Older people and clubbing

The ageism around clubbing is unquestioned. A recent survey showed that people usually stop going dancing at about 37 years old. Older people often aren’t let in into a club. There are some phrases like “Dad dancing” or “Mom dancing” which imply that if you can’t do it properly anymore you shouldn’t try. Older people are allowed salsa, Zumba or attending the gym but as soon as they step into a club they get laughed at. Young people make it seem like clubbing for older is not acceptable and yet it can be really healthy for mature people. Dancing is good for heart and lungs, it reduces the risk of dementia. It also helps with depression, improves balance and gives us a boost of confidence. So who cares about people laughing at you? Get out, have fun and stop caring so much. It’s your life after all so do whatever you want and own it.

Source:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/22/im-an-older-man-and-i-love-to-dance-whats-wrong-with-that

How the pandemic affected our approach to reading

The pandemic was a hard time for a lot of us. Forced to stay inside we looked for ways to relax and draw our attention away from the ongoing situation. Because of that there was a huge spike in people buying and borrowing books. Reading during the pandemic showed us how meanings of books can change. Based on hundreds of surveys we see that interpretation of literature is something dynamic. Books can acquire new meanings when read under unfolding conditions. The meaning changes depending on by whom and when they are read. During the pandemic all of us tried taking up some hobbies. Reading definitely was one of them. I think that reading is a great way to bond with people. Reading books or watching movies and talking about it with our friends made the pandemic a bit less lonely. It felt like we were doing something together even if we weren’t able to be next to each other.

Source:

https://theconversation.com/how-the-pandemic-affected-our-approach-to-reading-and-interpretation-of-books-195238

Warhol and Basquiat to be reborn on screen

"The Collaboration" is a play about a collaboration between two artists - Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat written by a four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten. The Young Vic play received numerous positive reviews and was an absolute hit which made a transfer to Broadway and a major film adaptation possible. Both of the main characters played on stage by Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope will be played by the same actors on the big screen, which is pretty unusual but very appreciated by the movie director. The movie will be set in 1980s in New York and will tell the story of the artists' lives. This is really exciting news, especially after being able to see their works in real life. It will be incredibly interesting to see how the artists interacted, how their conversations might have looked like and how they managed to overcome their differences and turn them into a beautiful exhibition.

Source:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/aug/21/the-colloboration-andy-warhol-basquiat-movie-play-paul-bettany-jeremy-pope

Doggy dementia

Even though it's pretty difficult to spot, dogs can get dementia too. Doggy dementia is similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans, which we can generally see in dogs over 8 years old. Pets with this illness often get lost in their home, their interaction with people and other dogs can change. They tend to sleep a lot during the day and be more active at night. Other than that their activity levels can change too - from running around all of the time to barely getting up from their beds. I think that it's really important to pay attention to our dog's behavior. If we notice something suspicious we need to consult a vet. There are some medications to reduce signs of this disease. Research into non-drug treatment is planned, which is amazing. Who knows maybe there are some simple exercises that could help our best friends with this disease.

Source:

https://theconversation.com/dogs-can-get-dementia-but-lots-of-walks-may-lower-the-risk-189297

How to deal with seasonal depression

During autumn and winter a huge amount of people feel worse than usual or simply out of it. This feeling is called seasonal affective disorder (Sad) and it occurs only during specific seasons. There are many ways to improve your wellbeing during this hard time. The most important thing to do is getting outside into natural daylight. Because of the days being shorter our body clocks are disrupted and getting outside at least a couple times a day may help us with feeling more alert during the day. Other than that finding a hobby and practicing humor can be very helpful. As I mentioned before a lot of people struggle with this disorder and it's important to know how to deal with it. Those methods, even though at first they may seem pointless, can actually help us get through those months. Spending at least a bit of time every day to do those activities can help us a bunch so remember not to give up easily and fight for your wellbeing!

Source:

https://theconversation.com/seasonal-depression-small-things-you-can-do-every-day-to-cope-192453?fbclid=IwAR3r5CCYI6BZYagNJIEeKu469Fl3T8ibqB91lBogY6SrJZFrSBX3Q7VXnpw

Animal friendships

Animal friendships are similar to our own in many ways. A lot of us find friends within our age range like whales or elephants. We also enjoy talking to people with alike personalities just like chimpanzees do. Physical touch is very important, for example rooks gently touch friends with their beaks and monkeys comb each other’s fur with their hands. There also exist some long-distance friendships! Dolphin whistles can travel up to 740 meters, which helps with staying in touch with their pals. In my opinion animals need friends as much as we do. Having someone close makes us all feel safer and we know that we can always count on them when we need help. For some animals they can even be actual life savers. It's incredible that even if it seems like every creature on Earth is different we can always find some similarities between us.

source:

https://theconversation.com/animal-friendships-are-surprisingly-like-our-own-188120

The impact the pandemic had on our personalities

For most of people some personality traits stay the same throughout their whole life, while others change slightly. However a new study shows that traumatic events in our life can cause our personalities to change rapidly. The study began in 2014 and involved over 7000 participants from US that before and during the pandemic completed the "Big Five Inventory" - an assessment tool that measures personality across five dimensions. There weren't many changes pre pandemic however in 2021/2022 researchers found declines in extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. I think that the results of this study make a lot of sense. During pandemic all of us went through some drastic changes - that explains our personality changes and a huge decrease in our well-being. This difficult time affected us in many areas and because of that it was way harder for us to get back to our regular lives.

source:

https://theconversation.com/has-the-pandemic-changed-our-personalities-new-research-suggests-were-less-open-agreeable-and-conscientious-191308