Sheerios: The seven stages of emotion when you didn’t get tickets

Uniquely Irish

Jul 8, 2017

The entire country held it's breath as 9am approached, and hundreds of thousands of Ticketmaster tabs were opened in the hopes of getting tickets to Ed Sheeran's seven Irish gigs, scheduled for 2018.

If you didn't get tickets for his arena tour, you may have had high hopes this time around, thinking to yourself that things would be different this time.

You maybe have bemusingly laughed at the hardcore Cork zealots queuing up since Wednesday for tickets.

"Sure have they no internet or something?" you thought.

And now you are ticket-less, having joined the throng of thousands of online buyers looking to get tickets for the date you wanted who failed to get through to Ticketmaster before the gig sold out.

Tragedy has struck and you are still reeling from the emotional roller coaster.

1. Hope

The stomach churning moments up to 9am have passed, and you are finally being held in the ticket queue.

You haven't been this nervous since getting your Leaving Cert results, and though you say "I know I haven't a hope of getting them," you are secretly clinging to an intense, hopeful yearning.

It's just a matter of time until you find out if Ticketmaster has deemed you worthy…

2. False hope

OH MY GOD you're through.

Okay, time to choose your preferred seating and number of tickets.

Fingers, toes, and everything else remains crossed.

3. Denial

"Sorry, there are no tickets of this type available."

Cue manic laughter as you frantically refresh the page, change your preference to tiered seating and think "someone might have let their tickets go when they saw the bloody price, it's possible right? Right? RIGHT?"

4. Despair

"Why have you forsaken me cruel world?"

"What have I done to deserve this cosmic ridicule?

You may even still be in the virtual queue two hours later, bursting for the loo, a rasher sandwich and a cigarette simultaniously but you can't leave the laptop screen in case you get through.

5. Anger

At this point you've Snapchatted your friends, who are possibly still stuck in the despair tier of emotion, a picture of the sold out gig on Ticketmaster and you are RAGING.

"Why didn't I queue up in the lashing rain at 2am like I told myself I should have?"

6. Anger at Ed

Like, hello Ed Sheeran, have we not been through this before?

You know you are beloved in Ireland and you teased us mercilessly since your return with your Irish-themed album.

Sometimes it seems like Ed could have one of those Vegas-style residencies in Croke Park and play every night for a year and you'd still never get tickets.

7. Acceptance

Even though we all know you're lying you yourself and everyone else, saying that you don't care that you didn't get tickets to the gig of the year can help soften the sting.

And you'll see it all on Snapchat, right?

Look, there are still tickets available, so maybe make a road trip out of it if you diodn't mange to get tickets in your area?

Facebook is developing technology that plays with our emotions

Jun 10, 2017

by Amber Saunders

Well, we're not sure we feel right about this.

According to The Sun, Facebook is looking into developing new technology which will watch people through their camera, and analyse their facial expressions to see if they're happy, sad, angry, etc.

A software company, CBI Insight, first copped onto the development after it discovered FB applied for the patent, which would allow them to capture pictures of us through our phones as we browse the Internet.

Feeling a bit violated? Us too.

Apparently, the designs for the patent dates back to 2015 and it includes illustrations of people on their phone, with the camera taking pictures and detecting "emotion characteristics."

We get why they're doing it.

If we scroll through Facebook and see something of interest, our expression lightens up (or else, y'know… stays the exact same because hello resting bitch face) therefore, FB will know that you liked the content and will know for future what type of content you enjoy.

However, Cosmo ensures that not all patents make it to the end product, and currently there's no confirmation that FB has the go-ahead with this one.

New research confirms that the pill can indeed make you a tad CRAY

Jul 14, 2016

by Amber Saunders

If you're on the pill, then you'll know that there can be some nasty side effects.

You freak out if someone looks at you the wrong way, bloat like a balloon in the space of two minutes and cry at the end of Batman VS Superman (true story).

We have handled these side effects – and many more – for years, and even when people thought we were bizarre, we knew it was just the pill playing tricks on us.

However, now it has been confirmed that oral contraceptives do indeed effect our emotional responsiveness.

In a recent study published in the European Neuropsychopharmacology (try saying that fast), it found that women taking the pill may be less in tune when it comes to emotional situations, and find it more difficult to share empathy with others.

So, that explains why we act like a grade A b*tch sometimes.

The researchers studied 73 women in total. 18 of those didn't use any oral contraceptives, 30 of the women were on the pill and the remainder were on their pill-free week.

They looked at three elements in each woman – emotional recognition, perspective-taking and affective (emotional) responsiveness. With the first two elements, all of the women scored fairly similar, but it was the affective responsiveness that blew up the charts.

The ladies were all asked to read a sentence designed to provoke an emotion in them. They were then asked how they would feel if what was happening in the sentence, happened in real life.

The study showed that "females currently taking the pill showed better performance than those in their pill-free week." So basically, our emotions and empathy go up and down as we go on and off the pill.

The end of the study notes that "little is known about their impact on psychological processes and emotional competencies.

"The current study highlights the need for future research to shed more light on the neuroendocrine alterations accompanying OC [the pill] intake."

Don't worry though, all that crazy gives us a little more charm… right?!

Woman’s best friend! Our dogs can tell when we’re happy or sad

Lifestyle

Jan 13, 2016

by Amber Saunders

We know diamonds are a girl's best friend, but we think that our dogs might just come above the sparkly stones.

Researchers have found that our pet dogs can sense what we're feeling by combining information from different senses.

Animal behaviour specialists and psychologists carried out a number of studies to suggest that dogs can tell the difference between positive and negative emotions, and apart from humans, they are the only other animals to possess such a trait.

As part of the research, seventeen dogs were shown two different pictures. One was of a happy human and the other was of an angry human.

Various sounds were then played to the dogs of a person's voice – again, one happy tone, and one angry tone.

The researchers found that most dogs matched the happy human with the happy tone of voice, and did the same for the angry picture and voice.

"Our study shows that dogs have the ability to integrate two different sources of sensory information into a coherent perception of emotion in both humans and dogs," said Dr Kun Guo from the University of Lincoln's School of Psychology.

"Our findings are the first to show that dogs truly recognise emotions in humans and other dogs."

It’s OK to be moody! Science says it can actually a really GOOD thing

Nov 4, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We all get a bit moody at times, it's only human! But if your day feels like a rollercoaster of emotions, it's best not to worry about it.

As it turns out, those who swing on the pendulum of emotional intensity may be showing signs of a natural ability to adapt to change. Which is totally a good thing.

The University College London has created a theory that moodiness helps to reinforce our responses to various environmental factors.

If an experience makes us happy, we are going to seek more of it. And in contrast, if an experience is unpleasant, it will likely bring us down.

Being able to flip a switch when it comes to your reactions is beneficial in terms of survival, in both your social and work life.

"The ubiquity of moods and the extent of their impact on our lives tells us that, throughout the course of evolution, our moodiness must have conferred a significant competitive advantage," said lead expert Dr Eran Eldar.

Now, the study did admit that being moody all the time can lead to depression, but Dr Eldar added that “being moody at times may be a small price to pay for the ability to adapt quickly when facing momentous environmental changes.”

So you can now feel free to fume for five minutes if you can't find your favourite mug in the office – and then switch back to your lovely usual self.

Ten thoughts women have the first time they start a new exercise class

Oct 19, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Believe it or not, the day will come when you decide you're totally bored of your usual Pilates/bootcamp/spin class and will suddenly find yourself wanting to try something new.

And when that day comes, you will undoubtedly experience a wide and varied array of emotions. From panic to happiness, starting a new workout class is just as scary as going on a first date.

Here are ten thoughts that will more than likely pop into your head the next time you decide on a new exercise class:

1. OMG these people look so hard core

… I'll just find a nice spot in the back.

2. What the hell are these things for?!

Do I lift this? Step on it? Roll it? Throw it?

3. Is it bad that I'm already sweating and it's only the warm-up?

This new instructor does NOT mess around.

4. But what the hell is up with her playlist?

Ed Sheeran… so not workout material.

5. Oh no, this is actually really hard

I wonder would anyone notice if I walked out right now?

6. How is nobody else exhausted?!

That girl in the front isn't even sweating!

7. Am I even doing this right?

Fake it 'til you make it, I suppose.

8. Wait… I think I'm getting the hang of this

It's actually a really good workout.

9. I'm totally kicking ass right now

Hello new six-pack!

10. OK, maybe that wasn't so bad after all

*Eye of the Tiger plays in head*

The emotions you go through when you lose your phone

Uncategorized

Oct 23, 2014

by Amber Saunders

We all know that feeling too well – it's gone. Your precious, overused phone is GONE! Now no one will know where you are, you have no Google maps to find out where to go and your life as you know it is over. Here's the emotional cycle of losing your phone:

1. Panic
You’ve patted down your pockets and realised you don’t feel your phone – it's not there!

2. Anxious
You slowly empty the contents of your pockets and bag, hoping it's secretly hidden in there…

3. Suspicious
You’re convinced you’ve been robbed. It’s better than facing the fact that you were stupid enough to lose it! Now everyone becomes a suspect.

4. Frantic
You run desperately back to the last place you had it and hope that it’s still there.

5. Hysteria
When your phone is not where you thought you left it!

6. Horrified
When you think of how you’ve also lost all your messages/pictures/phone numbers.

7. Increased hysteria
You’re starting to feel like you’re on an episode of Without A Trace.

8. Despair
As you continuously call the phone hoping someone will answer.

9. Embarrassed
As you ask anyone within a ten mile radius have they seen your phone.

10. Determined
You try your best to turn into a detective and log onto 'Find my iPhone', full of hope and determination, before you realise it’s crap and does not work unless your lost phone is connected to WiFi…

So this can eventually end one of two ways:

Immense Pleasure
As, thankfully, someone belonging to the rare kind of humanity found it and handed it in somewhere, and you promise to love and care for your phone like never before and never let it out of your sight again.

Grief- stricken
As the reality sets in and you have to come to terms with the fact you’re not getting your phone back, and even worse, someone else got a free phone from your stupidity. So you are forced to go home and use an old Nokia from the stone age and hope Santa is generous this year.

via our content partner CT

Facebook has been playing with our minds

Jun 30, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Facebook have come under fire after it was revealed that the social media giant conducted an experiment on 700,000 users without them knowing, and they didn’t have to get their permission as the experiment fell under their data use policy.

The company wanted to test to see if they could influence our moods by changing the algorithm of the site for one week in July 2012. They either removed all the happy posts from your timeline, or removed all the sad and angry ones.

Christian Sandvig, an Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Information at the University of Michigan said that the experiment was not ethical, and tweeted: “*Probably* nobody was driven to suicide #jokingnotjoking”

Hmmm… sounds a bit dodgy to us. Though we were interested to find out the results! The researchers found that emotions actually are contagious: “When positive expressions were reduced, people produced fewer positive posts and more negative posts; when negative expressions were reduced, the opposite pattern occurred”.

How do you feel about Facebook playing with your emotions?

Men DO have feelings! Study has surprising results

Relationships

Jun 19, 2014

by Amber Saunders

The age old idea that ‘men don’t have feelings, they have muscles’ can finally be done away with.

A new study has revealed that while men reported feeling less emotional than women when presented with heart-warming content, the science proved that they actually felt MORE emotion than their female counter parts.

Mindlab founder Dr. David Lewis said that our media consumption has led to these gender stereotypes:

“Gender stereotypes about men being stoic and women being emotional are reinforced by our day-to-day consumption of media and our social interactions.

“We tend to oversimplify and exaggerate the perceived differences between men and women and are more likely to focus on evidence that supports our existing gender stereotypes.

“This study suggests that men feel emotion just as much as women, sometimes more strongly, but are less willing to express these emotions openly due to expectations put on them by society.”

A survey of 2,000 men was conducted to support the study, and it found that 67% thought they were more emotional than they appeared. 40% of 18-24 year-olds said they had cried in the last week, and 64% of men surveyed said they were surprised at how much emotion they felt when their child was born.

At last, some science to prove what we had always suspected!

The rules for a ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement

Relationships

Mar 19, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Don’t stay the night
Whether it’s three in the morning or three in the afternoon, make sure you get out of there. Lazing around whispering sweet nothings into each others ears can only do detrimental damage to any hopes of keeping things strictly s.e.x..so get out of there. Leg it if you have to…

Maintain Respect
It’s a pretty sweet situation to be in if you can, in fact, maintain the no-strings attachment; therefore an element of respect will be required at all times. No one should be taking advantage of anyone as you are both giving each other the best present ever!

No Dates
Yet another ‘routine’ that can see you headed for relationshipville. Don’t even order room service if you end up in a hotel! This is a strictly ‘benefits only’ deal, so keep touching base with your ‘friend’ to see if you’re both still on the same page, but no dates, no cinema….no, no, no.

Act Out Fantasies
It’s just about sex right?! Well then take it further than the boring missionary. Explore some karma sutra magic or try out something you never thought you would. Nurse uniform? Check! Hi vis and hard hat? Check…another hard hat…check.

Stay focused.
This is only about sex, you need to keep telling yourself that. If it changes and you start feeling emotions then you need to either stop doing it or speak up. Either way if emotions start to creep in someone will get hurt.

via our content partners CT

The ‘love hormone’ may be able to help people with an eating disorder

Mar 14, 2014

by Amber Saunders

The love hormone oxytocin, which is released during kissing, sex and breastfeeding, may reduce sufferers’ obsession with losing weight.

The hormone was given to 31 patients through a nasal spray and it was found that people suffering from anorexia who took the hormone, changed their attitude towards food and body parts.

Lead author on the study Prof Youl-Ri Kim said: “Our research shows that oxytocin reduces patients’ unconscious tendencies to focus on food, body shape, and negative emotions such as disgust.”

At the moment, there are no drugs to treat the disorder and in extreme cases, counselling has little effect on a person with anorexia because their brain is too undernourished.

“By using oxytocin as a potential treatment for anorexia, we are focusing on some of these underlying problems we see in patients,” added Kim.

Although researchers are still in early stage of the study, we still think it’s a perfect excuse to get snogging!