# Report: Understanding 21st Century Luddites in the Workplace

## Introduction

As a modern intern navigating workplace dynamics, understanding resistance to technological change is crucial for building effective working relationships.

The term "Luddite," historically referring to English workers who destroyed machinery they believed threatened their jobs, has evolved to describe contemporary individuals resistant to new technology and ways of working.

## Characteristics of Modern Luddites

### Generational Perspectives
Modern workplace resistance often stems from generational divides.

Senior and established employees tend to adapt differently to technological changes compared to younger workers.

While Generation Z has grown up with rapid technological advancement and constant connectivity, valuing flexibility and autonomy, older employees may find these changes more challenging to navigate.

### Cultural and Organizational Lag
Organizational culture frequently lags behind technological adoption.

Many employees, particularly those in management positions, struggle with the shift to hybrid work models and digital tools.

This resistance often manifests as:
- Distrust in remote work arrangements
-

# Report: Understanding 21st Century Luddites in the Workplace

## Introduction

As a modern intern navigating workplace dynamics, understanding resistance to technological change is crucial for building effective working relationships.

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Content: Home / Opinion / Columns /  How should humans respond to advancing artificial intelligence?
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How should humans respond to advancing artificial intelligence?

AI's economic impact is a major concern, but its potential to replace critical thinking and creativity is also worrying. While AI can generate content, create sub-tasks, and make decisions, it lacks discernment and intuition. As AI becomes more advanced, it may distance humans from ethical decision-making, leading to potentially harmful outcomes. It is important to recognize that AI is human-ordained and must be used responsibly by those with a conscience.

Man is a survivor. Surviving wars, diseases, communism, imperialism, machines and automation, humankind will probably endure the economic onslaught of Artificial Intelligence (AI), even against doomsday scenarios predicted by the likes of Elon Musk (bit.ly/3AGJg8N). But is that where concerns around AI end?

Ever since it sprung from tech-intelligent fora to our mobile phones in the form of ChatGPT, AI is suddenly as ‘real’ as it can get. Within months of its launch, besides its mass adoption, reams of digital paper have also been spent documenting its superhuman uses, promoting it as a quick-fix panacea to all problems involving a faculty that computers had not breached till just now—Critical Thinking. Technology, to date, could digitize and reproduce innumerable books. Still, the ability to skim through thousands of written words to produce an original formulation, until recently, was under the sole purview of humans. That barrier has been breached. Now there are enough screenshots and videos to show the magical tricks it can pull out of a hat, from market analysis, decryption of ‘Fedspeak’ (on.ft.com/3Hryx60) and sentiment analysis to book summaries, financial planning, website building, economics research, etc. It thinks, plans, decides outcomes, creates sub-tasks and auto-downloads resources to fulfil them.

Amidst this flurry, let us not forget that AI is human-ordained. Creativity, in its truest essence, was divinely bestowed on us. What AI today does, at best, it does by leveraging the output of human creativity over thousands of years. Words, music and art are all made by humans and learnt by AI. Now, as we stand at a juncture where the winning entry in the Sony world photography contest (bit.ly/3VzCk7f), unknown to its judges, was AI-generated, we are looking at a different creative future—one that’s hard to predict.

Man is surely a survivor. AI is surely a gargantuan computing force. Neither is an immaculate predictor of the future. More so when, time and again, an emphasis on economic consequences precludes a discussion around social ones. The economic fears about job losses are not misplaced. As someone recently told us, “ChatGPT is like a smart intern." Basic copy editing, content creation, websites and research tasks can be outsourced to AI even today, let alone after humanity has put its heads together to make it reach the stars. Musk already says that a ‘universal basic income’ (bit.ly/3LHnS9B) will have to become a reality as some jobs turn obsolete. In a consumerist pro-profit market, with requirements of short timelines and a large quantity of work, AI is like manna for its users. This parallels the human story, as machines first replaced manual work—ending many jobs, but creating many more.

But, this time, the survival instinct of man will be tested against the self-spawning and ‘thinking’ power of machines. Earlier, technology did our bidding. This time, we are not sure.

The use of machines freed humans to pursue more ‘thoughtful’ ideas. It seemed sweet, but look at us today. We generate more stuff than we can consume—mountains of content, for example, of poor quality. Already, the attention span of a young adult is a fleeting moment. We struggle to find that one rare virtue that will soon be in demand once our AI lords start producing drivel—discernment.

Unlike the tech of yesteryears, AI has a quality similar to bio-particles, a la the covid virus. It can decide for itself and self-propagate, which can lead to catastrophic consequences in the absence of discernment. Meanwhile, free from the necessity to think even basic things through, humans will have a lot of time. But is that good for humanity? Most kids today find it difficult to produce a beautifully written or thoughtfully analysed work, let alone written by hand. With AI at their disposal, mandated by the labour productivity generation required by corporates, their learning curves can be packed in suitcases and put away.

All good things take patience and focus, like the works of Tolstoy, Valmiki, Shakespeare. Or paintings by Rembrandt and calculus by Newton. It is this base that AI is learning from today, but 50 years down the line, in the absence of a human creativity-facilitative ecosystem, will AI learning from AI be good for us?

Humans and accountability have had an interesting relationship. If ‘distance from direct action’ is mapped on the X-axis of a graph and ‘accountability’ on Y, the farther humans are on the X count, the less they feel directly accountable. This is seen in the Nuremberg trials for war crimes, or the Trolley problem (bit.ly/40R0ECq). We already know this through our everyday experience: think of a signature in ink versus a digi-sign versus checking an ‘I agree’ box. With further action-distancing as AI takes decisions, we remove ourselves from the ethical compunctions we would have if we were the deciders. Say, for an “improve firm profitability" instruction, AI sub-tasks the termination of 50 employees. Advanced intelligence without discernment is a potentially lethal weapon, even in the human case, let alone if the AI is opaque (on.ft.com/3AEadKm) and data-corruptible.

We asked ChatGPT what it thinks about the disadvantages of AI. The top answer was “lack of creativity and intuition", followed by “ethical concerns". That should be a signal. AI is a great tool so long as humans with a conscience are its master.

V. Anantha Nageswaran & Aparajita Tripathi are, respectively, chief economic adviser to the Government of India and director with KPMG.These are the authors’ personal views.

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
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Content: Summary:
As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, the future of work is poised to undergo major transformations.
In the next 50 years, we can expect to see a myriad of changes in the workplace, from automation and artificial intelligence to telecommuting and the temporary business economy.
This article delves into the possible scenarios that may shape the business landscape half a century from now, exploring the impact of emerging technologies, evolving business structures, and the changing nature of jobs.
By analyzing current trends and extrapolating them into the future, we can get an insight into what business might look like in 50.
What will work look like in 50 years?
The world of work is in a state of constant change, adapting to technological progress, economic shifts and societal changes.
As we look to the future, it becomes increasingly clear that the business landscape will undergo significant transformations over the next five decades.
Here are some key aspects that may shape the future of work:
1.
Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI): With rapid advances in automation and artificial intelligence technologies, machines are likely to take on many routine and repetitive tasks.
This may increase efficiency and productivity, but it also raises concerns about job displacement.
However, it is important to note that, historically, technological advances have also created new jobs.
In the future, humans may collaborate with intelligent machines, focusing on tasks that require creativity, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking.
2.
Telework and virtual collaboration: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telework, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming decades.
Advances in communications, virtual reality and augmented reality could enable seamless collaboration between geographically dispersed teams.
Physical office space may become less prominent as organizations adopt flexible working arrangements, resulting in a more distributed workforce.
3.
The gig and freelance economy: The temporary business economy, characterized by short-term contracts and independent work, is likely to expand further.
As individuals seek greater flexibility and independence in their careers, traditional employment models may give way to project-based work.
Platforms that connect freelancers to customers are expected to evolve, providing more opportunities for freelancers.
However, this shift may also require the development of social safety nets and new systems to protect workers ’ rights.
4.
Skills and Lifelong Learning: As technology evolves, the demand for certain skills will change.
Continuous learning and skills improvement will become essential to remain employable.
Lifelong learning platforms and personal training programs may become the norm, allowing individuals to adapt to evolving job requirements.
Governments, educational institutions and businesses will need to collaborate to ensure that workers have access to the resources needed to re-acquire skills and improve skills.
5.
Environmental sustainability: As concerns about climate change grow, the future of work is likely to be intertwined with sustainability.
Companies will need to prioritize environmentally friendly practices, leading to the emergence of new job roles focused on sustainability and green technologies.
A shift to a greener economy could also create jobs in renewable energy, the circular economy and green industries.
While these projections provide insight into the potential future of the business, it is important to recognize that the future is uncertain and subject to various factors.
The pace of technological progress, economic conditions, and societal choices will ultimately shape the business landscape within 50 years.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Will robots completely replace human workers in the future?
A: While automation and artificial intelligence may replace certain tasks, robots are unlikely to completely replace human workers.
Instead, the future is likely to involve humans collaborating with intelligent machines, focusing on tasks that require human skills such as creativity, empathy, and problem-solving.
Q: Will remote work become the norm in the future?
A: Remote work is expected to become more widespread in the future, driven by advances in communication technologies and changing work preferences.
However, it is unlikely to completely replace actual office space, as some industries and functional roles may still require personal collaboration.
Q: How can individuals prepare for the future of work?
A: To prepare for the future of work, individuals should focus on developing adaptable skills, embracing lifelong learning, and keeping abreast of technological developments.
Being open to change, developing creativity, and building a strong professional network can also lead to enhanced employability in the evolving work landscape.
Q: What role will governments play in shaping the future of work?
A: Governments will play a crucial role in shaping the future of work by implementing policies that support workers ’ rights, promote lifelong learning initiatives, and encourage innovation.
They will have to collaborate with businesses, educational institutions and other stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition and address potential challenges arising from technological disruptions.
Sources:
– World Economic Forum: https: / / www.weforum.org /
– McKinsey Global Institute: https: / / www.mckinsey.com / mgi
– Pew Research Center: https: / / www.pewresearch.org /

The term "Luddite," historically referring to English workers who destroyed machinery they believed threatened their jobs, has evolved to describe contemporary individuals resistant to new technology and ways of working.

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Content: The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Boston chapter.

Generation Z, often characterized as lazy and unmotivated, has been unfairly labeled as a group of people who hates to work. However, the reality is far more complex than this oversimplified stereotype. As a college-aged student myself, I can attest that there is more to our attitudes towards work than meets the eye.

First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge that Generation Z has grown up in a world that is vastly different from that of previous generations. We have been raised in a time of rapid technological advancements and constant connectivity. As a result, our expectations and priorities when it comes to work are unique. We value flexibility, autonomy, and a sense of purpose in our careers. We are not content with simply punching a clock and collecting a paycheck; we crave fulfillment and meaning in our professional lives.

Furthermore, the gig economy has played a significant role in shaping the way we view work. Many of us have witnessed our parents or older siblings struggle with job instability and financial uncertainty. As a result, we have become more entrepreneurial and independent in our approach to work. We are not afraid to pursue freelance opportunities or side hustles in addition to traditional employment. This willingness to think outside the box and take risks sets us apart from previous generations.

Another one of the key factors influencing Generation Z’s attitudes towards work is the issue of unlivable wages. With the rising cost of living and stagnant wages, many young people are finding it difficult to make ends meet, let alone save for the future. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness and disillusionment with the idea of working for a living, especially when the financial rewards are not commensurate with the effort put in.

The development of technology is another crucial aspect to take into account. Generation Z is accustomed to technology and appreciates ease and efficiency. This is only a desire to work smarter, not harder. Occasionally, it is misinterpreted as a lack of work ethic. Older generations may misunderstand that being able to work remotely or utilize technology to expedite activities is an advantage rather than a problem.

Additionally, Generation Z values the balance of work and a social life. They prioritize mental health, self-care, and personal fulfillment, and are less willing to sacrifice their well-being for the sake of a paycheck. This can sometimes be misconstrued as laziness or entitlement, when in fact, it reflects a shift in priorities towards holistic well-being rather than just material success.

Lastly, the job market is more competitive than ever before. With globalization and automation changing the landscape of work, young people are faced with a daunting array of choices and challenges. This can sometimes lead to a sense of overwhelm and uncertainty, which can be misinterpreted as apathy or disinterest in working.

In conclusion, the idea that Generation Z hates working is a simplistic and misleading stereotype. This generation faces unique challenges and pressures that shape their attitudes towards work, and it is important to consider these factors when discussing their work ethic. By understanding the complexities and nuances of Generation Z’s relationship to work, we can foster a more constructive and empathetic dialogue about the future of work in the 21st century.

Hailey is a second-year student at UMass Boston currently studying English. She is a new editor of Her Campus, eager to apply her skills and expand her writing techniques. Outside of the classroom, Hailey is an avid reader and an aspiring writer. She also loves to go to the gym, listen to music and podcasts, and spending time with her family. She just recently moved to the Boston area and is excited for the many opportunities that the city has to offer!

## Characteristics of Modern Luddites

### Generational Perspectives
Modern workplace resistance often stems from generational divides.

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Can Remote Work Be Sustained? Minding The Gaps In Hybrid Workplaces

I'm seeing cases of corporate cultures just drying up and blowing away after months and months of full-time remote work. Many managers or leaders seem incapable of keeping connected and engaged with their people virtually — their attempts at communication are stilted or non-existent, and they make no efforts to share developments across their companies. Worse yet, they inflict online monitoring tools on their remote workers, in misguided efforts to make sure they’re putting in their eight hours. What corporate cultures may have existed before have been reduced to disparate networks of disenchanted people in front of screens.

At the same time, other cultures are thriving on the flexibility and autonomy provided by remote work experiences, unbound from office cubicles, and growing as vibrant networks of employees and contractors from across the world.

It’s clear that organizations built on forward-looking corporate cultures are ready to sustain, on a permanent basis, hybrid workplaces that provide for both remote work as well as in-office experiences. The question is, are more rigid organizations ready for this kind of model? It seems many may be seeing the light, a recent Google Workspace survey of 1,244 managers and employees and associated research project, conducted with Economist Impact finds.

In the wake of the great office work dispersal, three in four executives and employees in the Google survey believe that hybrid and flexible work is here to stay. Tellingly, 70% say they never worked remotely before the pandemic. But there are also challenges to making a hybrid model work in the long run.

For starters, organizational culture seems to lag behind the hybrid movement, the survey’s authors find. The majority of respondents said that “a lack of face-to-face supervision creates a sense of distrust among managers and employees, and that they feel stressed by increased monitoring associated with flexible work.” In addition, more than 62% said that limited networking opportunities with senior employees and co-workers has a negative impact on career growth.

Along these lines, more than 70% indicated that the culture of trust between managers and employees needed improvement. “Training and management best practices — 60% of people want more of both — might help fill some of the gaps, but a manager can’t build trust with their hybrid teams by going through a training program,” states Prasad Setty, vice president of digital work at Google Workspace. “The role of manager must itself evolve to meet the demands of a hybrid model. How can we empower managers to be the bridge between the ‘office of one’ and the ‘office of many’?” Look away from monitoring, and assume a more activist role as a coach-and-connector, he urges.

The Google-Economist study unveiled the following challenges with the emerging hybrid work model:

  • Loss of human connection. “Many interactions are moving from the physical to the virtual realm. Fewer traditional office interactions—such as before and after meeting walks; coffee breaks; water cooler discussions; and in-person collaboration with managers and teams—can cause employees to feel socially and professionally isolated, as they perceive themselves as disconnected from colleagues and the company itself.”
  • Collaboration and coordination failure. “Widespread hybrid work will necessarily involve communication channels of varying quality and consistency. This raises some fundamental questions about how employees will work together. How, for instance, should employees in the office, who can share a meeting room, best interact as a group with their remote colleagues? Which employees need to be working at the same time, and for how long must they overlap? These and other questions will have to be suitably addressed by organizations before widespread hybrid work can be implemented successfully.”
  • Equity issues. “Consider that even the ability to work remotely is a privilege. Some tasks require physical presence. Remote work potential for certain jobs — such as caregiving, retail services and essential IT services requiring specialized fixed equipment — is non-existent. Unfortunately, a significant number of these jobs are filled by workers from socio-economically disadvantaged groups in relation to the overall workforce. Hybrid work has thus far benefited primarily workers in higher education and income brackets and this will likely continue.”
  • Technology and network access. “Modern technology offers unparalleled flexibility for workers, who have more options than ever when it comes to where and when they work. However, this could place those with limited ability to use or access appropriate technological tools at a disadvantage. Similarly, limited access to WFH spaces and poor internet connectivity in developing countries—as well as in some rural locations in developed countries—can severely impact performance and productivity of workers in those areas. Working from home is often challenging for many in Asia because of poor connectivity or confined, shared living spaces.”
  • Generational divides. “Senior and established employees are reportedly doing better compared with younger workers and new hires. Younger employees have reported feeling more stressed, less motivated, less productive and more isolated. They are seemingly more affected by the loss of informal knowledge sharing, networking opportunities and passive learning moments.”
  • Gender gaps. “In terms of gender equity, although multiple experts interviewed worried about the possibility of hybrid work exacerbating existing gender gaps, the impact of hybrid work on gender equity remains unclear. Thanks to gender norms and societal expectations, greater work flexibility for women has historically often translated into increased time spent on caregiving and household responsibilities, while increased flexibility for men has led to greater productivity and improved work-life balance.”
  • Career advancement. “Without appropriate safeguards, frequent in-person workers may gain advantages over others in terms of visibility and recognition, as well as access to information and resources. Hybrid models also threaten compensation fairness. Unfairness can result from the absence of support plans or additional compensation structures for workers who cannot be granted the same degree of flexibility as other colleagues.”

Hybrid work on a widescale basis is still an untested model, and these are some of the challenges that will arise as companies seek to develop a balance between in-office environments and work-from-anywhere arrangements. Corporate culture — once framed by the regular, in-person relationships and interactions in the course of the workday — will require new modes of rituals and reinforcement.

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Senior and established employees tend to adapt differently to technological changes compared to younger workers.

While Generation Z has grown up with rapid technological advancement and constant connectivity, valuing flexibility and autonomy, older employees may find these changes more challenging to navigate.

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Content: The rising value of flexibility in life, work and AI

Innovation calls upon us to challenge existing paradigms. Women in technology understand this all too well. Many of us have stepped into roles that were traditionally dominated by men. We’ve had to swim upstream to establish our bona fides.

Personally, I’m proud to have achieved a host of "firsts" in my career, and today I’m surrounded by creative thinkers who are applying new technology to approach old problems differently. In my world, challenging existing paradigms is par for the course.

So many of our paradigms are built around all-or-nothing propositions that simply don’t work well in the real world. Consider the old 9-to-5 work day, for example. That operating model was already in decline well before COVID-19 ever appeared on the scene, but the pandemic shifted that transition into high gear. It completely broke the existing way of thinking. Almost overnight, remote work became the norm.

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Along with that shift in location came a shift in timing. Today’s work day looks very different from the old 9-to-5 gig. Now it’s 8-to-2, pick up the kids, a few more hours between 4 and 6, then a late evening call with a customer in Australia, and a few emails before bedtime.

I call that "work-flex." In the old world, there was a kind of all-or-nothing approach to the business day. You were either in the office or you weren’t. Most organizations demanded a 9-to-5, Monday to Friday commitment. That made it a lot harder to respond to those inevitable little emergencies in life. But the world has changed, and technology has opened a lot of new doors. Mobile devices, remote connectivity, and collaboration tools have created a host of possibilities that never existed before. It’s up to creative thinkers to exploit these new tools in ways that can break apart existing paradigms and expand flexibility throughout our lives -- and in our business practices.

As a CEO who’s also a mom, work-flex is critical. My twin boys love to play sports, for example. Injuries happen sometimes. On several occasions, I’ve had the experience of sitting in an important sales meeting when that dreaded call comes in from the school. When those kinds of emergencies come up, my team is able to pick up the ball and run with it. We’ve prepared for that. In fact, our customers and prospects appreciate knowing that we’re resilient -- that we have a human side, and we have each other’s backs. On one occasion I even got a text from the prospect, checking to make sure my son was OK.

Work-flex manifests itself in work-life balance, in the roles we play in life, and in our approach to customers, employees and relationships. For me, that extends to my role as a mom and a CEO. I call that my "mom-CEO-flex." This is all driven by relationships and trust. It’s give and take; it’s about having compassion for each other as a team. We plan for agility.

In virtually any domain, an all-or-nothing thought process inevitably creates artificial constraints. The strict 9-to-5 paradigm shuts a lot of people out of the workforce. Flexibility offers a way out of that box. It opens the door to agility and resiliency. As a CEO, I see this trend expanding into so many different areas. When you build in the flex component, you can reap tremendous benefits from that.

This plays out in the context of business initiatives as well. At my company, CLARA Analytics, we encounter a lot of business leaders who start out believing that they need to choose between building their own AI system from scratch versus implementing a turnkey product that can’t be tailored to fit their needs. That’s a false dichotomy. The either/or, all-or-nothing approach simply doesn’t work well when it comes to AI.

In fact, businesses can have the best of both worlds. They can leverage algorithms and datasets from an external vendor but blend that with their own data and mold it to fit their unique strategies. That’s AI-flex. It opens up new possibilities by dispensing with the false dichotomy of the traditional build-versus-buy debate.

When we step outside the confines of either/or thinking and embrace a "both/and" mindset, we can achieve greater things. We can bring a human touch to the workplace. We can create value in ways that previously weren’t thought possible. Whether it’s work-flex, mom-CEO-flex or AI-flex, it all starts with a willingness to look beyond existing paradigms, dispense with the either/or mentality, and embrace an approach that looks toward solutions instead.

Flex-oriented thinking is fundamentally angled toward an abundance mindset. It opens the door to innovative win-win scenarios that add value and choice. In a world that increasingly demands agility and resiliency, flex-thinking is a strategic asset.

Image credit: SergeyNivens/depositphotos.com

As first published in Carrier Management.

Heather H. Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of CLARA Analytics, the leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the commercial insurance industry, has more than a decade of executive experience in data, analytics and artificial intelligence, including Global Head of Innovation and Advanced Technology at Kaiser Permanente and Chief Data Officer of AIG. She currently sits on Equifax’s board of directors. For more information on CLARA Analytics, follow CLARA analytics on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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### Cultural and Organizational Lag
Organizational culture frequently lags behind technological adoption.

Many employees, particularly those in management positions, struggle with the shift to hybrid work models and digital tools.

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Content: Skip to main content

Build a better team to enable a hybrid future of work

The acceleration of digital work has been transformational, but also disruptive. In the last year, the pandemic triggered the rapid adoption of digital tools across all organizations, upending their ways of working.

While most organizations identified digital workplace (DW) programs as a business priority, Gartner research showed that most employees felt that using information technologies for work took more effort than it should at least weekly.

About the author

Tori Paulman is is a Research Analyst in Gartner.

This disconnect revealed the key tenet for any successful DW program: business leaders who want to improve digital business outcomes and drive digital dexterity within their organizations must prioritize human experience, keeping it at the core of their program.

If companies are looking to enable a hybrid future of work, they will need to build a better DW team by identifying the DW leader spearheading the DW core team, understanding new ways of working from other departments, and spotting emerging trends.

The digital workplace core team: Identifying the DW leader

Establishing a core team is essential for any business practice. Whether it’s in finance, sales, or HR – at the heart of any successful business result is the people delivering it.

For the DW team, the core leadership will be IT. However, this doesn’t mean that the CIO should be the person leading the team or taking on the responsibility of the DW leader.

Instead, there should be a dedicated leader for the DW who holds ultimate accountability for the strategy, execution, and success of the digital workplace program.

This is critical for a successful team because – unlike IT leaders – DW leaders have a combination of strong technical proficiency, business process, and interpersonal relationship acumen. DW teams are tasked to manage IT resources, as well as understand the different business processes while also building relationships with employees to see how they’re engaging with new tools and ways of working.

Therefore, the DW leader must work with business stakeholders to understand the vision of the future and to paint a compelling picture of digital transformation across the business.

Understanding new ways of working requires critical team members

DW leaders looking to build effective programs and enable a successful hybrid workforce, will need to understand how technology can play a crucial role in supporting new ways of working. To achieve this, engage with other business practices to secure the participation of key players, including the HR leader, corporate real estate leaders, and the business unit leader, among others.

These key players are essential when shaping successful DW programs. They can offer new perspectives and feedback, as well as help DW teams identify organizational and department goals – alongside digital gaps and opportunities. Moreover, they're critical for ensuring adoption among employees.

For example, HR is the only department that has a deep understanding of current and future workforce challenges. They’re also key to delivering new ways of working. For instance, they help decide which technologies to use and how they can be used to boost employee motivation; they play a key role by identifying the value of technology and recognizing the impact it has on the overall employee experience. As such, DW teams that leverage the partnership with HR will benefit greatly from their insights.

The same is true for the relationship between the corporate estate leader and the DW team. Since the pandemic, ‘the office’ has taken on a new meaning. According to Gartner research, 73% of employees want to come to the office slightly more than one day a week.

Technology forces such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and mixed reality (augmented reality and virtual reality) are introducing myriad new possibilities for creating smart workspaces. At the same time, these new workplaces can improve employee experience, further demonstrating the valuable relationship between corporate real estate leaders and the DW teams.

Finally, the business unit leader can describe the challenges facing employees in the front line. They can offer a clear vision of the benefit they expect from new DW tools and how these can help employees – and the wider business – achieve their goals.

Ensuring that the core DW team is continuously working with other critical players from the organization – beyond the ones already mentioned – will be essential to helping deliver digital transformation and dexterity across the business.

The DW will always be a source of innovation and progress for organizations. It's in their DNA to always encourage participation to anyone who can have an impact in the digital transformation of business. That's why most DW leaders are always on the lookout for members who can represent a wide range of people and issues that will shape the future of the workplace. Engaging with these key players will be critical to effectively spot the emerging trends that will shape new ways of working.

In the last year, we saw how the acceleration in digital adoption came with its hurdles, leaving gaps in knowledge and skills for business leaders to bridge these through hiring and technology investments.

Consequently, DW leaders are playing a more important role than ever before in shaping the future of the workplace. But for DW programs to truly improve digital dexterity and business outcomes, they'll first need to build an effective core team, understand new ways of working, and spot emerging trends by being always on the lookout.

Tori Paulman is is a Research Analyst in Gartner's Digital Workplace - Content and Communications team.

This resistance often manifests as:
- Distrust in remote work arrangements
-


The Mozart Effect refers to the idea that listening to Mozart's music, particularly his Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, can temporarily improve cognitive performance, especially spatial reasoning.

However, recent research presents a more nuanced view.

A study published in 2019 in the journal PNAS showed that musical melodies can improve brain maturation in premature babies, suggesting music's cognitive benefits (Document b2002fea).

Still, the specific "Mozart Effect" on spatial tasks has faced scrutiny.

A meta-analysis found that while Mozart's music may produce temporary cognitive improvements, these effects are not unique to his compositions and may result from general enjoyment or arousal caused by music (implied by Document b2002fea's mention of music as a cognitive stimulant).

Research involving 4,272 volunteers indicated that people prefer slight imperfections in music rather than mathematically perfect consonance, suggesting that emotional engagement, not just structure, plays a role in music

The Mozart Effect refers to the idea that listening to Mozart's music, particularly his Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, can temporarily improve cognitive performance, especially spatial reasoning.

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However, recent research presents a more nuanced view.

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Content: TORONTO, July 18 — A number of scientific studies have demonstrated the benefits of live music for our mental and physical health. But can babies benefit too? A Canadian study set out to investigate.

Researchers at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) conducted an experiment with 120 infants aged between 6 and 14 months. They divided them into two groups: the first attended an opera in a concert hall that doubles as a research center at McMaster University, while the second watched a recording of the same performance. The scientists observed the babies’ reactions using heart monitors and tablets installed on the backs of concert hall seats.

These devices enabled them to observe that the infants seemed much more interested in the live performance than in its recording. As the opera unfolded before their eyes over a period of 12 minutes, their attention was retained for 72 per cent of the time, compared with 54 per cent for the video recording. What’s more, the babies stayed focused longer when watching the live opera than when watching the recorded version.

This indicates that they were significantly more engaged when watching live music, according to Laura Cirelli, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at UTSC and co-author of the study, published in the journal Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. “Even little babies who may or may not have experienced music in a community context before are already engaging more when it’s delivered this way,” Cirelli says. “That’s one question we have as music cognition researchers: What is it about the live experience that’s worth it? Why would people go if there’s not something fundamental about that live music experience that’s above and beyond listening to music by yourself?” the researcher said in a statement.

A beneficial collective experience

If live music seems to fascinate babies, this doesn’t mean that opera and other concert recordings don’t interest them. They just stimulate them in a different way. Attending a musical performance is a collective experience during which the audience becomes a “rhythmic mass,” in the words of the writer and essayist Elias Canetti. As such, all those present all are moving in phase with the beat of the music and become one.

These moments of togetherness that can be experienced at any age. In fact, the UTSC scientists noted that the babies had similar reactions to certain operatic passages: they can be very calm and silent, before all becoming animated when they hear a change of key or a note that attracts their attention. “Their heart rates were speeding up and slowing down in a similar fashion to other babies watching the show,” explains Laura Cirelli.

This study shows just how effective music can be as a cognitive stimulant for young children. Previous research, published in 2019 in the journal PNAS, showed that listening to musical melodies can improve brain maturation in premature babies. All the more reason for parents to encourage their children to listen to music from an early age. — ETX Studio

A study published in 2019 in the journal PNAS showed that musical melodies can improve brain maturation in premature babies, suggesting music's cognitive benefits (Document b2002fea).

Still, the specific "Mozart Effect" on spatial tasks has faced scrutiny.

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A meta-analysis found that while Mozart's music may produce temporary cognitive improvements, these effects are not unique to his compositions and may result from general enjoyment or arousal caused by music (implied by Document b2002fea's mention of music as a cognitive stimulant).

Research involving 4,272 volunteers indicated that people prefer slight imperfections in music rather than mathematically perfect consonance, suggesting that emotional engagement, not just structure, plays a role in music

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Content: Known today largely for a theorem on right-angled triangles, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras famously attempted to use mathematics to understand the beauty of music.

Accordingly, harmonious combinations of notes known as musical consonance relied on simple 'integer ratios' in the sounds' frequencies, or tones, to sound appealing. What's more, the philosopher maintained that this held true no matter what the instrument.

Not so, say an international team of researchers who quizzed 4,272 volunteers about their reactions to certain chords. Those reactions showed a preference for music with slight imperfections in it, mathematically speaking.

"We prefer slight amounts of deviation," says music psychologist Peter Harrison, from the University of Cambridge. "We like a little imperfection because this gives life to the sounds, and that is attractive to us."

The team also found that the integer ratios that Pythagoras was so fond of could be disregarded completely when it came to instruments that Western listeners are less familiar with: bells, gongs, xylophones, and a series of gongs called the bonang.

Study responses to this Indonesian instrument showed completely new patterns of consonance and dissonance. These patterns matched the musical scale used in Indonesian culture, and can't be exactly mapped on the scales preferred in places like the US and Europe.

In other words, timbre (the part of a sound that makes it sound like it belongs to a specific instrument) affects consonance too, which may have come as a surprise to Pythagoras. These results show that listeners can recognize a pleasant sound even if they're not musicians, or familiar with the instrument.

"The shape of some percussion instruments means that when you hit them, and they resonate, their frequency components [tone] don't respect those traditional mathematical relationships," says Harrison. "That's when we find interesting things happening."

This relationship between timbre and consonance could be why some cultures ended up with different note scaling systems than those of us in the west are most familiar with.

"These results provide an empirical foundation for the idea that cultural variation in scale systems might in part be driven by the spectral properties of the musical instruments used by these different cultures," the researchers write in their paper.

The team is hopeful that their findings – covering 235,440 human judgments in total – will open up minds about what can be and can't be pleasing to listen to, especially when it comes to less well-known instruments.

Both musicians and listeners can benefit from a little experimentation, the researchers say, and from getting out of our comfort zones as far as music goes. Future studies are planned to analyze an even broader range of instruments and cultures, especially involving music that might have previously been thought of as 'inharmonic'.

"Musicians and producers might be able to make that marriage work better if they took account of our findings and considered changing the timbre, the tone quality, by using specially chosen real or synthesized instruments," says Harrison.

"Then they really might get the best of both worlds: harmony and local scale systems."

The research has been published in Nature Communications.


### Report on the Mozart Effect

#### Introduction
The Mozart Effect refers to the idea that listening to Mozart's music, particularly his *Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major*, can temporarily enhance cognitive performance, especially in spatial reasoning tasks.

This concept has intrigued educators, psychologists, and neuroscientists alike, prompting numerous studies to explore its validity and implications.

#### Historical Background
The term "Mozart Effect" was coined after a 1993 study published in *Nature* by Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky.

The researchers found that college students who listened to Mozart's *Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major* showed improved performance on spatial-temporal reasoning tasks compared to those who sat in silence or listened to relaxation instructions.

This finding sparked widespread interest and led to various applications, including educational programs aimed at enhancing children's cognitive abilities through classical music exposure.

#### Recent Research and Data-Driven Analysis
Recent research has provided a more nuanced understanding of

### Report on the Mozart Effect

#### Introduction
The Mozart Effect refers to the idea that listening to Mozart's music, particularly his *Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major*, can temporarily enhance cognitive performance, especially in spatial reasoning tasks.

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Phoenix Classics • Classical Music • 2003
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This concept has intrigued educators, psychologists, and neuroscientists alike, prompting numerous studies to explore its validity and implications.

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Neuropsych

Stanford duck syndrome: How the myth of effortless genius hurts learning

When we view hard work as a sign of low aptitude, it harms our ability to learn and grow.
Key Takeaways
  • Research shows that like a muscle, our brains really do get "stronger" through effort and hard work.
  • When people work hard to learn something new, they develop more neural connections between different brain regions.
  • Recognizing effective effort can increase motivation and help people overcome challenges, argues Mary C. Murphy in her 2024 book Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations.
Adapted from Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations by Mary C. Murphy. Published by Simon & Schuster. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.

Just like a muscle, our brain gets stronger through hard work. The idea sounds catchy, but is it true? After all, our brain isn’t a muscle — it’s far more complex

Hoping to answer this question, a group of researchers placed study participants in an fMRI machine, then monitored their brain activity while they listened to two tones. Their task was to press a button to indicate whether the second tone was longer or shorter in duration than the first. In the “easy” portion of the test, the tones were more clearly differentiated, whereas in the “difficult” portion, the second tone was more like the first. As the researchers dialed up the difficulty, the participants’ brains began to light up: The more challenging the task was and the more effort it required, the more areas of the brain were recruited to help.

Not only was there more activity and connectivity among different parts of the brain during the challenging task, one of the areas that came online during the hard part was the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This part is associated with higher-level executive functions such as our working memory, ability to switch between multiple concepts, and abstract reasoning. The more we’re challenged, the more parts of the brain we call on to help us and that, in essence, increases our overall abilities to meet the goal.

Research also shows that it’s not just any effort that makes us grow new neural cells and pathways, but effort expended in the process of learning — something we call effective effort.

Scientists compared the brains of two groups of “gym rats,” which were put on different physical exercise regimens, with a control group of “cage potato” rats and a group of “acro-rats” who learned to navigate an elevated obstacle course — a task that was mentally, but not physically, challenging. Though both groups of gym rats developed a higher density of blood vessels in their brains than the cage potatoes, the acro-rats developed more synapses per nerve cell than all three other groups. When we’re working hard and learning something new, we develop more connections among different parts of our brain, and that helps us complete tasks more quickly and easily in the future.

The neural pathways we don’t use die off over time. What makes our brains hold on to these pathways — and create more — is not simply repeating the same things we’ve learned over and over again, but continually taking on difficult problems. Just like exercising our muscles or our cardiovascular system, once we’ve got something down so well that we can perform it with little effort, it may boost our ego, but it won’t boost our performance. We’ve got to keep dialing up the level of challenge.

If you’ve heard the advice that the way to keep your brain sharp is to tackle Sudoku or the New York Times crossword puzzle, those activities may serve you up to a point, but only so long as they remain challenging. Spending an afternoon with a Rubik’s cube would make my brain grow (and make me grow plenty frustrated), but not so for mathematician and data scientist Cathy O’Neil, who’s been solving them since she was 14. Neuroscientist David Eagleman says that in order to keep his brain healthy, he constantly invests in challenging activities, such as learning new software programs and wrestling with Mandarin.

Yet if multiple avenues of scientific exploration tell us that it’s only by engaging in challenging tasks that we develop and grow, why does the belief that having to apply more effort means less ability persist? What’s keeping it going?

Fueling false beliefs about effort and ability

You might be familiar with some version of the widely acknowledged “Stanford duck syndrome” — something I experienced personally in grad school. To be successful in the elite, high-pressure educational environment of Stanford, you were expected to glide gracefully across the water, though, beneath the surface, you were kicking like crazy to keep up. Hardship and struggle were expected to simply roll off your back.

In the day-to-day, undergrads, in particular, could be seen lounging around the student union or coffee shops, listening to music or socializing as if they didn’t have a care in the world. No one seemed to have to try hard to make it. By evening, they would begin to hit the books, sometimes studying alone in their rooms through the night in an effort to, well, hide their effort. The price they paid to align themselves with the cultural value of genius was a high one: Exhaustion and psychological distress were common.

Fellow researchers and I saw something similar at Cornell University. Through a series of focus groups with students, Cornell Health Counseling and Psychological Services counselors identified an unusual and disturbing trend. As is typical at many colleges and universities, companies selling a variety of dorm room posters — everything from puppies to popular bands — would come on campus to peddle their wares. During the most challenging times of the semester, such as during midterm and final exams, the most popular poster was one that was supposed to be motivational. It read, essentially, While you’re sleeping, someone else is getting ahead

One could argue that the posters simply encouraged the students to dig in and work hard. When such “motivation” links to a cultural belief system where hard work is thought to signal low ability or talent, it can fuel mental health issues.

These beliefs tend to start young. Kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers attending our summer institute often describe how difficult it is to counter children’s perceptions that if they have to try hard at something, it means they’re not good at it. The teachers, themselves, sometimes harbor these same beliefs. One of the ways we see this is when teachers take our baseline evaluation survey and they give an affirmative response to statements such as, I hate to see my students struggle; Seeing my students struggle makes me uncomfortable; and I am likely to assist right away when I notice my students struggling. However, struggle is a critical element of the learning process.

The idea of errorless learning — the perception that fewer errors on tests means better learning — leads one to assume that getting answers wrong would have a negative impact. In fact, the opposite is true; when we get a question wrong, we’re actually more likely to get it right in the future if we take the time to struggle with it afterward. Struggle enhances learning and recall.

Still, we don’t want to blindly encourage all struggle, but instead emphasize strategies that enable effective effort. It’s critical that we praise effort in the right direction. Research further clarifies that the effectiveness of what we refer to as effort praise is tied to our beliefs about effort and ability. Among students who believe that effort is an important way to increase their ability, having their effort praised boosted their views of themselves and their levels of intrinsic motivation. The stronger their belief, the bigger the boost.

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#### Historical Background
The term "Mozart Effect" was coined after a 1993 study published in *Nature* by Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky.

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Science-Backed Ways To Find Your Ideal Relaxing Bedtime Playlist

mbg Senior Sustainability Editor By Emma Loewe
mbg Senior Sustainability Editor
Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen, the co-author of "The Spirit Almanac," and the author of "Return to Nature" (Spring 2022).
Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may earn a small commission.

I walk into my kitchen to prepare lunch, mind racing with all that's waiting for me back at my desk. Thoughts of unread emails and not-yet-done to-dos weigh heavy as I pick up my phone and turn on an easy, soft tune. Within the minute, my heart rate slows, my pace relaxes, and I'm chopping tomatoes to the slow and steady beat of the song. What was I worried about again?

Music, clearly, has a significant effect on the brain. It can evoke memory, shift attention, and—as my midday kitchen experience shows—alter mood and emotional states in a very short period of time. It's one of the more powerful wellness tools we have at our disposal, and perhaps one of the most underutilized.

Daniel Bowling, Ph.D., a neuroscientist who researches acoustics at Stanford, thinks that most of us can be a bit more purposeful with the music we listen to and when. "If you are someone who enjoys music, take its therapeutic potential seriously, just like you would with meditation or reading a book," he suggests.

A number of new companies—including Spiritune, a phone app that plays tones tailored to mental health, which Bowling is the neuroscience advisor for—are now seeking to help people attend to their emotions using the science of sound. Of all the ways we can use music to influence our mood, Spiritune's founder Jamie Pabst notes that many of the app's users are pulling it out to help them relax for bedtime.

Looking for the ideal wind-down song to get you into bed feeling calm, relaxed, and ready for deep sleep? Here's your science-backed checklist.

1. Take your personal preferences into account.

Music preferences are largely personal, and a song that appeals to one person might be totally off-putting to the next. This is in part because of the memories that music can evoke, explains Greg McAllister, a Senior Sound Experience Manager at Sonos who helps craft the company's sleep stations.

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"Everybody has their own personal experience of sound and music. These things are quite nostalgic and subconscious," says McAllister. "If you hear a piece of music or a certain sound, it might just remind you of a point in time. Since we've lived different experiences, we're going to find different things pleasing."

He adds that we also might crave different tunes from one night to the next, depending on the day we've had. This means that there isn't one song or series of songs that will appeal to everyone, all the time, and we should first consider the type of music we enjoy when crafting our personal bedtime soundtracks.

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2. Look for smooth, even tones.

With that being said, Bowling notes that there are some rhythms and musical features that hold universal appeal. He gives Mozart and Beethoven as examples—something about their music has resonated with humans around the world for centuries. Through his research untangling the evolutionary basis of our music and sound preferences, Bowling thinks it's largely thanks to the way certain musical tones mimic human vocals.

Since our ancestors have long been attuned to the sound of other humans speaking, music that matches up to our human intonations is subconsciously appealing. "When we talk, all the vowel sounds that we make have this quality of being tonal," Bowling explains. "These tones are what music is, essentially."

He says we can use these parallels to our advantage by seeking music that sounds like the emotional experience we're trying to have. If you want to relax for bed, for example, think of how the voice of someone who is tired would sound: soft, steady, and straightforward. McAllister adds that smooth music with notes that gradually rise and then fall again can also register as reassuring and soothing.

3. Lose the lyrics.

Again, music choice is personal. But Bowling and McAllister both note that songs with lyrics will likely be too distracting for most people's bedtime routines. "It's resource-intensive to process language," Bowling explains, adding that lyrics will light up different parts of the brain than tones alone. Research has found that catchy choruses that get stuck in our heads can be especially disruptive to sleep. You're probably better off listening to something instrumental instead, especially right before bedtime.

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4. Let your music meet you where you are.

According to the Iso Principle in music therapy, if you're looking to evoke a certain mood, it's beneficial to first play music that matches the mood you're currently in. So if you're anxious after a long day, you'd want to put on a song that mimics that feeling (tight, short notes with dramatic rises and falls) and then slowly transition into calmer and calmer tracks. "It's like holding somebody's hand," Bowling explains. Apps like Spiritune, which chooses music based on your current and desired emotional state, do this automatically—but those with an extensive music library can also try it themselves at home.

The bottom line.

We all have those songs that make us cry immediately or pump us up on the spot—a clear demonstration of the power of music to shift emotions. We can use this to our advantage by strategically playing music that sounds like how we'd like to feel throughout the day. Come bedtime, that will probably be soft, slow, smooth, and melodic instrumentals perfect for drifting off to dreamland.

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The researchers found that college students who listened to Mozart's *Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major* showed improved performance on spatial-temporal reasoning tasks compared to those who sat in silence or listened to relaxation instructions.

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Mozart: Music for 2 Pianos; Piano Duets
Paul Badura-Skoda, Ingrid Haebler, Jorg Demus, Ludwig Hoffmann
Decca Music Group Ltd. • Classical Music • 1991

This finding sparked widespread interest and led to various applications, including educational programs aimed at enhancing children's cognitive abilities through classical music exposure.

Title:

Content: Health & Fitness
6 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy
Listening to music.
Thanks for reading about 6 ways to keep your brain healthy.
Listen to the music and now the news.
Certain parts of the brain shrink as we age, and our neurons and neurotransmitters can begin to communicate less; damage from free radicals increases and blood flow can decrease, and age is not the only factor affecting brain function.
Lifestyle choices also play a big role, according to Goodhealth.
Here are six easy ways to change your lifestyle in favor of your mind.
1.
Exercise
Exercise increases blood circulation, helping to pump more oxygen to the brain.
However, oxygen isn ’ t the only thing our brains get the most when we exercise.
Many proteins and chemicals are also produced when we are active.
These chemicals directly benefit our cognitive functions and our ability to learn.
2.
Choose activities that motivate you mentally
Your brain is like a muscle.
The more I work on it, the stronger I get.
Scientists have found that when we study and learn that our brain cells actually grow.
This is because the size, structure, and connections between neurons change as you learn.
Similar studies show that intelligence is actually determined by the number of connections between neurons (the tiny cells in your brain).
When you learn new things, these bonds multiply and become stronger.
3.
Sleep.
Your brain requires sleep to store memory and improve your overall performance in a range of challenging skills.
It is not uncommon to feel forgotten and unfocused when you are sleep deprived.
In fact, even just one night of only 4-6 hours of sleep can affect your ability to think clearly the next day.
Excessive sleep deprivation can lead to lasting cognitive problems, such as memory loss, so make sure you get eight hours as much as you can.
4.
Take care of your intestines.
Your gut has many of the same features as your brain, sharing many structural and chemical similarities.
Just as you have neurons in your brain, your digestive system (GI) has its own network of neurons that affect behavior, mood, and stress levels.
This is because the bacteria that live in your gut transmit information to your brain.
Long story short, if you have abnormal gut bacteria, you may have abnormal brain function.
5.
Listen to music
Classical music has long been associated with improved cognitive function and improved mental focus, but recent studies have shown that other music can also be useful, depending on the task at hand.
For example, listening to your favorite song when you have to complete a regular task may help you complete it faster.
If you need a creative solution, ambient noise is best because it provides the right amount of distraction to allow you to think in more creative ways.
So take advantage of this simple pleasure whenever you can, it will benefit your mind a bit.
6.
Use some brain support supplements.
Omega-3 fatty acids are at the top of the brain ’ s menu.
DHA and EPA are known to improve concentration and memory, but they have also been linked to a lower risk of dementia.
Approximately 60% of your brain is made up of fat, 25% of which is DHA.
For this reason, adequate amounts of DHA are essential for proper brain function.
Unfortunately, your body can ’ t produce them, so you have to get them through your diet.
You may also read.

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Content: Health & Fitness
Can Brain Supplements Help Improve Cognitive Health?
Thank you for reading this article about Does Brain Supplements Help Improve Cognitive Health?
Now with the details of the news.
From improving memory to improving cognitive function, brain supplements often make a variety of claims regarding their potential benefits, with most brain supplements containing ingredients like caffeine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B12 among others, but do these really work?
It is important to note that although some brain supplements may provide short-term benefits, their long-term effects and safety profiles are not well understood.
The role of supplements
Supplementation means supplementation, as supplementation will add to an already existing routine, so when it comes to taking brain supplements, the first thing to consider is whether we need supplementation at all.
Can Brain Supplements Help Improve Cognitive Health?
The effectiveness of brain supplements is a complex and delicate topic, while some brain supplements may provide certain benefits and show promising results in scientific studies, the overall effectiveness and reliability of these supplements can vary greatly.
Many brain supplements are available on the market under the guise of increased memory or increased concentration, but none of the clinical research supports that these supplements can provide such benefits or even delay the consequences of Alzheimer ’ s or Parkinson ’ s disease. ”
The medical recommendations concluded that no dietary supplement for brain health could be approved, and the team of researchers recommended adults meet their dietary requirements from a healthy diet and lifestyle.
However, the team noted that a deficiency of certain nutrients, such as vitamins B9 and B12, could be linked to problems with cognitive function or brain health, which is why supplementation may be beneficial for people who are deficient.
Focus on the food.
The types of supplements available on the market contain caffeine, omega-3, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, "he said, adding that one can always focus on foods such as fish, nuts, oil seeds and foods rich in antioxidants such as berries, fruits and eggs to meet their dietary requirements.
Another important thing to remember is that one should avoid processed foods and fast food because research reveals that eating them regularly can hinder mental health. ”
You can follow the news of Egypt and the world from a site through Google News

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Content: Latest News Our LivesOur Lives
Music training for people with disabilities.
Enriched by experience and healing of the senses
Reem Zayed
When Umm Hussam noticed the talent of her child with visual disabilities through his repetition of any music that mimics his hearing, when he was two years old, she discovered that he has great potential and can develop his skills for the better.
Um Hossam recounts her son ’ s experience in learning to play the piano, as she bought her child “Org ”, and did not realize that these random hymns that her child beats on a daily basis on this plastic instrument are music organized with creativity and craftsmanship.
The school sensed the ability and talent of its student Hossam by listening to any music and trying to repeat it, and his mother decided to send him in high school to a musical educational institute to realize that her son is good at playing the piano according to the certificate of specialists in the center.
Hossam ’ s mother believes that the “marble bone ” disease that her son Hossam Abu Khadra has lived with since his birth, because of his sensitivity to bones and the ease of breaking them, prevented her son from going out and mixing with people, which weakened his ability to communicate, and this is what music addressed him, by going to play music at the Institute and refining his personality with fellow students.
Hossam sees the piano as a world in which he wandered while playing one of his classical pieces.
According to WebTeb, “osteochondrosis ” is a bone disease that causes bone density to increase, and this disease can easily break bones.
• The musical frequency “The strongest impact ”
“Every musical frequency that Khalil heard and his ways was beating his eyes before his heart, ” Umm Khalil says of her child with visual impairment that his playing on the drum machine had a great impact on his separation from reality many times, as this powerful voice knocked him from a young age strongly on all the utensils of the house without his mother knowing that he was a talented child.
He did not enter an instrument school, and devoted his time to learning the rhythms on the drum alongside his studies at school, and the rhythms helped him to concentrate more.
“The drum is a machine saturated with sound and sends a feeling of strength throughout her child ’ s body, ” says Belsan Khalil, who discovered his talent on a school trip by chance, and at the age of 16, then went to make his talent a momentum strongly practiced in one of the Amman institutes, which specializes in teaching music to people with visual disabilities in Braille.
According to several studies, music has a significant effect on reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, treating mental illness, and developing cognitive cognition.
In a study conducted two years ago by the University of Jordan entitled “Therapeutic practices using music for some mental diseases and physical disabilities ”, music therapy is considered one of the analytical methods in psychotherapy, which plays an effective“ non-verbal ” role in the treatment of neurological diseases in particular.
Also, as a catalyst for communication by mimicking the use of the body in rhythm, music, with its non-verbal feature, reduces the intensity of the emotional impact on groups of people with any behavioral disorders, and has been seen as a supportive means of controlling their level of emotions.
This musical language that inspires the heart with a feeling of eagerness that is not satisfied by the thirst of playing with one or two sessions. According to the musician specialized in teaching singing to children with disabilities, this common universal language has the ability to enhance the motor performance of the child with disabilities and strengthen his speech.
• Ringtone of the letter “Music Function ”
The resonance of the letter and the distance of the words, in addition to being an attractive element evaluated by music in the child ’ s language, says Ayyad, as the impact of music from his point of view on the person with disabilities.
He says that “all types of disabilities respond to the sound resonance and frequency produced by the oud tendons or the rhythm of the drum provided that the disability classification is light or medium. ”
Ayyad stresses the most prominent obstacles in providing children with disabilities with musical training, lies in the psychological dimensions of the children themselves, such as the degree of fear, loneliness and rebellion or the difficulty of communicating with their peers in society, as well as the surrounding environment provided by parents, such as ignoring their children ’ s talent or lack of awareness in investing it. A lot of audible language.
Music has a powerful effect on the right lobe of the brain, and deaf people are taught by Ayad through rhythmic instruments such as the drum, where he holds their hand with the string stick to feel the vibration.
Ayyad adds that the teaching of machine mechanics is difficult for some people with disabilities, because of their neurological imbalances, pointing out that the rhythms give them the skill of separating the senses, and enhance the pronunciation of the letters in Arabic through the teaching of mushahat and various musical rhythms.
Old habits.
Science has immortalized her.
Psychologist Hassan al-Sabarini says that music therapy and education are ancient practices launched by “Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina ” and they are the first to introduce the concept of music therapy in ancient times to the present day.
He explains the positive impact of music therapy on persons with disabilities, and that the severity of disability varies with the use of music and is considered supportive of treatment and not a basis in it, and that it is able to develop the communication skills of the person through group work, and those who suffer from a mobility disability are able to help him move and interact.
Music helps people with disabilities to distinguish sounds to a great extent, helps the blind to distinguish between colors, gives a sense of psychological comfort and interaction with others and out of loneliness and isolation, and has an effective effect on increasing concentration and preventing distraction.
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Content: Dopamine Signals May Contribute to Reward-based Learning

by American Physiological Society (APS)

Rockville, Md. (December 22, 2023)—A new mouse study published in the journal Function bolsters the hypothesis that midbrain dopamine might encode a reward signal useful for learning. Dopamine is a chemical messenger that enables the transmission of signals in the brain. Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain including the midbrain. Evidence also suggests the release of dopamine neurons in the midbrain area signals reward prediction error – which means the response to the reward disappears when the reward is predicted or is nonexistent or less than predicted. This drives the ability of neurons to modify the strength of their connections in the striatum (area of the brain responsible for decision-making and motor control) underlying learning. The increase of striatal dopamine accompanying an unexpected reward activates dopamine type 1 receptors. Although more studies are needed, these early results seem to indicate the likeliness that dopamine signals in the striatum might underlie important aspects of goal-directed reward-based learning. “In conclusion, remarkable progress has been made linking striatal dopamine signals to reward learning, but much remains to be learned,” researchers wrote in their findings.