Bridging the gap between research and real life
You check Facebook while in line at the grocery store.
You glance at Twitter while waiting at a stop light.
While working on your computer, social media alerts pop up in the corner of the screen.
Social media is a constant presence in the lives of billions of people across the globe. Facebook alone boasts of nearly 1.8 billion users. [Read more…]
The idea of kindness benefiting do-gooders is a pop psychology phenomenon. [Read more…]
More than 6 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and that number is expected to grow significantly as the U.S. population ages. As a result, researchers across the globe are trying to find ways to strengthen aging brains and prevent dementia later in life. Over the past decade, scientists have zeroed in on “brain training” – puzzles and games designed to improve cognitive skills – as one possible solution. [Read more…]
It is no secret that the U.S. population is steadily growing older. More than 77 million American children were born between 1946 and 1964, and that generation is now beginning to reach its senior years.
As the U.S. population grows older, it’s important to monitor elders’ health and well-being. There’s a federal agency — The Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics — set up to do just that. [Read more…]
On the whole, public schools in the U.S. are doing a poor job of teaching sex education to American youth.
A report released last year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that fewer than half of high schools and only a fifth of middle schools teach all 16 topics the CDC lists as essential components of sex education. Those topics include how to obtain and use condoms, the benefits of condom use, and the kinds of preventative care necessary to maintain sexual health. [Read more…]
Kids these days.
It’s a phrase that has been uttered for decades by older generations as youth forge their way through the modern world. Today, the phrase often refers to youth’s use of social networking sites. There’s plenty of times I’ve heard older adults argue that relationships forged through platforms like Instagram and Google chat don’t qualify as “real” social connections. [Read more…]
New findings about screen-time for babies and kids are something I keep a close eye on. As parent of three young children, I want to do what’s best for them. And yet I’m often tempted to use the television – “just one show” – when I need to get something done. [Read more…]
At one time or another, we have all heard someone say, “Kids these days…” in the lofty tone that suggests children from generations past were better behaved, more responsible and less troubled than today’s youth. Maybe you’ve even said something similar yourself; I know that I have. [Read more…]
Every few years, a new diet becomes popular for its promise to help people lose weight and improve their health. Sometimes, these diets are based on sound evidence, and other times they are not. Often when new diets first become popular, there is not enough data to know whether they really work. [Read more…]
The founders of our nation set out to create a place where people could build a life for themselves. Their original idea was that U.S. citizens would be free to pursue happiness and prosperity. But more than 200 years later, a body of evidence shows the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. [Read more…]
For decades, social science researchers have believed that social interactions play an important part in our health and well-being. If you think about your own daily life, it makes perfect sense. When you feel supported by a network of family and friends, you likely feel happier and more relaxed. But do those feelings translate into better health? [Read more…]
Wearable fitness bands — which can provide data including how many steps you take in a day, how many calories you burn and even your sleep patterns — have become extremely popular. According to market research data, nearly 70 million are sold worldwide each year. But do they work? [Read more…]
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