This morning, a wise older friend sent me an article he thought I might like: Mental health issues a huge challenge for NCAA in regard to student-athletes. I had to stop reading about two paragraphs in because I stepped in some bullshit. According to the American Psychiatric Association, women are "nearly twice as likely" as men to develop depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Add in the stress of sports commitments and you have a dangerous combination. This is just stupid, bad science. It's the reason certain physicists or chemists have a hard time taking psychology seriously.
Because, sure, it is possible that women actually have more depression or anxiety than men. But the fact remains that woman are disproportionately DIAGNOSED (there's a difference between being diagnosed with something and actually having something) with mental illness relative to men. Why? Five reasons. 1. People attribute men’s negative emotions to EXTERNAL and UNSTABLE causes. "He is mad because he lost his job." "He is sad because his wife died." Or even just, "His team lost." However, people attribute women’s negative emotions to INTERNAL and STABLE factors. "She's a bitch." "She's having her period." "She always overreacts to things." "She's depressed." You wouldn't recommend counseling to someone who is temporarily sad or mad. You would recommend it to someone who was depressed or hormonally imbalanced. 2. Men are less likely than women to visit a doctor, period. This could be because it is seen as un-masculine to go to a doctor in our society. It could be because men are less afraid of health conditions than women -- when it comes to women's health, our culture encourages fear and paranoia . (I hate how we treat womanhood like a disease - every time I visit a doctor, whether for a large, gaping wound or a dislocated shoulder, they ask me when my last period was. Which is why, as far as I'm concerned, the only answer to that question is, "That's completely irrelevant - can you please just reduce my dislocation/stitch up my wound/etc.?"). Whatever the reason, fewer doctor visits inevitably results in fewer diagnoses. 3. Men are taught to suppress emotions. Yup. "Taught." Let me tell you a little secret that apparently masters of psychology know:
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My, how the world has changed!
We've all heard about how difficult it is to get children into "the best" preschools these days -- how you basically have to get your kid on "the list" when you're still pregnant. And, of course, we've all heard parents brag about how many numbers, letters, and words their impossibly-young-year-old knows. In fact, a lot of kindergartens now recommend that kids know letters, numbers, and even basic addition and subtraction before the start of the school year (meaning kids show up having learned fractions). Which, in this psychologist's opinion, is counterproductive. The best way to give your child a creative, entrepreneurial mind has nothing to do with flashcards. But we'll discuss this more later. That's not how it used to be! Here's a checklist to see whether your child is ready for first grade, taken from Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant, by Louise Bates Ames, Ph.D., in 1979:
Do kids in your neighborhood play outside every day? Or do they, like the average American child, spend up to eight hours per day in front of a screen? (In other words... they sleep, eat, go to school, and not much else.) Using some technology is great -- it can be fun, relaxing and even educational. But, when used excessively, it kills creativity and curiosity. It prevents kids from developing crucial social and emotional intelligence. It makes them bored... and it makes them boring.
Moreover, unsupervised outdoor play is one of the most important ways in which kids develop social and emotional skills, like resilience (something most kids with helicopter don't learn these days, which is one of the reasons that something like 15% of kids are being medicated for depression, and some 33% have reported feeling "too depressed to function"), self-regulation (a skill that is highly correlated with good grades, higher test scores, higher lifetime earning potential, lower incarceration rates, etc. etc. etc.), emotional intelligence, charisma, negotiation and leadership skills, autonomy and independence, and more. When the Goblet of Fire spat out Harry Potter's name, the Boy Who Lived knew he was in trouble. He was competing against people who were bigger, stronger and more experienced at magic than he was -- in situations that were literally life-or-death. On the eve of the first challenge -- the dragons -- Professor Moody gave Harry the best advice anyone's ever given anyone:
My heart broke today when I learned about yet another teen suicide in Palo Alto. Looking through the comments on the article, as well as notes from recent community forums, it's clear that many parents and students in the PAUSD want to cap the number of APs a student can take -- or even eliminate APs altogether.
I haven't decided if that's a good idea or not. But, through my experience working and studying with admissions officers at Stanford, as well as working as a college admissions counselor, I have decided one thing: It's International Women's Day -- a day to fight injustices and celebrate the wonderful women in our lives. In honor of this special occasion, I wanted to share __ of my favorite posts about women -- in case you missed them. Learn, and enjoy! *** 1. Advantages of Traveling While Female.
A while back, Salon published an article called Dangers of traveling while female. While it sucks that women are sometimes harassed or threatened, I thought the article was complete bullshit. Because: 1) If you get raped, there's something like an 80% chance it's by a friend, boyfriend or acquaintance. 2) Traveling alone isn't scary. It's empowering. 3) Overall, people are awesome. They love meeting new people -- especially women, who are less threatening than men -- and exchanging cultures and stories. (Pro tip: bring along some pictures of your home and family. People ALWAYS ask to see them.) 4) You ever slept in the back of one of these:
A while back, I wrote Travel Hack: Do What You Do At Home While You Travel. And now, I offer another wonderful piece of advice:
Do what you do when you travel while you're at home. See, most people think that the voyage of discovery consists of finding new landscapes. When they travel, they open their eyes. When they're someplace familiar, they shut them, and the adventure stops. But here's the truth, in the words of someone much wiser than I am: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
Translation: Life is only an adventure if you make it one.
I've always been a playful person (it's true what they say: all of psychology research is really psychology me-search), so it's hard for me to understand why so many people will go abroad to have a wonderful adventure. They will put effort into seeing everything and meeting everyone. They'll spend time researching opportunities, sights and activities near them. They'll be spontaneous, excitable and down for anything... And then come home, fall into a routine and tune out. Maybe it's the movies. They set a bad example. In movies, characters, in the course of their normal life, get swept up in a crazy experience that forever changes them. But in real life, having an adventure is a decision that only you can make. This means a lot of things. It means that you should literally keep your eyes peeled -- you could have an unforgettable experience on your way home from your parents' house
Kim Kardashian did not break the internet -- though #TheDress came pretty close. What really broke the internet recently... was Cuddle Clones.
What is Cuddle Clones? So glad you asked!
Cuddle Clones are stuffed animal versions of your real life pet. You send in a few photos, and they send you back the unmistakable simulacrum of your beloved.
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About the Author
Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power. Read more >
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