Here is the link to
"The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Fiction" by Annie Murphy Paul.
What did you find most interesting in this article? Did you learn
anything new? Is there anything in this article that might change the
way you think about fiction?
What is a book you have read that either introduced you to, or helped you understand a particular aspect or quirk of society or interpersonal relationships?
ReplyDeleteSalome T.
I have read the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel and it talks about his experience during WWII in Auschwitz. He gives several details about what he was thinking and what he felt when he was beaten by Nazi guards, and his desire to not become separated from his father. While reading, I could feel a sense of compassion for him and those around him. It also made me wonder how some people can get so cruel and hate so much that it drives them to exercise dominion upon others.
DeleteJoseph S.
Do you think that because children are reading less and watching more T.V that their social skills will suffer and they will have a harder time empathizing with other people?
ReplyDeleteOlivia S.
I truly believe the next generation will have a harder time with their people skills and expressing themselves. As a society in whole we watch too much T.V, sometimes we forget about our own lives. Now not every parent or child is like this, but have you noticed that children don't use coloring books anymore? Now I know coloring books aren't reading, however the iPad has become a coloring tool. No more actual crayons and paper. Technology has taken over the tools we once cherished. I've seen a lot of parents who don't even carry any children books for their children. I see iPads and apps that have taken over their reading skills, because it can be read to them. If the next generation doesn't learn to read how will they ever learn. When I was young, reading was something as a child I loved to do. I cherished reading, because I got to learn something new and find much enjoyment in it. It's sad how our society is going technical. Now technical is not horrible, but what happened to good ole fashioned/old school. I'd much rather have a solid book!
DeletePaige J.
I agree with the idea of the question that the next generations to come will be more involved with technology and stray away from the fiction books and show struggles with empathizing and communication with others. I have seen it happen already as is. Most conversations, albeit that they are online as well, these days have nothing to do with books anymore. They are centered around blogs or social media.
DeleteScott N.
I would have to agree that with the technology in this generation it will stray our kids away from reading. But, you can provoke that from happening and have your children watch less television, or less i-pad time in the day unless it is reading or educational. That is what I do for my girls and they are very empathetic.
DeleteCassidey Balser
I agree to a certain extent. There are different ways to read like ereaders and audio books. I know that my little cousins read on tables and they love it more than actual books. Technology has its ups and downs but I think that's more of a parenting thing. I know when I was younger my parents told me I had to read for 15 minutes a day before I could go out and play. I know that may not be a lot but at least I read. There are factors to technology but there is more than that to blame.
Delete^^^^ Kasandra Hernandez
DeleteI love the diary of Anne Frank. It is about her experience during the time of the Holocaust. I have had the opportunity to visit the hiding place in Amsterdam, Netherlands above her father's shop. After visiting there, it made me think a lot about the details she described. In particular, I remember her talking about a narrow staircase, behind the hidden door, and I can testify that staircase is very narrow. Standing in her previous hiding place made me get a better sense of how she was feeling. The cruelty of the Nazi, and the betrayal, and the love her family even though she felt no connection to her mother. I very much admire the relationship between her and her father. I can not begin to comprehend the events she had to deal with, especially at the age she was. Being in hiding for I believe it was about four month or so would kill me. When she eventually got moved to a concentration camp I remember her recording about her mother a lot. Even though their relationship was rocky, towards the end Anne got a true sense of who her mother was, and her mother's love for her. I cannot imagine the cruelty that happened in the camps, and how her father just watched his family die. The hardest thing for me is that she died two weeks before liberation. That is tough. I cannot understand how society could be so barbaric back then. Makes me thankful for the society we live in now.
ReplyDeletePaige J.
Does anyone prefer to read nonfiction books? If so, have you found yourself having a difficult time empathizing with others?
ReplyDeleteJustin H.
Although I have always loved to read fiction, I have noticed as I have grown older that I tend to focus more on non-fiction. This is probably due in part to the fact that much of my reading time is taken up with books related to school and my chosen career path. I do not believe this has effected my ability to empathize (something which is very essential to my idea of myself), but this may be because as a child my parents made sure my brother and I read a variety of non-fiction and fiction. I do believe that when I read descriptive, imaginative stories they increase my ability to be artistic and creative.
DeleteSalome T.
After reading this article, I may consider reading a book here and there instead of putting it off. I used to enjoy reading books all the time, and even read the book over again because of the imagination that can take place and how different you can imagine things, even though you already know what has happened.
ReplyDeleteScott N.
I also used to read more when I was younger. I plan on making my new years resolution about reading. Hopefully, that will encourage me to read more. After reading this article I wanted to read more. I have been watching too much TV.
DeleteMarissa Winter
Did anyone find it interesting that the brain can't distinguish between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life?
ReplyDelete-Kasandra Hernandez
I wonder how that's possible, because in the real world you have other senses to help you experience something.
DeleteWhen you read about something you aren't actually there, you can't smell, see, hear, or feel what is going on.
How does the brain fill in all of those gaps?
Alex Rasmussen
I agree with Alex, it's really hard to imagine our brains filling in all of the sensory gaps that are left when you are reading and not experiencing it. I do think that our brain is able to remember past experiences that relate to reading, like listening to waves and smelling the ocean. I think that our brains use our memories to try and fill in gaps when reading.
DeleteAllyson Brough
This is so interesting to me! I agree with Allyson, I think our brains fill in the gaps by pulling from our memory. For instance when I was reading your comment about the waves and smelling the ocean, I was immediately taken to Huntington Beach in California and I could almost feel and smell the ocean, it was so weird! I think our brains use past experiences to make reading things seem real.
Delete-Natasha Pruhs
I think that if kids are not reading anymore than they will struggle with communication skills. Kids are so used to watching tv, being on the computer, and always on their phones. So when they are in person they are not going to know how to communicate with people and see others point of view. This article says that if you read fiction books than you are more likely to be empathetic and understanding. Also reading will stimulate certain areas in your brain. So why not read when it will be beneficial!
ReplyDeleteAlexis Smith
If a blind person was reading, would the same cortices of the brain light up?
ReplyDeleteMarissa Winter
I would also love to know the answer to this question. My guess is that some different areas would light up, but that there would also be similarities.
DeleteSalome T.
I prefer TV shows over books, but when I really enjoy it when I get my hands on a good book. When I read a story that I really enjoy, my eyes can't go fast enough. It feels like I'm really there in the story. I think it's interesting how descriptive words become so real to the brain as if you're actually experiencing them. It makes sense that reading fiction helps develop socially because each story gives us a different social situation. We can see how the interactions of the characters play out, giving us perspective on those types of situations.
ReplyDeleteLevi Skinner