Fargo, N.D. – The title of Clay Routledge’s blog seems to cover most of life’s psychological bases. And thousands of people can’t wait to see what he says next.
“Death Love Sex Magic” is the social psychologist’s view of the many and varied issues that impact the human experience. Routledge is an NDSU assistant professor of psychology who regularly posts to his blog on the Psychology Today website.
“I picked the words death, love, sex and magic because they represent concepts that are important in human social life,” Routledge explained. “I think people will find the blog interesting because it’s about things most people can identify with and care about – relationships, beliefs, attitudes, politics and religion. They’re things people can intrinsically appreciate.”
Not timid of controversy, Routledge has discussed how religion can be good for your health, while his very next posting examined the negative aspects. Other articles have ranged from a series on “The Secrets to a Meaningful Life” to “Why do people still reject the theory of evolution?” to “The Social Benefits of Video Gaming.”
Routledge’s blog has received more than 200,000 hits since it began in August 2009, so Internet users around the globe clearly have been reading his many entries. A Fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, Routledge is a respected researcher in his field of study. Reporters from the BBC, ABC news, CBS news and Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan magazines have come to him for expert commentary.
Routledge writes his blog in layman’s terms, taking complex scientific research studies and translating the data and outcomes into everyday language the public can understand. In keeping with NDSU’s land-grant mission to serve the needs of the state, nation and world, Routledge sees his blog as a way to reach out to others.
“I believe in making a contribution to our broader society. Educators should make a positive contribution, and we have an obligation to inform people about our research. I get excited communicating with the public about topics that are consequential and important,” said Routledge, who earned his bachelor’s degree at Missouri Southern State University and his master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
“I find it all very rewarding,” Routledge continued. “My goal is to provide a service to people, but I’m receiving a lot, too. The readers respond with interesting comments, and sometimes they offer perspectives or experiences that I hadn’t thought about before.”
You can view Routledge’s writings at www.psychologytoday.com/blog/death-love-sex-magic.