Recent international reports on bullying show that we are facing a problem throughout the world, with negative effects on the school performance and health of minors. In Spain, one of the latest studies published reveals that these types of situations have been reduced, although it is a survey of opinions among students, so we do not have data on […] … learn more→
Monthly Archives: June 2024
Brave against bullies: how to foster an environment of respect and solidarity in schools and institutes
How to help a perfectionist child
From a very young age, some children may show signs of perfectionism. When they are very young, they can tear up their drawing if they don’t think it’s completely correct. Later, they may avoid doing their homework, or refuse to do it altogether, for fear of making a mistake. Perfectionism can lead them to feel […] … learn more→
The science of beauty: how aesthetics can boost your mood and cognition
Your spacecraft is spiralling out of control, and you will hit planet Arakis unless you fire up the thermal after-boosters. Which of the two buttons below would help you fire up the boosters on time? Would you be more likely to survive if the cockpit designer had installed the button on the left or the […] … learn more→
Why we are so bad at detecting lies
You don’t need to be in the middle of an election campaign to worry about your ability to spot a lie. Psychology research suggests that people lie at least once a day. A 2006 study of 206 documents found that we are just a little better than chance at guessing whether we are dealing with a lie or not, […] … learn more→
Surgeon general’s call for warning labels on social media underscores concerns for teen mental health
Amid growing concerns over the effects of social media on teen mental health, on June 17, 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, similar to surgeon general warnings on cigarettes and alcohol. Murphy’s warning cited research showing that teens who use more than three hours of social media a […] … learn more→
What do you do for your reader?
I often say, following John Wagner, that a paper, chapter or book ought to reduce a reader’s ignorance. In other words, when they’ve finished reading what you’ve written, a reader ought to feel that they know more about the topic than when they started. I like the modesty of reducing ignorance. It has none of the hubris […] … learn more→
The effects of alcohol on Mental Health
There is a growing emphasis on caring for individuals’ mental health, and many companies, educational institutions, and other industries are working towards improving it. That being said, many people turn to alcohol to find the peace of mind they so desperately try to attain. In pursuit of this attainment, many turn toward alcohol consumption. Consuming […] … learn more→
Will artificial intelligence end language teaching and learning?
In 2024, the artificial intelligence company Open AI presented GPT4-o, a new large language model ( Large Language Model in English) capable of “reasoning” and interacting with text, image and audio. In one of the videos distributed after the launch, two people use a mobile phone to ask GPT4-o to listen to them and translate from English to Spanish and from […] … learn more→
Is social media fuelling political polarisation?
Once upon a time, newly minted graduates dreamt of creating online social media that would bring people closer together. That dream is now all but a distant memory. In 2024, there aren’t many ills social networks don’t stand accused of: the platforms are singled out for spreading “fake news”, for serving as Russian and Chinese vehicles […] … learn more→
Social media warning labels and school cell phone bans: Do they unlock better youth mental health?
This week, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for health warnings on social media for younger users. This recent call follows an earlier Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, also published by the Surgeon General. Health warnings on social media would be analogous to the ones seen on cigarette packages, serving as reminders to […] … learn more→