Emily Kitazawa, Author at Shortform Books

What Is a Gacha Game? (+Most Popular Games in 2022)

What is a Gacha game? Why are Gacha games so popular right now? Are there any risks in playing these games? A Gacha game is a mobile video game that originated in Japan and is currently one of the fastest-growing gaming genres for smartphones. Based on a system of monetization, Gacha games essentially allow players to download and play “freemium” (free-to-play) games, progressing by buying and spending in-game currency to receive random prizes. Keep reading to learn more about Gacha games, including the benefits and risks of playing.

Rupi Kaur on Sexual Abuse: “This Home Is Empty Now”

How did Rupi Kaur’s experience of sexual abuse shape her poetry? What do Kaur’s poems express about trauma? In one of her bestselling books of poetry, The Sun and Her Flowers, Rupi Kaur gives readers a raw, painful glimpse into her experience with sexual abuse. Her writing reveals three different perspectives on this traumatic experience. Read on for an explanation of the three perspectives on Rupi Kaur’s sexual abuse.

Culture & Depression: You’re Primed for Pessimism

How are culture and depression connected? Which cultural influences predispose you to depression? According to Martin Seligman’s studies in psychology, modern culture has primed you to be at risk of developing depression. Seligman advocates for overcoming cultural pessimism and embracing optimism while keeping a balanced (realist) perspective. Read on to learn why culture and depression are so closely connected, according to Seligman.

Why Science Says You’re Responsible for Your Own Feelings

Are you responsible for your own feelings? What is the scientific explanation of biology and emotions? Neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett created the new “theory of constructed emotions” after an in-depth examination of past psychological experiments. Barrett’s findings reveal that you are responsible for your own feelings because emotions are not innate—they’re constructed by you. Read on to learn why you are responsible for your own feelings, according to Barrett’s theory of emotions.

The Innate Emotions Illusion: You’re Not Born With Them

What does psychological research say about innate emotions? Why are innate emotions now considered to be an outdated concept? Where do your emotions actually come from? In her book, How Emotions Are Made, Lisa Feldman Barrett analyzes and critiques outdated concepts of human emotions, developing a new theory based on neuroscience and her background in psychology. Barrett’s research shows that innate emotions are an outdated illusion of past experiments. Read on to learn why innate emotions don’t exist and where emotions actually come from, according to Barrett.

Rupi Kaur on Bad Body Image: “My Body Cries”

How can poetry explain having a bad body image? What did Rupi Kaur’s negative self-image teach her? As she explores the struggle of having a bad body image, Rupi Kaur’s poetry in her book, The Sun and Her Flowers, expresses feelings of depression, envy, and longing. Kaur’s poetry gives intimate details of how women, especially women of color, come to terms with negative body image. Keep reading to learn about Rupi Kaur’s experience of having a bad body image, expressed through poetry.

How to Be More Optimistic (Even if You’re a Pessimist)

Want to learn how to be more optimistic? How can you become an optimist if you’re naturally pessimistic? In Martin Seligman’s book, Learned Optimism, Seligman explains how you don’t have to live your life being pessimistic just because you weren’t conditioned to be an optimist. Seligman believes anyone can learn optimism by cultivating a balanced mindset. Read on to learn Seligman’s advice for how to be more optimistic, including a short exercise at the end.

The Meaning of Emotional Development for Children

What does emotional development mean in early childhood? Why is emotional development so important for children, according to psychology? Lisa Feldman Barrett’s book, How Emotions Are Made, explains a new theory of emotions, according to Barrett’s background in neuroscience and psychology. Barrett’s new theory of constructed emotions impacts the meaning and importance of emotional development for young children. Read on to find out the meaning of emotional development in early childhood, according to Barrett’s new theory.

How Your “Predictive Brain” Takes Care of You

What is your “predictive brain,” according to psychology? How do humans use prediction to maintain well-being? Your predictive brain is in charge of monitoring all of your body’s needs, according to neuroscientist and psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett. In her studies of the brain and emotions, Barrett found that the predictive brain plays a large role in regulating your mood, too. Read on to learn more about the function of your predictive brain, according to Barrett’s research.

Rupi Kaur’s Poems About Love in The Sun and Her Flowers

What are some of the best poems about love from Rupi Kaur? What does Kaur say about falling in and out of love? In The Sun and Her Flowers, Rupi Kaur’s poems about love explore both the celebration of new love and the heartache of loss and abuse. Her poetry demonstrates a journey toward self-love, realizing she is deserving of safe, healthy relationships. Keep reading for an overview of Rupi Kaur’s poems about love in The Sun and Her Flowers.