My Last Three Brain Cells….
This past year there has been a popular meme about “my last three brain cells,” but is there truth behind this joke?
photo by Maria Cima
January 29, 2019
Oh, dear sweet brain cells, why have you forsaken me? Years ago I was able to read 3 books a week, and now I can hardly get through a page and a half article without wanting to gouge my eyes out? Not fair.
If you have been on social media this year, there has been a popular meme about “my last 3 brain cells” that many of us can relate to. But why is this?
A popular belief by most parents is the amount of time that millennials spend on computers is more than it should be, but is there evidence to support this?
According to State Farm, “4 hours of daily screen time is linked to a full-grade-level drop in average GPA.” On average, teens spend 9 hours a day online, which is more then 2 full grade-level drops. Apple recently had an update that allows you to monitor how much time you spend on your phone as well as limit it. Now, if your parents think you are spending too much time on your phone, they can set a limit to the number of hours you are allowed.
Quartz reported that “60% of teens — those between the ages 13 to 17 — say that spending too much time online is a ‘major’ problem.” That’s how we know something is really wrong. When a teen speaks up and admits they have a problem, it’s a big deal. Kids these days are so defensive and quick to justify all actions, so when we admit that someone else may be valid in their criticism, people tend to take account.
Another major factor for the loss of brain cells is stress. Now I realize that many students are trying to get into college, take the SATs, or even pass chemistry, but too much stress is very damaging to brain cells over the course of time. Stress can not only kill brain cells but also reduce the size of the brain.
But what are we doing to stop this seemingly doomed future? If you ask anyone what is the best way to preserve brain cells, they will most likely say “sleep.” The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH) says that without enough sleep, “you can’t form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly.” Sleep is crucial to many bodily functions, including memory, neuron communication, heart, lungs, immune function, mood, metabolism and more.
It is extremely difficult, however, these days to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep. Some tips for falling asleep as given to us by NIH are: set a schedule, exercise 20-30 mins throughout the day but not before bed, avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcoholic drinks before bed, if you can’t sleep, never go on your phone — instead try to read a book or listen to music.
Our youth needs to understand how valuable our brain cells are. We spend a great deal of time on our phones and stressing about our public image and the future that it is causing us physical harm. Stress is an inevitable part of life, and the sooner we are able to combat our stressors, the more successful we will be!
