Video Games and Brain Pleasure Circuits

Allan Reiss and his coworkers at Stanford University performed brain scanning on subjects playing a simple video game. The subjects were eleven male and eleven female Stanford students, selected to have similar, moderate previous experience with video games and computers generally. The video game involved a screen with a vertical dividing line and leftward-moving balls on the right-hand side, which the player could click to remove. When a ball hit the divider, it caused the divider to move slightly leftward, reducing the player's "territory" on the left-hand side of the screen. Conversely, for each second that the area near the divider was kept clear of balls, it would move rightward, gaining territory for the player. The only instruction given was, "Click on as many balls as possible." All players soon deduced the point of the game and adopted a click strategy to increase territory. An earlier study using a different form of brain scanning (positron emission tomography, or PET) revealed increased dopamine release in subjects playing a tank-driving video game. Furthermore, those subjects who scored highest in the game had the largest dopamine-release signals in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens. While this study is consistent with others demonstrating dopamine pleasure circuit activation in video games, it is complicated by the fact that the subjects were paid (eight UK pounds) for each video game level they completed successfully-thus conflating monetary reward and game play.

If video games can activate the dopamine pleasure circuit, does that mean that one can become addicted to them? The answer seems to be a weak, qualified yes. There is already a burgeoning industry, complete with standardized questionnaires and dubious therapies, that claims to aid in the treatment of video game addiction and Internet addiction. However, media accounts have overstated both the extent of the problem and its severity. The best indications are that most compulsive video game players recover without intervention.

Is smoking "uncool"?

If you're a parent these days, chances are you are wondering when your child will face peer pressure to try smoking cigarettes. After all, when we were growing up, almost everyone tried cigarettes, and many went on to continue smoking. It was considered "cool" and fashionable, even after campaigns began to decry the terrible effects that can, and often do, result from smoking.

Those who have personally suffered the ill effects of smoking or have been witness to a loved one's suffering, as well as advocates of the anti-smoking movement will be heartened to realize that the tide continues to turn against smoking. A recent survey by Yahoo! Shine with more than 1000 responders has shown that in the current generation of young people (ages 18-34), the majority are against smoking, and there seems to be an implicit stigma against smoking within this subset of the population. The survey shows that most young people think it is "very uncool" to smoke, and they would not want to date a smoker. They also indicated that smoking is gross and the smell is awful. While all this is encouraging, and may legitimately give parents some relief about this issue, more headway needs to be made to keep this positive trend going in the right direction. For instance, many young people consider smoking in the context of drinking (i.e., social smoking) to be relatively acceptable. The reason for connecting smoking and drinking is the general idea that smoking a cigarette "enhances" the effects of the drinking, providing an extra "buzz."

Thus, it seems that a main area for anti-smoking efforts needs to focus on decreasing social smoking, and specifically on breaking the association between drinking and smoking. Both alcohol and cigarettes are harmful substances with significant addictive potential, as well as considerable detrimental physical effects. Targeted education to counter their use and abuse in a social setting needs to be done both at home and in schools. Young people need to be given consistent messages that there is no benefit from smoking cigarettes, and even on an occasional basis, it is toxic to one's body.

So yes, we've come a long way, but we've not yet arrived. Let's keep the ball rolling!

The surprising truth about what motivates us

Hey everybody! Today's post is going to be less formal. While I was searching the web I stumbled upon this great video from the YouTube channel of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts) which explains very well the truth about motivation. I hope you will all enjoy this video, I know I did, and be sure to leave me a comment below giving me your impressions on this video. Bye!

-Roger

        

Should you go to college?

So College is what every parent wants for their child, but what matters the most is, is college what the child wants or needs? In the past I remember my parents telling me "You'd better go to college or you'll be digging ditches" and now those ditch diggers are laughing at us because they are making sixtyfive dollars an hour on average. In the past it used to be that when you got a four to six year college degree you were set for life, but we all know that is not true anymore. I remember reading in a article some time ago a quote from Karl Christopher, a placement councelor at the Columbia Area Career Center vocational program, where he was saying "A four-year degree in business? What does that get you? A shift supervisor at a store in the mall!". The reality is nobody is college bound, so I think it's not fair for High Schools to push everybody into these college for everyone ideal. What if you are a technical or a creative person, will going to college for computers for 4 years make sense? Sixty percent of what you learn in college is going to be forgotten by the time you graduate besides the fact that their curriculum is not current enough to match the changes in technology. A technical trade school would do that and they are only one to three years. Let me ask you this question, how many people do you know in college who go and have no idea what they wanna do? You know why they keep going to college? Because they have been going to school their whole life, that's what they know and that's what their parents expect of them. Now these people are just wasting time and money, rememeber the average student loan is about $23.000 by the time you graduate. Now that is a lot of money! Why wouldn't parents who may have saved a college fund for their kids take that money, give that money to a kid who is entrepreneurial and let him start their own business or use part of that money to pay a technical school meawhile throwing the bases of their own business? See, we are in this mindset that college means success and with today's economy it is just not the case anymore. Personally I would much rather have money now and find my way to invest them rather than spend those money in hopes to make more money later in the future, a college degree doesn't guaratee you anything! Now, I'm not saying they are not useful, if you wanna be a doctor, a lawyer or a teacher than you absolutely need to get a degree as you may very well be aware of. The vast majority of jobs out there do not require a degree and if you are going to college just so you can say that I graduated from this college of that college than you are really making yourself an injustice. I'm not against intellectualism and I'm not here to say that colleges are just a waist of money, I'm just saying that the whole notion of a four-year college degree is just not practical for anyone. Remember that Mark Zuckerberg never graduated college, and Sean Parker never even went to college proving that succes and education are not necessarily linked.

Lack of Interest

Procrastination and a lack of interest are not the same. Suppose you're not interested in painting flowers on your picket fence or in welding metal plates for a living.  By avoiding these activities, you lose nothing of value to you. On the other hand, put off priority responsibilities because of a lack of interest in the process, and this can have a boomerang effect. Beating procrastination on the small stuffYou tell yourself, "I'm not interested."  Okay, tell that to a hearing officer if you decide you are not interested in paying the fine for  a speeding ticket. You have a low interest in filling out tax forms.  College applications may be a pain to do and this type of discomfort  holds no interest for you. However, by giving the admissions people what they want, you can get what you want, which is your letter of acceptance.  Your roof leaks. A storm is heading your way. You have little interest in going through the paces of repairing the roof. You have less interest in incurring the greater expense of paying for extensive water damage. You do what you have little interest in doing to support a higher order enlightened interest. Some activities have a lack of interest written all over them. Changing your baby's diaper is an example. However, you may have a greater interest, which is to keep your baby healthy. Throughout your life, you'll do many uninteresting things. Learning to read may be frustrating and uninteresting. Yet, reading will later prove useful, interesting, and entertaining. Motivation for doing something uninteresting doesn't have to be a precondition for action.  Your enlightened interest may be to achieve a desired outcome or to avoid a negative one. Remember you don't need to be interested in a priority to do it.

-Roger

YOU CAN make it through this moment.

This is not a real post I just wanted to share this video with all the readers. Enjoy!

                       

The Importance of Setting Goals

"Not all who wander are lost," they say, but for the great majority of us, having a road map for the future is a key element to well-being and success, however we choose to define it. This means setting goals for ourselves, and finding ways to achieve them. If you're a wanderer, it might be time to realize the boundless utility of setting goals.While it's not a good idea to try to change everything at once, you can set goals in virtually any domain of your life, from your wardrobe to your church to your workplace.

Of course, a thousand mile journey starts with the first small step. And whether we're embarking on the long trek of a mid-life career switch or the walk to the bedroom to finally organize that closet, it can be hard to gather up the motivation to make that initial step. While setting goals is in itself motivating, sometimes it's just not enough. Here are some tried-and-true ways you can begin to move toward achieving your goals, and maintain resolve when the going gets rough.

1. Put your goals in writing.
The act of writing down what you are going to do is a strong motivator. Writing down goals prevents you from leaving your goals vague. Be specific. Use action verbs. Let your goals have measurable outcomes. Specify completion dates. Also record what your reward will be for achieving the goal. Make a contract with yourself, then read it each morning and night. This will help you to be more committed your goal as each day passes. And while you've got the pen in your hand...

2. Make a list of obstacles.
Think of everything that might stand in your way. Then decide what you can do about each obstacle. Design a plan to reduce the influence of each obstacle and increase the chances that you will be successful in reaching your goal.

3. List the benefits of achieving your goal.
Knowing exactly what you will gain from reaching your goal is a strong motivator. Keeping my checkbook balanced will give me more spending money on the weekends. Walking a mile every morning will help me stay focused at work.

4. Identify subgoals.
Break down complicated plans into manageable chunks. Be specific about what has to be accomplished. Decide what you are going to do, and when. Make sure each step is challenging but achievable, and that you have a complete plan of action. Then write it on your calendar and review it regularly.

5. Learn what you need to learn.
If information or skill is keeping you from achieving your goals, determine ways to fill in the gaps, and build this into your action plan. Be willing to study and work hard to reach your goals. Think about how much time and effort will be required, and ask yourself whether you are really willing and able to do what is necessary. It is better to adjust your goals or your timetable than to proceed with a plan that is unrealistic.

6. Enlist the help of others.
Find someone, a coworker or friend, with whom you share a common goal. Get someone to go to the gym with you, or to quit smoking with you, or to share healthy meals with you. A partner can help you stay committed and motivated. Look for role models, people who have already achieved the goals you seek to reach. Ask them for advice and suggestions. Find how they got where they are, and incorporate what you learn into your plan.

7. Visualize yourself having achieved each of your goals.
The more real you can make your visualization, the better. Find a quiet place, visualize, write down your experiences afterward. Go through magazines and cut out pictures that represent your goal, then put them around the house. Provide constant reminders to yourself about what you're working towards. Describe your ideal life in the future. Write a few paragraphs describing what you have accomplished, and how your life is better as a result. Use the present tense as if it is happening right here, right now. This is another way of making your vision real.

8. Get organized.
When you are prepared and organized, you will feel better about your ability to reach your goals. Having information scattered in too many places makes you feel out of control and undermines motivation. Set up a filing system, set aside your workout clothes.

9. Reward yourself each step of the way.
Let yourself feel good about progress you've made. Treat yourself to rewards that will give you a lift as you accomplish each subgoal on your road to success.

It's simply a fact: when people have goals to guide them, they are happier and achieve more than they would without having them. It's a brain thing. Achieving a goal you've set produces dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of pleasure. Reciprocally, dopamine activates neural circuitry that makes you eager to pursue new challenges.Goals provide focus. With no guiding vision or plan, people tend to drift. Goals provide a measuring stick for progress. Goals enhance productivity. They bolster self-esteem. And most of all, goals increase commitment, so you're more likely to achieve whatever you set out to conquer.

-Roger