Infographic: Brain health and media

Have you ever wondered how your brain is doing? It would be worthwhile, because a healthy brain is the basis of a balanced media behaviour! In order to function your brain needs movement, rest and a diverse diet.

The attached infographic contains the building blocks of brain well-being, especially for the media behaviour of young people. The aim of the material and assignments is to encourage young people to reflect on their media use habits from the perspective of brain well-being.

ASSIGNMENT:

• Reflect on your media behaviour using the picture below and answer the questions in the picture (grayed out).
• Write down your answers in a way that you like or as instructed by your teacher.
• Then discuss your answers and the thoughts raised by the infographic with your partner or group.
• Document key observations about your media routine.

Finally, dismantle the assignment with the class and discuss with the teacher how it would be possible to overcome the challenges of everyday media life that burden the well-being of the brain. If you wish, you can agree together on what action the whole class is trying to invest in supporting the well-being of the brain this week.

BONUS ASSIGNMENT:

Create a poster alone, in pairs, or in small groups to support brain well-being. The poster can be implemented digitally (e.g. Padlet, Canva, ThingLink) or more traditionally by crafting.

Text equivalent of the infographic:

Brain health and media – what is required?

Sleep and rest

Sleep is one of the most important factors in brain health. Sleep clears, restores and regenerates your brain.

Does the way you use media affect what time you go to sleep? Do you let your brain recover overnight or do you keep checking your phone at night?

Idling

Quiet moments with no stimulation are important for restoring the brain and promoting creative thinking.

Do you give your brain any unstimulating moments?

Peaceful time to focus

Smart devices attract our attention with their tinkle and sometimes tempt us to do too many things at once.

How do you make sure that you are not distracted when you are with people that you care about or are doing a task that requires concentration?

Versatile stimuli

Your brain likes it when you use it in a variety of ways and deviate from routines. Handicrafts, listening to music and small problem-solving tasks are great for the brain.

Do you include a variety of activities in your daily life? Do you use media in a number of different ways? How could you surprise or challenge your brain?

Exercising and losing your breath

Exercising speeds up your thought processes, improves your alertness and shapes your brain by making new connections. Exercise can help when you need to learn difficult things.

Does music make you want to dance or jog? Or does your smartphone keep you glued to your couch? How could your smart devices make you exercise?

Touching and meeting people

A touch caresses the brain and reduces stress. Screens are often an important means of communication, but they are no substitute for meeting people face to face.

Where do you meet people you care about? And when was the last time you gave someone a hug?