The Pew Research Center and “Antisocial Networking”

On April 20, 2010, the Pew Research Center* reported the following: - Half of American teenagers (ages 12-17) send 50 or more text messages a day. - One third of them send more than 100 a day. This study, cited in The New York Times, makes the point that teens are more likely to use their cellphones to text friends than to call them. The report says the question researchers have is whether texting leads to more connectedness and supportiveness, or whether the quality of the interactions is being diminished “without the intimacy and emotional give and take of regular, extended face-to-face time.” The report goes on to say that people who study relationships believe “close childhood friendships help kids build trust in people outside their families and consequently help lay the groundwork for healthy adult relationships.” Our question is, “Is technology bringing children closer or making them weaker in terms of face-to-face human contact skills?” Whatever the answer to this question, the issue is certain to play a key role in workplace relations going forward. - Will technology make adults more or less compatible with their workplace associates? - Should employers be aware of this potential actuality so as to take advantage of it, or will it take care of itself? The researchers have had their say, but what about others from the real world? What do you think about the issue of how technology is shaping our youths? (Responses to these questions are certain to be informed by the age of the respondent, and that factor will be significant too.) * “The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan ‘fact tank’ that provides information on the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take positions on policy issues.”

Progesterone – Hormones and Brain Injury

The National Institute of Health (NIH) is funding a nationwide study to further explore how the female hormone progesterone protects the brain; that is, both the female and the male brains, after trauma. The curative value of the hormone came to light in a preliminary study of 100 brain injury cases when the progesterone was tested for its safety. Progesterone is best known as a female hormone that is a vital constituent in maintaining pregnancies. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.5 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury every year, and more than 50,000 of them die of complications from the injury. Moreover, survivors of such injuries suffer long-term needs. The original NIH study found that patients given the progesterone were 50% less likely to have died than the placebo group. The study also found that among moderate brain-injury survivors, those who received the progesterone were less disabled, and some even made a full recovery. The study the NIH is now undertaking is an extended test to track both the safety and effectiveness of the hormone. If the results of the extended test remain positive, the implications for employers will be great. The CDC shows the leading causes of traumatic brain injuries as: 28% Falls 20% Motor Vehicle Crashes 19% Struck by/against objects 11% Assaults The CDC also reported that males are 1½ times more likely to sustain a traumatic brain injury than females. While the CDC does not report where the traumas occurred, it is logical that a high percentage of them occurred in the workplace. Employers and their supervisors will do well to remember the effectiveness of progesterone at the time of the injuries. The preliminary NIH study also showed that the earlier the progesterone was used, the more effective it was in the long run. Traditionally thought of as a “female hormone,” progesterone might be best referred to as a “protection hormone.” How do you feel about its use in male patients with traumatic brain injuries? Considering the success of the NIH study, should more studies be undertaken?