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Digital Media Overuse: What do you even mean?

Confused about what digital media “overuse” even means? Want to know if you should stop using digital media entirely? Read on to find out.

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Digital media, overuse, techniques, entirely
Read Aloud: Digital Media Overuse: What do you even mean?

We have all heard from our parents, teachers and everyone older than us about the bad side of digital media, such as TV, mobile phones, social media, etc. But then our friends love digital media and to be fair it doesn’t seem that bad, right? You get to know what your friends are up to thanks to your mobile phones and social media, you are caught up with the recent episodes of Doraemon, Pokemon, etc. and can talk about it with friends. All in all, there is no harm in using digital media. But rather it becomes harmful when we overuse it.

What do you mean by “overuse” of digital media?

“Overuse”, is a term you must have heard a lot but never quite understood what exactly it meant. And you have all the right to be confused, after all, who decides when you are overusing digital media? Yes, some studies say that after certain hours of usage, it is considered overuse to use social media, but then again these studies are done on humans and no two humans are alike. So, there is a possibility that the studies’ conclusion may not apply to a few humans. And who is to say that you are not one of the few? 

Then how can you define “overuse”? The answer is simple whenever “you” feel tired or drained out, don’t feel like doing physical activities anymore, have trouble sleeping or talking to new people such as new classmates or adjusting to new environments such as feeling very jumpy or restless at a family function, that is when you know you have overused digital media. But remember just like a cold has symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, headache, etc., the things mentioned previously are just some of the symptoms of overuse, it doesn’t mean you can’t get over it or get better, but you need to recognise these symptoms first then only you can start your treatment. Also keep in mind these are just a few symptoms, as the effects or symptoms of overuse will show up differently in different people, but one thing will remain consistent in all the symptoms, “you will not feel good”. You might feel restless, scared, sad or all of them together.

Should I stop using digital media altogether?

Should you stop eating ice cream entirely because you will get a cold if you have cold food items and drinks? Should you stop talking to everyone else in class because one of them was mean? Should you stop answering your question paper in the exam entirely because you don’t know the answer to one of the questions? NO! And that’s exactly why, you should not stop using digital media altogether or entirely as it has its benefits too.

Without digital media would you have known what is happening in other countries to prepare for your MUN debates? Without digital media would you have known the different music genres such as pop, hip-hop, K-pop, etc.? Without digital media would you have known about the various tales of bravery that Little Krishna went on or the life lessons about things you should and should not do from Doraemon?

Digital media is pretty important in today’s age, so it is not at all something you should ignore entirely and not indulge in. It’s like asking our parents to not write whatever they heard in class on paper to remember as our ancestors used to have an oral culture of learning where people used to listen and remember. So, instead of writing it down they should also listen and remember, but the invention of paper and ink made it possible to reduce the burden on our brain and we incorporated it into our daily lives. Just like that digital media has reduced our reliance on written hard-bound materials a lot. This is not only sustainable in the long run but also makes it easier for us to understand difficult to simple concepts better as now we have audio-visual aids at the tip of our fingers to help us break down the written concepts easily. Learning doesn’t need to be confined to a classroom. 

What should I do to prevent the overuse of digital media?

Preventing overuse is not that simple but it’s not entirely impossible. You don’t have to take drastic steps or use drastic techniques such as entirely stopping to use your phones or watching the television. But rather take it slow. One of the techniques could be that if using digital media such as your phone for 12 hours straight is making you feel tired and not feel great in general, then reduce the time that you engage with digital media by 1 hour every two days until you don’t feel so bad. 

Now if you are cutting down the hours that you used to use digital media you must have some free time which will make you think, “What will I do with that much free time?”. You don’t need to study more or fill out another workbook in maths or English grammar, just because you have a little more time now. Instead, use the extra time to make origami or crochet something or maybe finally make that dessert that you saw them making in Masterchef Kids. Yes, you might have to use digital media to get the crochet or origami pattern or the recipe for that Masterchef Kids’ dessert but it won’t be for a long time and once you get a hang of it you won’t need the digital media aid for long. 

How about using this technique, suppose you were using digital media for 12 hours and then you reduced it to 8 hours over a period of time, out of that 8 hours maybe use 2 hours for practising the new crochet pattern or origami pattern while looking at the tutorials and the extra time that you have you can try practising it without the tutorial. Slowly you will get into new kinds of activities that won’t necessarily require digital media at all times of the day but will keep you equally occupied with other things that will help you learn and grow every day. 

Another technique that you can use is doing nothing. Sometimes when you don’t want to do anything, how about just not doing it? Maybe take the free time to just sit and watch the stray dogs run on the street or think about the conversations you had with your friends or mum the other day, take some free time to just think and wonder to help you understand others and the environment around you better. This will certainly help you in developing your emotional quotient or EQ, which is very different from IQ and actually depends on how emotionally aware you are about yourself and about others in your surroundings. One of the ways to develop EQ is by giving yourself the time and space to understand what you are going through and what others are going through.

Conclusion

Now these are a few techniques that you can use to prevent overuse but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any other techniques. But these techniques work the best because you don’t entirely stop using digital media overnight but rather reduce your usage and over time fill the free time with something else. Always remember digital media has its pluses and minuses just like Doraemon’s gadgets. It all boils down to how you use it and how much you use it, to ensure you make the most of it. 

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Being Different Is Not Always Wrong!

Ever felt like a duck in a pond of swans or simply different? Well if you did this article will surely help with that feeling a bit.

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bad, wrong, like, different, know

Has it ever happened that you did your best but still couldn’t get the highest score in an essay competition? But at the same time, you just thought for two minutes and ended up creating an art piece or caught a note of the tune that just made everyone stop and stare with awe. Has it ever happened to you that numbers seemed so simple but words were just too confusing? Or was it the other way around for you? Has it ever happened that dancing and running around seemed easier than staying still and listening to a story or drawing a portrait? Then you are not wrong, you are just different.

What does it mean to be different?

If you ever felt like Nobita or Kiteretsu or basically a duck in a pond filled with swans then you know exactly what it feels like to be different. The feeling of always wearing a big red dress or hat in a crowd of black and white, that’s the feeling of being different. “The elephant in the room” is the idiom that refers to a significant issue that is obvious but everyone avoids acknowledging or discussing it. You know you are feeling different when you feel like the elephant in the room. You feel you are either Gulliver in a land of lilliputs or a lilliput in Gulliver’s world. Whatever it may be, one thing is sure for almost everyone who feels different, it doesn’t feel good.

What can you do about being different?

The simple answer to that question is nothing. You heard it right, there’s really nothing you can do about it. In fact, the real question is why should you do anything about it? Sure, you can try changing a bit of this and that and jazz a bit while toning down a bit of that and, voila! You turned a unicorn into a horse or a Rhinoceros into a Hippopotamus, but the question is for how long? A Rhino is bound to miss taking mud baths and a unicorn is bound to miss breathing in the fresh air from the sky while flying. You can change yourself a bit or even more than that but then the question is for how long? There will come a time when you will hate yourself even more as you won’t be able to recognise what you have become any more. You may put down your paintbrush, or your abacus set, or your dancing shoes, or your writing pen, but will you be happy doing that? Rather the better question is to ask yourself who you are doing this for. For people around who you need to be a certain way to feel accepted? Sure you can jump around the lava and walk on the rock just to be closer to people you like, but for how long will you be jumping? What if you are meant to walk on the flames and shine like the Human Torch of Marvel?

That’s why it’s time to rethink and look at the following tips to help you get started and appreciate all the things that make you different.

  • Take a long deep gaze at yourself in the mirror:

Stare at yourself for 5-10 minutes in the mirror. Identify the things you hate about your face or body such as you have dark circles, or tiny lips, etc and take a picture. Now take sketch pens or makeup products and try to outline and draw on your face all the insecurities you think you have. Do you think you have dark circles? Draw them as dark as panda eyes! Do you think you have acne? Draw as many as you think you’ve got. And once you’re done take a look at yourself in the mirror and compare what you’re seeing in the mirror to the picture that you have previously taken. See any difference? If you did now you know how distorted your thinking truly was.

Credits: Pinterest
  • Not everything different is bad:

Ever heard of the saying, not everything that glitters is gold? Exactly! Just like that, not everything that looks different is wrong or bad. Do you know who else was different from the crowd just like you? Ironman. But is he bad or wrong? And what about Einstein? Is he bad or wrong? Or how about Marie Curie? Or Charlotte Brontë? Or Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain? Were they wrong or bad too? The reason people are not ready to accept or are comfortable around something different is that they are not used to it. That doesn’t make you bad or wrong. It just means people need a little more time to understand you. So, give them that. After all: 

Credits: Pinterest
  • Let them into your world:

How do you expect people to understand or know you, if you don’t let them in like Elsa? We all remember how it turned out for Elsa when she decided to hide away in the castle. And didn’t tell anyone about what happened to her. It was only when she finally let others see her for who she truly was, that was she able to understand and accept herself better. Start small by maybe showing them how to do a dance step or two or how to draw an animal or anything that you think makes you different or weird, share it with them. And who knows, maybe you’ll be the coolest one in the school. It’s scary but you won’t find out until you give it a try.

Credits: The Resilient Mum
  • Let it out:

No matter how much I tell you or somebody else tells you or you yourself remind yourself how much you matter or are amazing, there will be days when you just can’t get up. And it’s okay, sometimes the ground is our friend and tears our lemonade with a salty punch. So, let it out and cry your heart out. Scream, shout but just let it out. Don’t hold it in just because you are different and are not supposed to make ripples. Create a storm if you want but then remember every storm must come to an end and so does your sorrow. 

Credits: Imagine Forest

Afterword

We know the struggle to be an alpaca in a world adored by Llamas is hard but just like we are hanging on, we know you can too. Be a paca, read Knowpaca and be proud of your difference rather than hiding it. 

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Mpox: What You Can Do To Keep Yourself Safe

Do you know the difference between a bacteria and a virus? What about Mpox? Is it a virus or a bacteria? Read on to know more.

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Virus, viral, bacteria, illness, Mpox

With the recent advancement in medical technology, we hope to find a cure for all illnesses be it because of bacteria or viruses. But in the meantime, while we search for a cure for even the common cold there are many sicknesses spreading around us that we must remain aware of. Being aware is as good as having the Doraemon’s magic pocket, you may not always need all the gadgets or in your case the knowledge of particular illnesses, but if you ever need it you can always look back to that knowledge and feel prepared. One such illness that has been on the rise recently is Mpox or Monkey Pox, let’s find out more about it.

Mpox: What is it?

Mpox is a virus which is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus. A virus is different from bacteria as bacteria can be cured easily with antibiotics and the illness that a bacteria causes is called a bacterial infection. But when it comes to viruses they are hard to treat and the illness that they cause is called viral infection. As they are hard to treat, they are allowed to run their course and fight with your body’s immune system until they lose. Though there are some antiviral medications available for certain viral infections like HIV, for most viral infections there is no medication as such. Your common cold is considered a viral infection hence usually the best cure for a common cold is to rest up and let your body fight it. On the other hand, tetanus is a bacteria that you can fight with, with a tetanus shot.

The particular genus or family the Mpox or monkeypox virus belongs to was also responsible in the past for the spread of cowpox and smallpox. The reason it is called monkeypox is because it was first discovered in 1958 in monkeys. But unlike the name suggests this virus can attack both humans and animals and hence we need to be more careful. Some of its symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, and muscle aches can be confused with other viral infections. But one of the most noticeable symptoms of this disease is the appearance of rashes. The rashes first look like flat lesions or like a patch of red on your skin, that develops into a blister and then a scab. This is the most important marker of the disease.

Mpox: How do I protect myself from it?

Mpox can only be transmitted via direct contact with the infected person’s or animal’s rash or their bodily fluids like saliva, blood, etc. It can also be transmitted via air through respiratory droplets which are released when you cough, sneeze, talk or breathe hard, hence taking important precautions is of utmost importance. You can do the following to protect yourself from Mpox:

  • Maintain Good Hygiene:

Always ensure to wash your hands before and after you eat with soap and water to ensure that all the germs from your hands are dead. Whenever you visit very crowded places remember to come back and change out of your clothes and clean the exposed parts of your body with soap and water to prevent contamination. Whenever you are visiting crowded public places like gyms be sure to wipe the surface of gym equipment with wet tissue before using them.

  • Love Animals But Don’t Catch Mpox:

We all love to give our furry buddies all the love in the world but remember that loving them is fine but do it with caution. Mpox virus is mostly spread through rodents (such as rats, hamsters, squirrels, guinea pigs, etc.) and primates (such as chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, orangutans, etc.) in areas where the disease is already on the rise like Africa, hence be careful when coming into contact with animals in those regions.

  • Take Your Vaccine Shot:

Remember to take your due vaccine shots such as JYNNEOS or ACAM2000 to ensure that you are fully prepared and protected from Mpox. Needles hurt but also save lives so close your eyes and imagine you are in your happy place and it will make the entire vaccination process a little easier.

  • Keep Yourself Away From People Who Have Caught Mpox:

Sometimes the best way you can take care of someone is by staying away. Hence, let the doctors who are much more experienced handle the situation while you keep yourself healthy so that when the time comes you can help out as much as you can. Do not share beddings, clothing, towels or personal items with someone who has Mpox. And disinfect surfaces and objects that may have been contaminated with antiseptic lotions like Dettol.

  • Improve Your Immunity:

Given that viral infections fight with their immunity it’s important to build a strong immune system. By eating a balanced diet, getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep and being active through various activities like exercise, dance, etc. you can ensure that your immune strength is at its best all the time. 

Stay safe so that you can ensure somebody else’s safety tomorrow.  

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Not A Good Touch? Ask For Help

Do you know what is a good touch? Do you know what is a bad touch? Let’s find out more about your body and how you can keep it safe.

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touch, good, bad, understand, adult, person

Has it ever happened that you were at the playground and there was an uncle who smiled at you and tried to touch you in a way that didn’t feel good? Has it ever happened that you were riding the lift alone and an adult offered to give you candy in exchange for doing something that you are not comfortable with? That something can be anything from a hug to sitting on their lap. Has it ever happened that your dance teacher, swimming teacher or anyone touched you in a way that made you feel really bad? That is what we call a “bad touch.” Let’s understand it better.

What do you mean by “private parts”?

The first thing you need to understand is that everyone has something called a personal space, a space that only belongs to them. And your body is part of that personal space and belongs to only you and nobody else. Hence there are certain parts of your body that you cover up with your undergarments or a bathing or swimming suit that you refer to as private parts. These parts are not supposed to be touched by anyone barring your parents (if it is required to clean you up), or the doctor (if it is required for a medical check-up) in the presence of your parent or guardian.

Credits: Pinterest (dentistmaa.com)

But barring these private parts if ever it so happens that there are certain other areas of your body that you did not like the way somebody else touched you can call it a “bad touch” as well. 

What is a good touch and what is a bad touch?

A touch refers to an act of touching something or someone. On the one hand, we have good or safe touch. A good or safe touch refers to a touch that makes you feel happy or good. For example, how do you feel when your grandparents hug you? How do you feel when your friends hold your hands while playing or put their arms around you without hurting you? You feel good, right? Hence, these are called good touches.

How do you feel in situations in which your mother or father helps you take a bath or clean yourself after using the washroom? How do you feel in situations where you visit a doctor and they touch you to do your medical check-up in the presence of your mother or father? Do you feel safe? Then this also is considered a good touch or a safe touch. A good touch refers to any kind of touch that makes you feel good or at least doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable or scared.

Credits: Medium

Bad touch or unsafe touch refers to touches that make you feel bad and uncomfortable. This could include somebody touching your private parts, hurting you by grabbing you too tightly or asking you to touch something or someone that you don’t want to as you don’t feel good about it. Whenever you are forced to touch something or someone that you don’t like or somebody touches you in a way you don’t like or feel safe with then that’s when you call it a bad touch. 

What is a secret or special touch?

If you’re confused about whether it’s a bad touch or not just think about how the touch made you feel when it happened, did you feel good and safe or bad and unsafe? Did you feel confused and scared? Or happy and nice? If you feel confused and scared, then you know it’s not a good feeling and hence is a bad touch.  

An important thing to remember is that whenever somebody touches you in a way that you don’t feel good about or basically a bad touch, it’s very important that you let somebody else who is older than you and you trust them, know about it. Often that person who touched you in a bad way may ask you to keep it a “secret” or call it a “special” touch, but you need to remember that it’s your body at the end of the day, if you didn’t feel good then you must let someone older to you whom you trust know about this touch.

Many times the person who touches you badly may offer you a toy or a sweet treat like ice cream, chocolate, etc. or some snack and tell you not to tell others about this “special” touch, or “secret” touch. When that happens ask yourself one thing, do you feel good after receiving such gifts from that person? Or do you feel scared and confused because of what happened? And if you felt scared and confused then how is it a gift? Whenever you receive a gift it should make you feel happy, right? But this is not making you feel happy, then it’s not nice or right. Hence let someone older than you know about this. To understand it better, let’s watch the below video:

Credits: YouTube (LearningPie Preschool)

What can you do?

When someone touches you in a bad way it’s really scary. But here are a few things you can do to help yourself:

  1. Say no:

Always remember if you don’t feel good, you must say no. Would you eat a vegetable if you didn’t like it? Would you continue to read a book if you did not like the story? Would you eat a vanilla cake when you like chocolate? No, right? You always manage to say what you don’t like, so do that when it comes to bad touch as well. In a very loud, clear, and confident tone, say no. 

  1. Run away:

After you’ve said no, the safest thing to do is get away from that person who wanted to touch you badly. Hence, just like Dory from Finding Nemo once said “just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming”, you need to “just keep running, just keep running, just keep running” until you find an adult you trust or are back in your room where you can close the door or are surrounded by people who you know will help you if you ask for their help.

  1. Bite, scratch and run:

It may also happen that the person who wanted to touch you badly won’t let you go. That person may trap you in a room or with their arms. You may not always have a tool at hand to help you in these situations, hence use your body’s natural weapons, i.e., your teeth and nails. Bite as hard as you can and scratch as sharp as you can, this will surely surprise that other person and make them cry in pain for some time, giving you just enough time to run away from them.

  1. Tell an adult who you trust:

The moment you run away from the person who was trying to touch you badly, run to the adult you trust the most and tell them everything. Remember you don’t need to be scared, you didn’t do anything wrong. Asking for help is nothing to feel ashamed about. Don’t let anybody tell you that you were wrong or that you should feel ashamed. Telling an adult that you trust is a must as they will ensure that you don’t face such situations anymore. So, never hesitate to tell an adult about what happened.

Afterword

Your safety is in your hands. Whenever you are feeling threatened or unsafe, always ask for help. Unless you let others know you are hurting, how would they know when to help you? Your body belongs to you and if anybody tries to touch you in a way that doesn’t feel good run and ask for help. Lastly, remember that it’s never your fault, so don’t hesitate to tell an adult whom you trust because you think they might scold you or punish you for what happened.

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EQ: An Overlooked Kind of Intelligence

Emotional intelligence or EQ is often overshadowed by IQ. Let’s try to understand how it differs and why is it important.

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EQ, emotional, intelligence, understand, emotions

Did you know that you can be the smartest person in the room intellectually but also be the dumbest in reading “emotional cues”? Emotional cues refer to hints or signs about how someone is feeling and behaving appropriately. For example, if your friend is not feeling good you will try and ask them if they are okay, did something happen, etc. instead of jumping around and talking about yourself. Although you may think that it is natural, you will be surprised as to how many people still fail to understand others and why they do certain things such as when you are unable to understand why Nobita helps Gian even after he hurts him in Doraemon. This is where emotional intelligence or EQ comes into the picture.

What is EQ?

EQ stands for emotional quotient. It refers to your level of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to a state where you can not only understand your own emotions and process them but also put yourself in somebody else’s place, see things from their point of view, and understand their emotions. Unlike IQ, EQ is usually assessed through self-report questionnaires, behavioural assessments, and peer reviews, which often focus on how one interacts with others and handles emotions. There are five key areas under EQ, they include:

  • Self-awareness:

It refers to your ability to be aware of what you are feeling and accept it. If you’re not happy over something that someone has done to you, you understand that you are feeling the emotion of sadness and accept it. Being aware of your emotions and what you are feeling is the first step in gaining a high EQ or emotional intelligence. Sometimes you can even feel two or three or more emotions at the same time. Such as in the previous scenario, if you’re not happy with what someone has done to you, you may feel sad and angry at the same time.

  • Self-regulation:

Right after awareness comes regulation. It does so happen that sometimes you may feel an emotion very strongly. Let’s understand this with an example, suppose you’re mad that your friend didn’t come to play with you in the evening you may feel so angry that you would want to throw certain things in your room. But those with a higher EQ or emotional intelligence will not act on these thoughts of throwing things in the room when they feel angry as it will not make your friend come to play. Instead, they may engage in other activities or reason with themselves to calm themselves down.

  • Motivation:

More often than not we are motivated by prizes or praises that we receive from others to do better at something. It could be anything from coming first in class to drawing a very pretty picture. However, those with a high EQ or emotional intelligence are motivated to do a task well because it makes them happy or fulfils some of their own internal goals. These goals can range from self-growth to just feeling happy by doing the work.

  • Empathy:

Empathy refers to the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes or being able to put yourself in another person’s situation to understand their emotions and struggles better. It may sound easy but it’s very difficult to do so. This is especially true when they have wronged you in some way, such as, your friend ruined your favourite book that you lent them, it’s not easy to understand why they did it and try to forgive them now, is it? However, those with a high EQ or emotional intelligence can try to understand and forgive their friend for the mistake. It is important to note that just because one has a high EQ doesn’t mean they always end up being understanding and forgiving. Sometimes forgiving someone may become difficult even with someone with a high EQ. 

  • Social Skills:

When you have a high EQ or emotional intelligence you tend to empathise with others or put yourself in other’s situations more. This makes communication with others like your friends better. Suppose when your friend apologises to you for ruining the book you lent them and you let them know why you are mad or sad about what they did but also how you understand it was a mistake and tell them how they can make it better, you establish a clear communication with your friend. And the reason why you can do so is because you can empathise with them and probably have a high EQ. Given that having a high EQ means you are aware of your own emotions and can regulate them as well, it helps your friends and other people to understand you better. Hence, having a high EQ improves your social skills.

How can I develop my EQ?

There is no assured or clear-cut way to improve your EQ as it involves your emotions and it’s not easy to understand and regulate them always. But here are a few tricks and techniques that you can use in your day-to-day life to help you improve your EQ or emotional intelligence:

  • Maintain a mood journal:

The best way to identify your emotions is to maintain a mood journal. Write down what you’re feeling strongly at certain moments in the day. This will help you understand how you’re processing certain situations with certain emotions. It will increase your self-awareness about your emotions and over a period of time you may not need the journal as you can identify your emotions that well. 

  • When you feel negative emotions find a creative outlet:

It’s often easier to feel like crashing and throwing things or doing something destructive to yourself or others when you are experiencing a negative emotion like sadness or anger. But this is not a healthy way to cope with such negative emotions. The healthiest way to deal with negative emotions is by doing something creative or productive. Instead of throwing or breaking your new toy, you can try making a drawing or painting that shows how you’re feeling at that moment. This will help you improve your emotional self-regulation skills.

  • Ask Ask Ask:

Nobody is born with a lot of empathy in them and it’s not easy to do so either. But one way you can develop empathy is by asking the other person how they are feeling and why they are feeling so. It’s only when you ask will you be able to understand them and their situation better. And gradually with time, you will be able to develop your empathy for others and get better at your social skills.

  • Try to find out why you want to achieve something:

Instead of trying hard to achieve something because you will get a prize or praise, sit and think about why you want to achieve something. Do you want to score better in your exams to just receive praise from others? Or do you want to do it for the gold medal? Or do you want to do it to see how much you have improved as compared to the last exam? Try to find out why it matters to you.

Afterword

EQ or emotional intelligence is often ignored and is considered the same as IQ. Hence, many believe that if you have a high IQ then you have a high EQ as well. But it’s not always the case. EQ requires you to understand certain areas of the human mind and emotions for which there is no guidebook or proper formula. It takes time and a lot of patience but once you are able to gain a higher emotional intelligence your life becomes easier and enriching in the long run.

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IQ: Intelligent Question?

We hope this article serves as a mini guide to help you understand the concept of intelligence and IQ better.

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IQ, Intelligence, tests, misconceptions, academics

Intelligence is a trait that people usually associate with geniuses. You must have heard a thousand times from people around you like your family members, teachers and everyone about how you should study hard and be intelligent about decisions in your life, how being intelligent is the solution to everything in life and you should strive to achieve that. But have you ever wondered how they measure this intelligence? And does being intelligent in one area make you an intelligent person in general? That’s when IQ or Intelligence Quotient steps in.

What is IQ?

IQ or intelligence quotient usually refers to the measure of intelligence in a person. It basically consists of a series of tests or a single test whose score highlights what’s your intelligence level. So, when somebody asks you, what is your IQ they are referring to the score that you received on these tests that highlight how intelligent you truly are. Sometimes it is interchangeably used with the word intelligence as they more or less mean the same thing.

But is someone’s intelligence a one size fits all pair of pants? Not at all. It’s not necessary that your IQ or intelligence quotient will be high in every part of life. Ideally, an IQ test should take into account the different kinds of intelligence that one requires in their life and not just intelligence related to academics. But sadly the reality is that most IQ tests or intelligence quotient tests usually measure your intelligence in the academic part which makes you think that being intelligent in academics is all you need to be deemed intelligent. So, let’s look into more such misconceptions about intelligence or IQ in society.

Misconceptions about intelligence & IQ tests

The popular misconceptions or misunderstandings that people have about intelligence & IQ tests in general include:

  • Intelligence is entirely inherited

The most common misconception about intelligence that people seem to have is the idea that intelligence is inherited. You must have come across scenarios where people go like, “Her parents are intelligent, I wonder how she didn’t get any brains from them?” Though your DNA or the genes you inherit from your parents do indeed play a role in your intelligence, more than that, the environment that you grew up in also determines how high your intelligence can be. Access to quality education, nutrition, parental support, and even putting in a lot of effort from your end determines how high your intelligence can be. 

  • High IQ or intelligence will ensure that you are more successful in life

Another common misconception that people have is that being highly intelligent or having a high IQ will for sure mean that you will succeed in life. But that’s not always the case. Having a high IQ does give one a small push over others but there are other characteristics in an individual that determine how successful they become in life. These include creativity, determination, resilience, interpersonal skills or your ability to be able to talk and understand others, etc. Just having a high IQ doesn’t mean you will be successful in everything you do. You need to hone that intelligence to perfection. It is just like knowing how to play a sport or an instrument doesn’t mean you will always come first in a competition for that particular sport or instrument. You need to put in the effort to hone your skills and better yourself every day. 

  • IQ or intelligence is fixed and cannot be changed

Many people assume that intelligence is something that is fixed, and if you are bad at something you will never improve. Here’s a secret, there’s no such thing as never improving if you practice hard enough. If you think that you’re bad at sports or maths or dance, try practising it every day. Nobody is born with everything, many people learn it on the way. And who said you are not one of those people? Throughout as you learn and grow so will your IQ and intelligence. So, don’t give up!

  • All you need to do to be considered intelligent is study a lot

This idea that intelligence is only related to academics is a very old and rather popular one. How many times have you seen someone, look at someone scoring high on a test and praise them as the most intelligent child in the class? Very often people assume that intelligence or IQ is more or less related to academics. But in reality, there are different types of intelligence. Someone can be great at dancing but not so much when it comes to academics. But that doesn’t imply that they don’t have intelligence or IQ. Even the most simple dance choreography requires a lot of eye-hand coordination, understanding space and body movements, etc. At the same time, someone can be great at studies but bad at talking to people or understanding emotions.

One of the main reasons why people think if you are good at studies then you are intelligent in every part of life is because it is easy to calculate marks that are very objective (i.e. remains the same regardless of the situation. For example- your friend from a different school also has the same marking system out of 100 in exams as you do) in nature compared to sports or dance or singing, as they are very subjective (i.e. can differ depending on a person’s choice. For example- you may like Ruskin Bond as a writer but some may prefer Enid Blyton. It is hard to determine who is actually good as both are equally established.) in nature. And as you are good in school people assume you will be good in other parts of life as well.

  • IQ or intelligence tests are highly reliable

There are a lot of IQ tests available everywhere. You need to understand that not all of them are fully reliable. As again each IQ test tests a few areas of intelligence, such as verbal reasoning, logical reasoning, etc. Many fail to test your emotional intelligence, your creativity, etc. Plus the test takers mood on the day of the test also affects their IQ results. That doesn’t mean they are not intelligent they were just having a bad day.

Afterword

IQ or intelligence tests are very popular, in today’s day and age. And as more and more people are getting aware of these tests a lot of misconceptions are also getting spread around it, affecting people and their self-worth as people attach their value to their intelligence (which as we have discussed before under misconceptions, IQ is normally associated with academics). To help you understand the concept of intelligence and IQ better and stop discrimination based on one’s intelligence, we hope this article serves as a mini guide.

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