Why We Grow Numb To Staggering Statistics — And What We Can Do About It

"People are not very good with large numbers," says Elke Weber, a professor of psychology at Princeton University. "We don

The growing coronavirus death toll doesn't provoke the same type of emotional response that a plane crash might. It's a coping mechanism and how our neurons are wired, says psychologist Elke Weber.

(Image credit: Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FIVE SIGNS YOUR TEEN MAY NEED TO BE EVALUATED FOR DEPRESSION

If you’re the parent of a teen, you may have already witnessed enough drama and extreme mood swings to rival an episode of “Real Housewives.” But how do you know if what you’re seeing is typical teenage angst or something more? “Talk to your teen on a regular basis and do the best you can to know what’s going on in their life,” says Dr. Hilary Bowers, Director of Behavioral and Mental Health Services at Children’s Primary Care Medical Group. “By paying attention to their behavior, you will be able to recognize consistent or abrupt behavioral changes which could indicate an issue.” Here are five behaviors that may indicate your teen needs to be evaluated for depression. Dr. Bowers stresses that these symptoms need to occur every day for more than two weeks in a row. “A few bad days does not equal mental illness,” she says. 1. Social withdrawal Note if your teen starts to spend an excessive amount of time alone, losing interest in extracurricular activities and events at home or in s...
Read more

TAKE ACTION TO STOP BULLYING

Many parents remember having difficulties with other kids in school. Maybe you were picked on as a kid, or had a bully that made you miserable. Perhaps you felt safe once you got home and could relax with your family. Unfortunately, bullying today isn’t like it used to be. It can extend beyond the school boundaries and into the home, making it especially important for teachers and parents to know how to spot it and what to do. Bullying is defined as an imbalance of power resulting in repetitive hurtful behaviors. There are two types of bullying, direct and indirect. Direct bullying is often physical, but may include teasing, taunting, name-calling or destruction of property. Indirect bullying is not always as overt, and may involve spreading rumors, intentionally leaving someone out, or cyberbullying. Most bullying happens in middle school, though it is reported in all age groups. The most common types are verbal and social bullying, so it may not be as easy to recognize as a child b...
Read more

GETTING BACK TO SCHOOL SAFELY

As school districts decide how to provide safe and effective learning for students during the pandemic, parents may have many questions about next steps and when it will be safe for children to go back to the classroom. While we don’t have all of the answers to your questions, scientists are learning more about the coronavirus and how it affects children. It’s also important to realize that state and county guidelines are based on the number of positive coronavirus infections, and these numbers change daily. Whether your child is going to school via online learning or is stepping foot into a classroom, here are some things to consider: Can children get sick with COVID-19? The answer is yes. So far it appears that while most children tend to have milder illness than adults, up to 8.9% of children with COVID-19 have been hospitalized and 0.5% has died (as of August 6, 2020). This means children are not immune to this virus. Unfortunately, this information is not entirely accurate...
Read more