#FF Wonderful Weekend Review: #Psychology, #Songs 4 the Soul & Sunday #Comics

Click HERE to see the whole magazine

Thought for the Day: Today's magazine has more comics than usual. Somehow, I kept finding funny photos, GIFs and video clips, so I kept adding them. Don't miss, the amazing gif on the cover, the walk on water or water skiing that demonstrates how to make the best of a bad situation. Although the funny and inspirational quotes may distract you, interspersed among them are some great serious articles related to psychology. There's a report on why adolescents don't sleep well and a Harvard researcher's findings on "thinking dispositions." The story of the accomplishments of a man with Down's Syndrome can be an inspiration to parents of people with special needs. There is also a touching story of how the Utah Jazz Basketball team helped a young boy with cancer accomplish his dream. Finaly, for songs for the soul, I chose a new song by Neil Young, "Who's Gonna Stand Up." I love the message, but the orchestration doesn't work too well for me. What do you think? I also found a great video clip of Eric Clapton's pick of the best guitar rendition of "Hey Jude."

Have a great end of the weekend! Tomorrow I plan to begin to share the stories behind people's 2 word advice to their younger selves and what we all can learn from their words of wisdom. If you have not shared your 2 cents, I mean words yet, feel free to add them. Here's the initial assignment photo:

Click to read more about this research assignment

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Psychologist Howard Gardner on Online Communities

Thought for the Day: This week I am wondering about how social media impacts on our lives & personalities (Motivational Monday: A Twist: Psychologist Needs Your Help, We need To Talk!" & Tuesday's Psychology Trivia Question: Does Facebook Change Personality?). Therefore, Wednesday's Words of Wisdom address these questions as well. Today's quote: “The biggest communities in which young people now reside are online communities,” comes from developmental psychologist, Howard Gardner.  A community is a unified group of individuals that share a common interest, location or characteristics. Gardner was right when he said it, but, his quote already needs to be updated. The demographics of online communities are increasingly populated by people of all ages not just the "young." In a comprehensive analysis by Pingdom in 2012:

• 55% of Twitter users are 35 or older.
• 63% of Pinterest users are 35 or older.
• 65% of Facebook users are 35 or older.
• 79% of LinkedIn users are 35 or older.

 My version of Garner's quote would be: “The biggest communities we live in today are online communities.”

**Howard Gardner, Contemporary Psychologist

Howard Gardner was born on July 11, 1943. Most notably known for his theory of multiple intelligences, Gardner was Professor of Cognition & Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His theory of multiple intelligences describes how humans learn & process information in seven independent & different ways as opposed to a singular general IQ factor.

Dr. Gardner's  multiple achievements earned him awards for his contributions to psychology & education. In 1981, he was the recipient of a MacArthur Prize Fellowship. He became the first American to receive the Grawemeyer Award in Education in 1991. He was selected by Foreign Policy & Prospect magazines as one of the top 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world in the years 2005 and 2008. In 2011 he was the recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences.

*Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Since virtual communities are becoming increasingly important, psychologists & all professionals are studying how to communicate effectively online. It is a vast uncharted territory & we all have a great deal to learn. The largest online communities are sites like Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & LinkedIn, however blogs, like this one, are not only an alternative interactive newspapers, they are also online communities where one can learn about topics of interest, & share thoughts, theories & observations about their common interests. It is truly a "brave new world" we are all exploring. We can meet & stay in touch with people from across the street or around the world without leaving home

What online communities do you belong to? Do you feel they enhance or complicate your life? What do you like or dislike about living in a world filled with online communities? How do you feel about sharing online? Would you consider skype, e-mail or online therapy sessions?

*Photo from
http://www.glogster.com/xenitered/howard-gardner/g-6ln8k3mqsqoqa6v66laf5a0
**Photo from a great article about Garners on Harvard's website:
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2008/fall/features/gardner.html