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When a little deal is a big deal, especially with kids
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When people say, It is not a big deal, one has to believe them. The problem is, with kids, a little deal may be a big deal. For that matter, who is to say what a big deal or a little deal is for grown-ups? - photo by Joseph Cramer, MD
When people say, It is not a big deal, one has to believe them. The problem is, with kids, a little deal may be a big deal. For that matter, who is to say what a big or a little deal is for grown-ups?

Perhaps what is a little deal to an adult can be huge by proportion to a child, due to their diminutive stature. Children suffer the same biochemical effects of post-traumatic stress disorder as grown-ups. Fear models the brain. Hormones surge, telling the developing cells where to go as they build the mind. With calm, they head up to the right. With fearful stimuli, they head down and to the left.

For children, little is big because their young neurons are connecting at a faster rate. Their brains are under construction. This is neural plasticity. Kids assemble the brain cells to brain cells synapsis at the speed of light compared to big people. The outcome is little is big. The more the connections, the bigger the deals.

Little is big not only because of the numbers but also because yesterdays memories create todays perceptions. When trauma starts early, the impact only keeps growing. The motto for brain cells is: The more we fire, the more we fire.

It is not only the smaller size of the child that explains why little is big. It also depends upon the sensitivity of the inborn wiring. Our minds blueprints start from genetics and the environment of the womb. They are modified like change orders in a new house. A newborn shows the temperament of threshold from the start. For some, a simple touch is a big deal. Others sleep through the doctors physical exam, including the shock of a cold stethoscope.

Experience is another definer of little and big deals. For a child without the life opportunities to say otherwise, a noise in the dark is a big deal. Only when they grow up do they realize there are always noises in the dark.

Knowledge also transforms little into big or big into little. Information is like those traveling antique dealers on TV who value Aunt Verlins punch bowl as a priceless vase from the Ming Dynasty. Before, it was just old and no big deal. On the other hand, the painting above the mantel that was thought to be an original Picasso is really a cover from an art magazine.

We often say something is not a big deal when it really is. It is a means of protection. A child hopes that a parent will show up to hear him or her play the solo in the school band, or to watch the final game of the season. When the parent fails to show, the kids answer is often, It is not big deal.

The pain is supposed to diminish when it is not a big deal, but it still hurts. It is a huge deal when a parent is not there in times of overwhelming need. It is not just the physical presence; it is what Dr. Zeynep Biringen, a professor of human development and family studies at Colorado State University, calls emotional availability.

A person covers fear, shame and disappointment by making something big little. There is less damage that way. Little is good if it is helpful to our mind.

Worry escalates much into larger dimensions. It is the little molehill and the big mountain problem. An anxious grandmother recounts an incident of a nervous daughter and her critically ill child. There was even a Code Blue called to save the childs life. When one retrieves the medical records, there was no such danger or excitement. Was big little or was it little became big?

We enlarge deals for a lot of reasons. Some are conscious acts of inflation. Others may be overt but with the reason unknown. The opposite can also be part of our mental repertoire: By making something little, we feel big.

Feigning humility through self-deprecation is risky, especially if we start to believe we are nothing, not even a little deal.

Knowing what is really a big deal and what is really a little deal is a super big deal.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.