If You Want Smart Children, Less Technology And More Music
We are connected to new technologies all day long. For example, when the mobile alarm wakes us up in the morning and we already have our smartphone in our hand, or when we get home from work and go straight to the computer or tablet to connect to social networks.
New technologies have revolutionized our daily lives and, Although we don’t realize it, they have also changed our brain
In an interview published in the newspaper La Vanguardia, David Bueno i Torrens author of the book “Cerebroflexia”, states: “New technologies cause people to have fewer connections in the memory management area of the brain because part of this function has been outsourced to digital devices: few remember the number anymore. phone number of his friends.”
But could it be that new technologies make us more or less intelligent? Recent studies affirm that if we want intelligent children we must be careful with the use of new technologies. Furthermore, it seems that the key to developing a child’s intelligence is music (specifically, playing instruments).
The role of parents in the development of their children’s intelligence
The family environment and the attitude of the parents are decisive in the intellectual development and academic performance of their children. If we talk about this last aspect, that is, school performance, Frances Glascoe professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University in Berlin, explains that “it has been proven that children who grow up in homes where conversation, reading and music are present tend to have higher IQs and obtain better grades in school” .
Therefore, those parents who usually leave their children watching television or playing video games should know that this can affect their future academic performance, since Those children who interact frequently with their parents and even the rest of the family achieve greater intelligence development
Technological devices and intelligence: some scientific data
Psychologists and educators have been warning parents for decades about the harmful effects of technological devices (including television) on the little ones in the house. Alvaro Bilbao, author of the book “The child’s brain explained to parents”, warns: “The key to the development of the little ones’ brains is in their relationships with their parents. Genetics may play an important role, but without the family environment the potential development of the brain will not be realized.”
It is true that these technological devices used appropriately can be positive, but it is common for many parents, in order to have a moment of peace, to leave their children watching television or connected to the iPad without any type of control. It is necessary to be careful with this, since research published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicineand carried out by the Sainte Justine University of Quebec and the University of Michigan, demonstrates that Children who spend more hours watching television at 2, 3 and 4 years of age have greater problems at school For example, they have a 6% percent drop in math achievement.
Brain Training games do not make us smarter
In recent years, games or brain training programs (or Brain Training) have become very fashionable with the aim of stimulating cognitive development. The truth is that its validity when it comes to improving the performance of cognitive functions is more than questioned. The belief of being able to become smarter through this type of games or programs was started by the Swedish researcher Torkel Kliemberg which stated that, with its use, The children not only improved their memory after weeks of playing, but also their intellectual capacity in general
Some studies have shown that this belief was not true. Recently, a meta-analysis of 23 investigations indicates that these video games or programs can lead to improvements in short-term memory, but not to other areas, such as improving numerical calculation. The same result was obtained in research from the University of Cambridge, in which its researchers verified that apart from an increase in short-term memory, there was no improvement in other skills such as mathematics, reading or writing.
Another investigation, this time carried out by a team of psychologists from Georgia Tech to check if there was any improvement in IQ, nor did it detect any improvement in the intelligence of the study subjects Therefore, it is possible to conclude that Brain Training games do not make us smarter.
Science affirms that learning to play an instrument makes us smarter
But how can we stimulate the intelligence of our children? Can music positively influence the intellectual development of children? Seems that if. At least that’s what several studies say.
There are many people who play instruments and perform in music groups as a hobby. If these results are true, in addition to having fun, These individuals could be more advantaged in the development of their intelligence According to various research, exposing a child to playing instruments at an early age can have a positive impact on their IQ, reading level, and brain development. In addition, adults who learn to play instruments also achieve benefits from this practice: greater concentration, greater brain activity, and greater pleasure and well-being.
To test this hypothesis, a team of researchers from the University of Toronto (Canada) conducted a study with 6-year-old children. Piano and voice lessons were randomly given to some of them. The others did not receive any training. The study showed that learning to play an instrument can increase math skills and overall IQ. So, If you are a parent, instead of leaving your child in front of the computer, sign him up for guitar or piano lessons This way you will be stimulating their intelligence and creativity.
