computers

Posture Affects Mood and Cognition.

Photo of an alpaca standing to attention, with the caption: Posture affects mood and cognition. Nina's posture is upright, and she looks happy and alert as a result.

Posture affects mood and cognition. Nina’s posture is upright, and she looks happy and alert as a result.

 

Jj is for Jottings 103.  Posture Affects Mood and Cognition.

How many times were you told as a child:  “Sit up straight. Don’t slouch.”  Or in my mother’s case, “You’ll get a dowager’s hump.”  As is so often the case, it would have been really good to heed the parental nagging.  Studies are now finding that bad posture is affecting both mood and cognition.  And bad posture is a frequent off-shoot of using smart phones and other technology.

STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF POSTURE.

Back in 1984 a study in USA found 58 % of teenage boys and 30 % of girls had spinal damage.  Now we have the new “tech-neck” generation who spend their lives peering into computer devices in a bent-over position.  So what exactly are the current studies telling us?

It’s not only the obvious head, neck and shoulder pain that’s caused by poor posture; it also reduces respiration, lowers energy and contributes to poor blood flow to the back of the brain.  One scientist’s research focuses on bad posture’s effect on mood and cognition.  Erik Peper is Professor of Holistic Health Studies in the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University.  In 2004 he and his colleague published their first study in posture.

HOW POSTURE AFFECTS MOOD.

They asked 24 healthy men and women to generate positive and negative thoughts in either an upright or slumped position. Almost all of them reported it was easier to recall positive thoughts when sitting erect.

A later study involved 28 college students.  They found that recalling any thoughts -positive or negative – takes a great deal more effort in a slouched position.

In a much larger study of over 200 students, almost nine out of ten found it easier to recall negative memories in a slumped versus an upright posture.  This included memories of despair, vulnerability, powerlessness and defeat.  On the other hand, in an erect rather than a hunched position the numbers reversed.  Nine out of ten found it was easier to access positive and empowering images.

Other studies have confirmed these findings.  New Zealand psychologists reported that upright participants reported higher self-esteem, more arousal, better mood, and lower fear, compared with slumped participants.

POSTURE AND THE TWO MINUTE HORMONE CHANGE.

In another posture study, Harvard social psychologist Amy Cuddy and colleagues measured testosterone and cortisol.  Testosterone is related to dominance and assertiveness, and cortisol is the stress hormone.

After just two minutes, volunteers expressing high-power body postures experienced a 20% increase in testosterone and a 25% decrease in cortisol.  This compared with a 10% decrease in testosterone and a 15% increase in cortisol in those who folded up their bodies and made themselves look small.  For other effects of technology on brain chemicals, see here.

POSTURE AND COGNITION.

Cognition refers to the process of thinking. It is the identification of knowledge, of understanding it and perceiving it.  Professor Peper’s latest study recruited 125 university students to perform a mental maths test, and the results have just been published. The students found the test much more difficult while sitting in a slouched position than sitting erect. This was particularly the case for those who were the most anxious about the test before it started.  Co- author, Richard Harvey, said that maintaining a defensive posture can trigger old negative memories in the body and brain.

They concluded that posture makes a giant difference. The slumped-over position shuts people down and their brains do not work as well. They cannot think as clearly.  Sitting in a collapsed posture may project a submissive, defeated, or depressed individual. But people tend to adopt a slouched posture while looking down at digital screens.

The good news is that we do have a choice.  Awareness is the key.  We can consciously use an empowered position to optimise our focus when looking at screens.  In fact, at any time, not just when looking at screens.

HOW TO IMPROVE POSTURE (AND MOOD AND COGNITION).

“Chin up, chest out, shoulders back, stomach in” are the key words for good posture.  When sitting, the bottom should be right at the back of the chair so the body is at a 90º angle. This realigns the pelvis in the correct position.

Many exercises can also correct a rounded posture by strengthening the muscles between the shoulder blades.

Another option is to have lessons in the Alexander Technique. This helps change faulty postural habits, improve mobility and relieve tension and stress.

Be vigilant at all times, especially when using a smart phone. Adjust posture as soon as a slouched position is noted.  You might even use that smart phone to help you develop a new habit.   You could set an alarm every half hour to remind you to check your posture.  After a while you will begin to remind yourself and no longer need external reminders.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF POSTURE’S EFFECTS ON MOOD.

If you give it some thought, you will find that your own experience supports the evidence in the studies above.  What happens when you receive bad news?  You sag, physically and mentally.  And when you receive good news?  You open up and straighten up, often with your hands and arms moving upwards and outwards.  You feel alert and bright.  As adults, we need to be aware of and correct these negative postural tendencies in ourselves and in our children, particularly where screens are involved.  Or, better still, send the children outside to play!  For assistance on how to manage children’s screen time, see here.  For some of my observations on the overall effects of screens on children, see here.

Check out the Facebook page: Aa is for Alpacas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Managing Children’s Screen Time.

Jj is for Jottings 92.  Managing Children’s Screen Time.

Picture of 3 children and a foal reading a book. Caption: The easiest way to manage children's screen time is to avoid screens altogether as much as possible, by providing alternative activities. Rory, the foal, is looking over Amy's shoulder, trying to read "Aa is for Alpacas" with Amy, Zack and Zara.

The easiest way to manage children’s screen time is to avoid screens altogether as much as possible, by providing alternative activities. Rory, the foal, is looking over Amy’s shoulder, trying to read “Aa is for Alpacas” with Amy, Zack and Zara.

This article on managing children’s screen time follows on from the effects of screen time on children and parents’ screen time.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MANAGING CHILDREN’S SCREEN TIME.

  1. Limit Parents’ Screen Time.

This has already been covered in the previous article.

  1. Discuss Why Limits Are Needed and Set Them Together.

Continue reading →

Parents’ Screen Time.

Jj is for Jottings 91.  Parents’ Screen Time.

This follows on from the effects of screen time on children.  Before we go into the topic of how to limit our children’s screen time, we need to look to parents’ screen time.

Picture of a man holding out his hand to a baby alpaca, with the caption: No parents' screen time here. This "parent" has his full attention on the "child", complete with eye contact. Good parenting skills, David.

No parents’ screen time here. This “parent” has his full attention on the “child”, complete with eye contact. Good parenting skills, David.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS’ SCREEN TIME AND CHILDREN’S SCREEN TIME.

Studies from the University of Bristol show that the amount of time a child spends on a screen is closely associated with their parents’ own habits.  They found that children were 3.4 times more likely to spend more than 2 hours a day watching television if their parents did the same.  This is when compared with children whose parents watched less TV.  The statistic carries over into other screen types as well. Continue reading →

The Effects of Screen Time on Children.

Jj is for Jottings 90.  The Effects of Screen Time on Children.

Picture of 4 children on a haystack with caption: Avoiding the effects of screen time on children - Zara, Amy, Seth and Zack reading "Aa is for Alpacas" AND outside.

Avoiding the effects of screen time on children – Zara, Amy, Seth and Zack reading “Aa is for Alpacas” AND outside.

 

By now, there have been many studies done on the effects of screen time on children.  My own observations on this subject are here and here.  And here is an article on parental concerns about screen time.  So, let’s have a look at some of the recent research. Continue reading →

Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 1)

Jj is for Jottings 50.  Rhyming, Climbing, Miming… (Part 1)

Geisha had a little cria,
But in this pic you cannot see ‘er!
(With thanks to David for this one.)

 

Children are not often introduced to nursery rhymes, these days, and in fact most seem to have little exposure to rhymes in their early childhood.  People seem to think that the old-fashioned nursery rhymes are silly and don’t make sense Continue reading →

Routine/Fewer Choices=Smarter, Happier Children. (2)

Marshmallow sitting on the front door mat. Notice the white bits on the mat from her preening. Quite messy, and rather difficult to get out the front door without sending her flying (not literally).

Jj is for Jottings 26. How More Routine, Fewer Choices Make for Smarter and Happier Children. Part 2.
Here is the second part of an article which appeared in the Pulse section of the Border Mail on February 6 last year, and it bears repeating. The first part was in Jottings 18. We will visit other parts of the same article in other Jottings.
GETTING your priorities right as a parent is a sentiment with which behavioural optometrist Michael Smith wholeheartedly agrees.
As thousands of students poured back into classrooms across the Border in recent weeks, the odds are that some of them will come across the path of the Wodonga Vision and Learning Centre founder.
Mr Smith believes about 30 per cent of children start school before they are ready.
For the past 30 years he has helped children (and adults) with “visual processing problems” who may be struggling in a classroom or with reading.
His work is about much more than prescribing glasses.
Behavioural optometry examines how a person’s vision affects how they function in the world around them, according to Mr Smith.
“Vision is your pervasive means of dealing with the world around you and if you don’t do that well then you are going to be compromised — at school, in sport and even at work.
But it’s at school that the problem generally rears its head, according to Mr Smith.
“Often a child who has not developed their vision adequately will be written off as clumsy or just not good at sports for example,” he says.
“But when you hit school, you have a situation that forces the issue and many kids are just not ready.
“They have not developed the skills they need to be able to deal with the classroom and they are the ones who end up needing intervention.”
So what does this all mean?
It begins when we are babies, Mr Smith says.
“Visual curiosity first triggers a baby to move their hands to try and grasp something or to roll towards something.
“Eventually your movement becomes more and more complex as you learn to crawl and then eventually walk.
“Once you are on the move your visual curiosity can take you to places you can’t reach.”
Mr Smith says that as we get older we don’t always have to go to things and touch them.
“Your vision has had so many experiences, you can look at something and know what is is,” he explains.
But if your visual system does not develop beyond that point, for whatever reason, problems can arise, he says.
“If, for example, you start school and you still have to touch everything you are not going to function in a classroom because you can’t touch words or numbers,” Mr Smith says.
“It is parents who give them their language and they need to both watch and listen to you. That cannot be replaced by a computer screen.”
He says once you have a vision problem it modifies the way your body works and the way you move.
It can also affect behaviour.
He says there are a lot of things parents can do to help ensure their child’s visual system develops properly.
But it requires an investment of time.
It means reading to your child is more important than the washing.
It means less time in front of the television or Xbox and more time playing outside.
“Children need a lot of movement experience,” he explains.
“They need outside play so go to the park, ride a bike, dance, catch and throw a ball or play with a balloon when they are little.
“Give them something to make or create — whether it’s Lego or some paper towel tubes and sticky tape.
“And you must read to your child. That is essential.”
Mr Smith says a lot of children come to him with poor vocabulary and don’t know how to construct a simple sentence.
“It is parents who give them their language and they need to both watch and listen to you,” he says.
“That cannot be replaced by a computer screen.”
But the investment of time can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, he concedes.
“It’s difficult because both parents generally have to work and our society is such that in order to support ourselves parents have to work,” Mr Smith says.
“The parent may only see their child for an hour in the morning and an hour at night and most of that time is spent pushing the kid to get ready for breakfast or dinner or out of bed or off to bed.
“It’s not quality time.
“It’s survival time.”

Royal Children’s Hospital Survey.

Signing books outside Dymocks, Albury. With thanks to David Lewis of Dymocks, who kindly offered the book-signing, And to all of those people who visited me there.

Jj is for Jottings 14. Royal Children’s Hospital Survey.

I heard a report on the ABC news on December 2nd, and grabbed a pen and paper as it was introduced. Consequently I have only the bare bones of the report, but roughly – there was a survey of 2000 families undertaken by RCH, asking what parents’ greatest concerns were about their children’s health. The number one greatest concern was … Continue reading →

Frequent Errors Made by Primary School Children.

Sam’s had enough and Marshmallow is starting to make her move.

Jj is for Jottings 13. Frequent Errors Made by Early to Mid Primary Children (and, when I come to think about it, secondary students as well because one flows on to the other – of course).
In list form:
1. Using capital letters mixed in with lower case. I recommend a good alphabet book to fix this – “Aa is for Alpacas”, for example(!) For some reason using B rather than b is common, even in the middle of a word. Continue reading →