64th Distinguished Faculty Lecture
Attend a Lecture
Lectures will take place at every Riverside Community College District campus. The final lecture at Moreno Valley College will be livestreamed and will include a reception afterward.
About the Lecture
“Anti-Social” Media: Memes, Echo Chambers, and Toxic Anonymity
Since the early 2000s, the widespread adoption of social media platforms has fundamentally changed the way people connect with the world. Recent reports indicate that 6.04 billion individuals worldwide, or 73.2% of the global population, use the internet. Of this total, 5.66 billion people, or 68.7% of the world’s population, are active on social media (Statista.com). In the U.S., about 73% of the population—roughly 250 million people—use social media, with YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram remaining the most popular platforms (Pew Research Center).
While social media can help people maintain long-distance connections, build supportive communities, and foster communication, research has identified a range of negative effects. These include increased anxiety and depression, sleep disruption, addiction, loneliness, reduced physical activity, dissatisfaction with body image, and fear of missing out, or FOMO.
As artificial intelligence technologies are increasingly adopted by social media companies, algorithm-driven and personalized content floods users’ feeds to maximize engagement and time spent on these platforms. Studies show that algorithms act as invisible curators, influencing well-being, spreading misinformation, and fueling polarization.
This presentation examines the effects of algorithm-driven social media on mental health and explores strategies to reduce its negative impact. By understanding the mechanisms behind these platforms, becoming aware of their health implications, and using social media more intentionally, attendees can stay connected and informed in a healthier way.
Meet the Lecturer
Adviye Tolunay earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1998 and a master’s degree in social psychology in 2001 from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. She earned a doctorate in experimental psychology from the University of Rhode Island in 2005. She is completing her 25th year in higher education and has taught full time at Moreno Valley College since fall 2006.
Before joining MVC, Tolunay taught as a graduate teaching assistant at Bilgi University and as a visiting lecturer at Bogazici University in Istanbul. She also served as an associate faculty member at the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island School of Design. Her academic background includes extensive work in social influence, persuasion, and the effects of group identity on moral reasoning.
In addition to teaching Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, and Personal and Social Adjustment at MVC, Tolunay serves as assistant chair for the Humanities, Arts, and Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. She is an active member of MVC’s Distance Education Committee and has represented the college on the District Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Her previous leadership roles include Diversity Committee chair, academic senator, Honors Council member, faculty development coordinator, and faculty adviser for the L.G.B.T.S.A., now known as the Pride Alliance, and the Psychology Club. Her efforts were instrumental in establishing MVC’s Annual Diversity Summit and the One Book, One College program.
Tolunay was selected as one of the district faculty members to lead 25 students on a 12-day Japan Youth Exchange Program to Tokyo and Sendai in spring 2013. She also taught in the RCCD Study Abroad Program in Dublin, Ireland, in spring 2015, and in Florence, Italy, in fall 2017.
She was the first recipient of MVC’s Diversity Award and has been selected four times by the Associated Students of Moreno Valley College as Outstanding Faculty Adviser. Throughout her career, Tolunay has focused on increasing access to quality college education, advancing equity, and fostering a more inclusive learning environment for all students.
Former Distinguished Faculty Lecturers
The Distinguished Faculty Lecture, inaugurated in 1961, is one of the most important functions for faculty, community and students in the Riverside Community College District. Each spring, RCCD's faculty selects one of its own to present this prestigious lecture on a scholarly subject.
1961 Cecil Stalder
1962 Lee Gladden
1963 Thomas M. Johnson
1964 Howard A. Burton
1965 David MacCuish
1966 John R. Horton
1967 Allan O. Kirkpatrick
1968 Keith M. Bailor
1969 Cecil Johnson
1970 Richard C. Schneider
1971 Robert T. Dixon
1972 William Wiley
1973 Ralph Butterfield
1974 Selby Sharp
1975 William Blaker
1976 Norma Barricelli
1977 Samuel D. Huang
1978 Robert Dyer
1979 Fred Thompson
1980 Ruth Lawson
1981 Jerry Carter
1983 Douglas Bond
1984 Charles Walker
1985 Bette Fauth
1986 Dana Wheaton
1987 Al Parker
1988 Della Condon
1989 Dwight Lomayesva
1990 Tony Turner
1991 Ron Yoshino
1992 Ron Pardee
1993 Geoffrey Waring
1994 Jan Schall
1995 Garrett Short
1996 Gilbert Jimenez
1997 Nancy J. Canter
1998 Clarence Romero
1999 Gregory Elder
2000 Patricia Scileppi Krivanek
2001 Janice A. Kollitz
2002 Dasiea Cavers-Huff
2003 Sharon L. Crasnow
2004 Richard Mahon
2005 Karin Skiba
2006 Kristi J. Woods
2007 Cordell Briggs
2008 Diana MacDougall
2009 Travis Gibbs
2010 Joe Eckstein
2011 Susan Mills
2012 Jose Duran
2013 Alexis Gray
2014 Rhonda Taube
2015 Fabian Biancardi
2016 Jan Muto
2017 Jo Scott-Coe
2018 Ann Pfeifle
2019 Quinton P. Bemiller
2021 Dariush Haghighat
2022 Jeff Rhyne
2023 Melissa Bader
2024 Eddie Perez