after her life-changing stroke — and why she teamed up with a colleague to share her experience with the medical community, resulting in a study published in the medical journal Rehabilitation Nursing: “The Lived Experience of Serious Stroke Survival.” 

Guests:   


 Dr. “Vic” Vikram Jadhav is an interventional neurologist at Essentia Health in Duluth. 

Roberta Hunt, Ph.D., is a former professor of nursing at St. Catherine University in St. Paul. She survived a serious stroke in May 2020, and together with her former colleague published an academic case study on her survivorship experience.

Barbara Champlin, Ph.D., is a former professor of nursing at St. Catherine University and the University of Minnesota and Roberta’s former colleague. She worked with Roberta to publish an academic case study on Roberta’s survivorship experience.

Jackie Smith is Roberta’s daughter.




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