The brain
The brain: How does it become a mind?
I watched a video about the effect of technology on our brains. Thought: have we seen the most advanced brain and now we are regressing due to TV, texting, video games, blackberries, pc's and the like.
The jury apparently is out, but it certainly is something to think about and discuss.
I remember my Mom saying that my youngest sibling was having problems in school and when tested, her deficits were blamed on television. It is hard for me to remember how much TV I watched, but I don't think there was much on the boob tube. Rin Tin Tin and the Lone Ranger were my favorites or a Shirley Temple movie. But my sister was 9 years younger and she was exposed to a growing selection of shows on TV. Due only to the advancement of technology.
Fast forward to my kids and they waited until they were about teenagers before we watched many movies at home: like Cinderella or Peter Pan or Star Wars. They did watch Sesame Street, except for B whose attention was drawn to commercials. Kids programing was limited to certain times of the day & included cartoons on Saturday. Believe me, there were days where I was scanning the TV guide for the next kid type show. Being a mother can be very challenging and we all resort to easy entertainment to find some peace or maybe take a shower.
Fast forward again to my grandchildren. They have total access to any Disney movie. Kids programing (Disney or Nickelodeon) is on all day long. Instead of bedtime stories, movies are used to lull them to sleep or keep them entertained. Hand held games can be taken to any "boring" activity. And Facebook and texting are just waiting in the wings, except for the oldest who is on FB and who knows where else.
READING. The language and situations and metaphors and word pictures all work to build our synapses. I guess that is a plug for college because it is probably 4 years of really good brain exercising. And additional years if you don't stop there. Or a reason to always be learning new things.
The problem: is the generation surrounded by huge technological advancement, still reading like they should?
Much of this learning and deficit stuff happens in your pre-frontal cortex. Sort of stuff that is above the basics.
What about the loss of function due to dementia?
What are we looking for and how can we tell when the brain stops functioning normally? A scary statistic is genetics and how the kind of dementia that my Mom has is hereditary. Obviously since we watched what happened to her mother. That it can start.......drum roll.... as early as 40 up and into your 60's and lasts from a few to maybe 17 years. Article
Studies with mice and rats have shown that how you take care of yourself and your brain (like I believe my Mom did) can keep symptoms at bay and then reduce their severity at the end.
Water aerobics and knitting and church services and dinners out are all helping my Mom to stay with us longer. You go redbaydreamer . Your help is invaluable. Don't burn out.
Okay, my main focus has drifted around in this writing, but as you can see by my mind map, it is all interconnected. I guess we do not want to become a society in the same condition as an aging Mother who has a disease. Let's think about how we can change things for the better.
I watched a video about the effect of technology on our brains. Thought: have we seen the most advanced brain and now we are regressing due to TV, texting, video games, blackberries, pc's and the like.
The jury apparently is out, but it certainly is something to think about and discuss.
I remember my Mom saying that my youngest sibling was having problems in school and when tested, her deficits were blamed on television. It is hard for me to remember how much TV I watched, but I don't think there was much on the boob tube. Rin Tin Tin and the Lone Ranger were my favorites or a Shirley Temple movie. But my sister was 9 years younger and she was exposed to a growing selection of shows on TV. Due only to the advancement of technology.
Fast forward to my kids and they waited until they were about teenagers before we watched many movies at home: like Cinderella or Peter Pan or Star Wars. They did watch Sesame Street, except for B whose attention was drawn to commercials. Kids programing was limited to certain times of the day & included cartoons on Saturday. Believe me, there were days where I was scanning the TV guide for the next kid type show. Being a mother can be very challenging and we all resort to easy entertainment to find some peace or maybe take a shower.
Fast forward again to my grandchildren. They have total access to any Disney movie. Kids programing (Disney or Nickelodeon) is on all day long. Instead of bedtime stories, movies are used to lull them to sleep or keep them entertained. Hand held games can be taken to any "boring" activity. And Facebook and texting are just waiting in the wings, except for the oldest who is on FB and who knows where else.
READING. The language and situations and metaphors and word pictures all work to build our synapses. I guess that is a plug for college because it is probably 4 years of really good brain exercising. And additional years if you don't stop there. Or a reason to always be learning new things.
The problem: is the generation surrounded by huge technological advancement, still reading like they should?
Much of this learning and deficit stuff happens in your pre-frontal cortex. Sort of stuff that is above the basics.
What about the loss of function due to dementia?
What are we looking for and how can we tell when the brain stops functioning normally? A scary statistic is genetics and how the kind of dementia that my Mom has is hereditary. Obviously since we watched what happened to her mother. That it can start.......drum roll.... as early as 40 up and into your 60's and lasts from a few to maybe 17 years. Article
Studies with mice and rats have shown that how you take care of yourself and your brain (like I believe my Mom did) can keep symptoms at bay and then reduce their severity at the end.
Water aerobics and knitting and church services and dinners out are all helping my Mom to stay with us longer. You go redbaydreamer . Your help is invaluable. Don't burn out.
Okay, my main focus has drifted around in this writing, but as you can see by my mind map, it is all interconnected. I guess we do not want to become a society in the same condition as an aging Mother who has a disease. Let's think about how we can change things for the better.