How To Use The Internet
As An Enriched Environment For Rapid Personal Growth
Personal growth happens
faster in the right environment. This environment shapes our mind, body,
and character in a positive way.
Do you think of the Internet
as an environment? If you’re like most people, you find this a stretch.
For most people, the Internet is nothing more than a massive
networking infrastructure. All across the world, millions of computers
talk to each other. That’s all.
Yet, a small shift in
perspective can change your life.
How
Is The Internet An Environment?
When you start thinking of
the Internet as as environment, you see it in a different way.
What is an environment, anyway? It
could be a city or a country. In any city, there are good and bad
neighborhoods. Around the world, there are peaceful, prosperous countries
and countries that are ravaged by war and famine. If you have a choice,
you’d rather stay in a city or a country that enhances your wellbeing.
Now, think of the Internet as
a conceptual environment. Real people populate this
virtual world. They communicate through images and text, audio and video.
They collect in groups. They voice their opinions. They help you or
they hinder your progress.
A real environment has bright
and dark sides. The Internet offers the same contrasting duality. A real
environment can shape your thoughts and feelings about the world. The Internet
offers the same type of transformation.
Still, there is one
significant difference. In the real world, you might be stuck in an
environment. You don’t have the means, resources, or permission to leave it. In
the virtual world, you can leave a bad neighborhood at the click of a
mouse button.
Does
It Get Any Better?
Absolutely!
What is better than a good,
clean, wholesome environment? It’s an enriched environment.
A school can be an enriched
environment. A playground, too. Or a club. Or a Dojo. An enriched
environment is any place that improves your life.
The
Primary Benefit Of An Enriched Environment
In essence, an enriched
environment enhances your brain. As a result, you become more intelligent. And
with more intelligence, there is a higher rate of adaptation and success.
In an enriched environment,
you experience an increased rate of neurogenesis. This is a complicated process
of brain growth. A simple way to understand brain development is by
comparing it to exercise.
When you lift weights, you
develop bigger and stronger muscles. When you do yoga, you become more
flexible. And when you run, you improve your level of physical endurance.
Good things happen when you
exercise your brain, too. You’re able to increase cognitive speed and
flexibility. You’re able to expand your attention span and memory. And
you get good at analyzing problems and coming up with ingenious solutions.
Here are some things that
happen during neurogenesis:
·
Your brain has a higher rate of
synaptogenesis.
·
Your brain develops much more
complex dendrite arbors.
·
Your brain has more synapse
activity.
·
Your brain creates more glial
support cells.
·
Your brain has more
capillary vasculation.
The activation of your
neurons, glial cells, and capillaries encourages your cortex to thicken. In
other words, your biocomputer builds a faster processor and a bigger hard
drive.
What
Research Says About Enriched Environments
Research on animals has shown
that enriched environments can help with brain dysfunction. They can
mitigate or heal aging, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
There is also something known
as the cognitive reserve — a resilience to brain dysfunction. An enriched
environment helps here, too. By contrast, the lack of an enriched
environment creates impaired cognitive development.
Social studies and brain
scans on human beings also show similar results. Humans who live in
enriched environments have higher mental acuity. They also enjoy better
brain health.
7
Ways To Use The Internet As An Enriched Environment
You can use the Internet as
an enriched environment by using it in a more intentional way.
Most people use the Internet
to check their emails, do work, or join social media. This is fine, but it’s
not using the Internet as an enriched environment.
Here are 7 suggestions on how
to use the Internet as an enriched environment:
1. Limit time-wasting
activities. There
are many ways to waste time on the Internet. While they stimulate your brain,
you don’t receive a lot of cognitive benefits. Limit how much time you
spend on low-value activities or websites.
2. Increase social
networking. Join
groups or associations with likeminded and like-hearted people. On Facebook,
for example, join groups where you can learn and share ideas that enrich your
life.
3. Sign up for a MOOC. MOOC stands for “Massive Online Open
Courses.” You can learn anything from the top Universities in the world at no
cost.
4. Join a brain gym. Neuroscientists have found many ways to
increase cognitive abilities. Brain gyms offer games and puzzles that stimulate
your speed of comprehension and memory.
5. Listen to podcasts and
audiobooks. Some of the leading experts in your field share their
knowledge during interviews. Eavesdrop on life-changing conversations. You
don’t even have to be on your computer — you can be walking in the
woods and listening on your smartphone.
6. Read blogs. Blogs can give you bite-sized information
in a few minutes. You can read in minutes what it took someone hours to
research, organize, and summarize.
7. Watch documentaries. Video-sharing websites offer some of the
most cutting-edge documentaries. You can find out about anything. Study the
biographies of leading thinkers. Catch up on the latest findings in quantum
mechanics.
Of course, these are only
suggestions, but you get the idea. If you use the Internet with deep intention,
it can become an enriched environment. You will not only develop your brain,
but you’ll also improve your life.
Think about it. Never before
in the history of the world have you been able to learn so much. Why not take
full advantage of the opportunity to nurture your personal growth?
BY SALEEM RANA
http://www.lifehack.org/412421/how-to-use-the-internet-as-an-enriched-environment-for-rapid-personal-growth?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter&mid=20160711_customized&uid=687414&email=drmsriram%40yahoo.com&action=click
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