Do Later School Start Times Really Help High School Students?

Blogger 3: I found this article really interesting, because it is very prevalent in society and teenagers today. Most teenagers, myself included, get an average of 5 to 7 hours of sleep each night. Although this is enough to get us through the day, there has been research indicating that adolescents need between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep to function well. One way to give students the opportunity to sleep longer is by changing to start time of school, and just one extra hour of sleep can make such a huge difference in the performance of students during school and at after school activities. I know that personally I would benefit greatly if the time was changed. During midterm week when I get that extra 45 minutes of sleep I feel so much better (and happier) when I wake up. Not only does this extra sleeping time allow me to start my day on a good note, but it would also allow me to not freak out if I stay up later than usual to finish a project, write a paper or study for a test. Do you think an extra hour of sleep could help benefit students in their daily school/ activities? Or would rather have that extra hour after school to do your homework and study? Is there a way that we could get students to go to bed earlier to gain that extra hour of sleep instead of going into school an hour later? Do you think the view on this topic depends on whether you are a “morning” or “night” person?

Link: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/201102/do-later-school-start-times-really-help-high-school-students

and Mariel’s is Blogger 4.

Psychology of A Snow Storm

Because we have had an outrageous number of snow days and countless snow storms this winter, I thought this article would be a perfect way to end the winter season. Psychology Today published the article, “Psychology of a Snow Storm,” which talks about the amount of snow the Midwest received. I still think it could relate to the mind sets of us, in the north east because of the winter we had as well. This article addresses how any time there is a snow storm there seems to be more people getting excited over it than fearing it. Do you think there is a difference between how adults view snow storms than how children view them? Have you ever noticed the “few problems” that come with snow storms? Do you like snow days just because you get off from school or are you one of those people who hates them because you seem to have to do more work than any other regular “school day”? Lastly, the big question is why do people get excited by snowstorms when a relatively problem free snowstorm leads to more stress and less happiness?

Link: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/goal-posts/201102/psychology-snowstorm

Valentine’s Day: should we dump it?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

In light of Valentine’s Day, I chose an article related to both love and the holiday itself. After viewing Facebook statuses this weekend, I stumbled upon many who apparently “hate” Valentine’s Day and think of it more as “single awareness day,” a constant reminder of how you’ll be spending the day lonely and upset, devouring boxes of chocolate. This article questions the validity of “love addiction” a condition which is not yet recognized in the DSM or by psychology and psychiatry in general. Do you feel that this should be classified as a real medical disorder, or are people simply getting too hyped up over one day of the year? The article also poses the question of whether or not we should do away with Valentine’s Day. Personally, I think opinions on this matter would be biased based on whether or not the person is currently in a relationship. Do you agree/disagree? Should Valentine’s Day truly be erased completely? Or should single men and women think positively and use it as a day to express their love for family, friends, and themselves?

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/201102/valentine-s-day-should-we-dump-it

"We Speak for the Dead to Protect the Living"

Hey guys!

So last year for my research paper I wrote about the reverse effects antidepressants can have on adolescents. In doing so I had to read up on a lot of different stories about cases where antidepressants went wrong. I came across this great website that contains all of these different stories about kids our age who took medication and became even more depressed. Many cases resulted in suicide or murder. It's kind of a heavy topic so be prepared to be disturbed but I think it's important to be aware of the flaws in today's medicine. Play around with the website a little; the stories are short but there's a lot of information throughout the site. It also tells you exactly what medication the kids were on so I thought that was pretty cool because we are familiar with most listed (ex Zoloft). While reading the cases, think about the argument that medicine does us worse than it does better. Is it possible that there are stronger, more effective alternatives out there to remedy psychological disorders other than pills?

http://www.ssristories.com/index.html#FromIndex

Post #1: Do you know someone with Football Attention Neurosis?

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!

The New York Times published an article, that I found on the Association for Psychological Science website, about the Super Bowl and the psychological effects a F.A.N. (someone with Football Attention Neurosis) may experience during and after the game, especially when their favorite team is playing. The article doesn't have a serious tone, but I think it raises some interesting questions about what constitutes a psychological disorder. Do you think serious football fans can be considered to have an anxiety disorder because of the symptoms they may experience during the game? Have you observed any behavior (such as aggressive driving or Facebook/cell phone "addictions") that can be considered a psychological disorder? At what point do these quirks go from being normal to an actual psychological condition? If you do think something should be considered a disorder, do you think the therapy steps in the article can be adapted to help people recognize the problem or change their behavior?

A Home Treatment Kit for Super Bowl Suffering

Remember to respond to this post by Wednesday, February 9th and enjoy the game!