Dr. Michael Nagel

At a time when more and more young people are on screens or being hyper-educated to achieve academic success the importance of play could not be more important.

Play, at all ages, is integral to healthy overall development and important for society. We all want children to become socially competent and mentally and physically healthy adults who can succeed in all aspects of life and play is the cornerstone for ensuring such outcomes. Relatedly, playing outdoors and spending time in nature adds another layer to children’s overall healthy development.

This presentation explores this important topic by looking at how the brain develops and how play shapes the neural hardwiring of a healthy mind.

Since the 1990’s advances in technology and scientific research have provided new insights into the neurological development of children.

As a result of this work all aspects of education and child care have been reinvigorated with new understandings of how the brain grows and develops, how this might impact on behaviour and learning and ultimately how early experiences may shape who we become as we grow into adulthood. Worryingly, neuroscientific research has also been used to perpetuate a number of neuromyths focusing on enrichment and building ‘better brains’.

This presentation focuses on debunking a number of those myths by looking at contemporary research into how the brain matures and develops, how nurture impacts on nature and the implications of this as we engage with children in various educational contexts.

What are the most important things we can do to nurture the development of young minds and what might hinder that development?

The first part of that question has an extensive body of research to support it. And while we do have insights into what can hinder development, the last decade has demonstrated that Intensive Early Screen Exposure (IESE) and overall time on screens appears to be having a range of detrimental impacts on the developing brain.

In this presentation, Dr Michael Nagel will present evidence and research that looks at how screens might literally be reshaping the brains of young people in less than helpful ways. He will also present the steps that can be taken to ensure children and teens have the optimum environment to grow and develop in a world saturated in technology.

From birth through adolescence the human brain is busy maturing and developing into one of the most extraordinary phenomenon in the universe.

The transition from child to adult depends in part on getting the right kinds of experiences at the right time to ensure optimum development. Since 2010 those experiences have been hijacked by screen devices, apps and social media resulting in increases in a vast array of disorders.

This presentation explores the impact of screens on the developing brain and how they may be rewiring the minds of those who have never lived without the internet. It also unpacks what can be done to alleviate the hijacking noted above to ensure young minds get the types of experiences necessary to ensure healthy development and life outcomes.