6 . Childhood Media Shaping Futures

Much of the media we consume during our formative years shapes us into the people we are today. Reflect on a particular piece of media from our childhood—perhaps it’s the TV show we eagerly awaited every weekend during visits to our grandmother’s house.     1     It shapes our dreams and fears and even drives us to future careers.

    2     Older children may have had a lot more restrictions, like TV shows, movies, and social media access. And because of these, they were able to be a child for longer compared to their siblings (兄弟姐妹). Children who have older siblings tend to show more mature tendencies and can appear to “grow up quicker” than other children their age.

While they might have been restricted from social media accounts until a certain age, once given access, they tend to be more prepared. The media exposure of our generation has undoubtedly led to an increased maturation at younger ages.     3    

Simply looking back at previous generations and the rate of consumption and processing of information that we experience every day, the effects of such are only beginning. As soon-to-be or current adults, we are already facing issues such as depression, anxiety, and delays in certain learning and social skills, just to name a few. Are we “more mature?” or are we overexposed and at risk for exceptional mental, physical, and emotional consequences?

In conclusion, childhood media consumption significantly influences our lives.     4     Striking a balance between media exposure and mental well-being is essential for our growth in today’s media-rich world.

8 . The Role of Crowdfunding in Business Growth

Crowdfunding is a fundraising method that makes use of the power of the Internet and social networks. It involves raising small amounts of money from a large number of individuals or investors, typically through online platforms. These platforms connect entrepreneurs (创业者) with potential backers who contribute funds to support a specific project, business, or idea.

Types of Crowdfunding

Reward-Based Crowdfunding—Backers get a reward, such as a product sample or easy access, in exchange for their contribution. This model is popular for startups and creative projects.   

Equity (股权) Crowdfunding—Investors receive shares or equity in the business in exchange for their funding. This model is ideal for small businesses looking to raise substantial capital and is subject to specific regulations.

Debt Crowdfunding—Entrepreneurs borrow money from backers and agree to repay it with interest over time. This model is similar to a loan and is suitable for businesses with a clear repayment plan.

Tips for a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

Set clear goals: Define your funding goal, the purpose of the funds, and how you’ll use the money.

Persuasive story: Make an appealing and genuine story about your business. Explain why it matters and how backers’ contributions will make a difference.

Engage your network: Mobilize your existing network of friends, family, and professional contacts to support your campaign. Their initial contributions can build momentum (动力).

Transparency: Be transparent and honest about your project’s progress and any challenges you encounter. Backers appreciate honesty.

Fulfill promises: Once your campaign is successful, fulfill your promises to backers timely and communicate regularly.

9 . Growing up in Ukraine, Vadim didn’t know what it was like to live in a safe, stable home. His parents were alcoholics who would often beat him. They’d even stuff him into a wine container, breaking his little body and leaving only a small opening at the top so he could breathe and see — but only just a little.

By the time Vadim turned 9, he was living in an orphanage (孤儿院). Unfortunately, as is the case with far too many little ones, his life only got worse there. Not only was he hurt, but he was placed in a room on the third floor, making it impossible to get downstairs in a wheelchair.

This left Vadim crawling up and down the stairs, an activity that was both physically and mentally exhausting. He’d often be late for meals. If the food wasn’t already gone by the time he arrived, other kids would steal from him.

Then, a chain effect began when some special folks visited the orphanage. They told him a story about a spiritual figure who advocated love and forgiveness. This conversation helped the 14-year-old find his faith and, in turn, he had more hope than he ever had before.

Today, Vadim is on longer the boy subject to fate. He is a father to his own kids, and his life couldn’t be more different or better. Over the years, he’s discovered a gift for expressing himself through art. This inspired Tim Tebow Foundation, an organization fighting for the most vulnerable (脆弱的) people around the world, to ask if he’d like to create a piece that represented what it looked and felt like for him to have gone from “darkness to light.”

The result? A truly remarkable painting that features Vadim, in his wheelchair, leaving behind his old home, including the wine container his parents stuffed him into. His new direction includes a beautiful forest full of fall leaves and bright light, showing the hope he is said to have found in the inspiring story.

Unfamiliar Music May Help People Chat at Parties

If you want your guests to be particularly sociable at an upcoming party, make sure you play music they probably haven’t heard before.

To explore how background music affects the way we     1     conversations, researchers Jane Brown and Gavin Bidelman conducted a study analyzing the brain activity of 31 individuals aged21 and 33. During the experiment, participants listened to 72 minutes of an audiobook (有声读物), which the pair used as a replacement for     2     on someone talking, while background music was accompanied by the audiobook for most of the time.

For half of the experiment, the participants were asked to focus on2-minute parts of an unfamiliar audiobook read by a man. The rest of the time, they were told to focus on four background songs, which were similarly     3     for2 minutes at a time. This     4     in voices aimed to assess participants’ ability to shift attention between two distinctly different voices.

During the experiment, all the participants wore     5     caps to monitor the electrical activity taking place in their brains. This     6     of electrical activity was the key. It allowed Brown and Bidelman to discover how efficiently these individuals could focus on either the audiobook or the music when     7     to do so. The finding revealed that the participants could     8     turn their attention to the audiobook if the background music was unfamiliar to them.

Following the task, the participants completed a music perception survey evaluating their musical skills, such as the capacity to     9     whether a pair of similar-sounding tunes are the same. Notably, those with lower musical scores demonstrated slower attentional shifts between songs and audiobooks, suggesting a(n)     10     link between musical ability and attention management skills.