Reading is widely considered a gateway to knowledge, fantasy, and emotion. It is omnipresent in society through media, both digital and print; it is a core element in a college student’s academic workload, and provides a medium to stray from an otherwise finite world. Having been surrounded by these texts for my entire life, it begs the question, why I am utterly incapable of efficient textual evaluation? Beginning sophomore year of High School, the frequency at which I read steeply declined. Since, unless the content grabs every ounce of my attention, I cannot seem to read nearly as quickly or stay focused; stray thoughts, noises, or movements easily pull me out of whatever passage I am reading. This leads to either losing track of the content,
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And with 90% of college students reporting feeling overwhelmed at some point in their collegiate careers, if work takes over my free time, I will be unable to effectively maintain contentedness. Psychiatrist Norman Doidge explores the idea of Neuroplasticity in his book The Brain that Changes Itself. Using this idea, it becomes evident that humans have the capacity to change habits and overcome ineptitudes, but first, the root of the problem needs to be identified. In my scenario it is important to understand the idea of “orienting …show more content…
These stimulate the brain in a way that triggers the release of “dopamine—the reward neurotransmitter, also triggered by addictive drugs” (Doidge 309) A study conducted by a team at Hammersmith Hospital found that people who are addicted to video games show remarkable parallels to all other addictions including: craving, ignoring other stimuli, and euphoria when engaged. I want to say, however, that I am not particularly addicted as it has been about a month since I have been able to devote much time to them. Unfortunately, the study also say that addicted individuals have a “tendency to deny or minimize their actual involvement [in the games].” (Doidge 309) This dopamine infusion generates a novelty that the brain feeds on. Earlier in the book, sexuality and romantic tendencies are explored and the claim is made that novelty is one of very few ways to maintain a long term relationship because dopamine is what keeps us happy, similarly, in this scenario, I am happy when I am playing games or watching image media. Obviously, reading doesn’t provide this dopamine, but that shouldn’t mean I am incapable of completing the work efficiently. The problem lies in how electronics can negatively affect our attention spans. Attention deficit traits, which are non-genetic attention deficit disorder symptoms acquired over time, allowed Edward Howell to “[link] the electronic media
And with 90% of college students reporting feeling overwhelmed at some point in their collegiate careers, if work takes over my free time, I will be unable to effectively maintain contentedness. Psychiatrist Norman Doidge explores the idea of Neuroplasticity in his book The Brain that Changes Itself. Using this idea, it becomes evident that humans have the capacity to change habits and overcome ineptitudes, but first, the root of the problem needs to be identified. In my scenario it is important to understand the idea of “orienting …show more content…
These stimulate the brain in a way that triggers the release of “dopamine—the reward neurotransmitter, also triggered by addictive drugs” (Doidge 309) A study conducted by a team at Hammersmith Hospital found that people who are addicted to video games show remarkable parallels to all other addictions including: craving, ignoring other stimuli, and euphoria when engaged. I want to say, however, that I am not particularly addicted as it has been about a month since I have been able to devote much time to them. Unfortunately, the study also say that addicted individuals have a “tendency to deny or minimize their actual involvement [in the games].” (Doidge 309) This dopamine infusion generates a novelty that the brain feeds on. Earlier in the book, sexuality and romantic tendencies are explored and the claim is made that novelty is one of very few ways to maintain a long term relationship because dopamine is what keeps us happy, similarly, in this scenario, I am happy when I am playing games or watching image media. Obviously, reading doesn’t provide this dopamine, but that shouldn’t mean I am incapable of completing the work efficiently. The problem lies in how electronics can negatively affect our attention spans. Attention deficit traits, which are non-genetic attention deficit disorder symptoms acquired over time, allowed Edward Howell to “[link] the electronic media