tl;dr
we are all in more static environments during quarantine
it is vital, particularly for children, to increase our exposure to new experiences to promote optimal brain development
synaptic pruning:
🧠 children have 2-3x as many neurons (brain cells) as adults
- primarily from ages 2-10, and continuing into our 20s, we undergo a process called synaptic pruning [1]
- during this process, many unnecessary brain pathways are removed, and we are left with fewer pathways which are most used
- it's necessary to 'enrich' our brains during this critical period, and expose it to many new experiences
- dull or repetetive environments (like being indoors) don't provide sufficiently diverse input to form an adaptable, thriving brain
side effects
in extreme cases, failing to experience sufficient sensory input has dire consequences
- 💬 children must acquire language before the age of 12, or may never be able to understand it properly2
- 👁 failing to use your vision for a long period of time leads to lasting sight issues or blindness (e.g. from being in the dark for a long time, or having cataracts at a young age)3
- 📦 children who are born confined to an isolated or stressful space may have permanent mental disability. 4
side effects during lockdown
in our less extreme case, there may still be measurable effects
- 🌈 enriching environments have strong scientific support for improving development across humans and many other animals5
- while we aren't dealing with as extreme case as the examples above, we might be having 5%-50% less enrichment than usual at this time.
- the specific effects of this moment in history are yet to be proven, but this possibly could result in reduced hand-eye coordination, social ability, adaptability, and general intelligence.
enriching ideas
anything which engages our brain and body with new experiences helps facilitate brain development
- 📺 we are all using digital media, likely to the point of overuse, but we can be mindful and consume high-quality content
- 🏞 finding spots to go outdoors is vital, and there are plenty of places to explore without people around
- 🎈 exercising, juggling, learning new languages, and using your non-dominant hand are other enriching activities that enhance brain function
- 💻 technology provides unique new avenues: virtual hang-outs & games, virtual reality, art, and endless learning tools
- 📔 indoors, don't forget about reading books
- 😤 high stress in the home is probably more common right now, and reduction of stress is an important foundation
(working on a list of more brain developing and enriching activities, check back soon!)
despite the situation, our brains are resilient and plastic, we can adapt and recover from issues like these.
there is a great opportunity to use everything at our disposal now to improve enrichment for both our child & adult lives
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