Pictograms and mood.

Pictograms, icons and graphic representations understood as figures or symbols that communicate a concept or an idea have always had a fundamental role in human communication, as a way of transmitting a message directly, accessible to everyone and striking, for therefore, easy to remember or, seen from the opposite angle, less likely to be forgotten. Now, in the era of social networks and the consumption of information at a glance and/or click, they are experiencing a new golden age as a vehicle to transmit information or simply provoke a reaction, in an attractive and immediate way. Hence, they are the object of study by communication and marketing researchers.

But their potential is much greater, or so is clear from a recent study carried out by researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who have discovered a new capacity or additional benefit of pictograms: they can induce optimism. Specifically, in certain circumstances and as a vehicle for depending on what messages, they can influence our mood, promoting a greater feeling of optimism and confidence, or pessimism and negativity.

As? What the authors of the research have confirmed is that, in the case of what are known as frequency pictograms, those used to visually represent a percentage or probability, the presence of several icons or identical and grouped images produces in the receiver of the message a favorable feeling, optimism and confidence regarding their own possibilities. On the contrary, using isolated figures instills a feeling of pessimism, distrust and negativity.

A very powerful example that allows us to fully understand the potential of this conclusion refers to the way of presenting the percentage of chances of overcoming a disease. Thus, if we talk about the health effects of tobacco consumption, if the message is, For example, “80% of patients overcome the disease”, and it is expressed by representing a group of 8 figures, it is possible to instill optimism and confidence in the treatment. On the contrary, if the message is “1 in 5 smokers dies”, and is expressed with an isolated figure, it conveys a feeling of pessimism and negativity towards tobacco consumption (even though the percentage reported is the same in both cases: 80% survive).

This has led researchers to conclude that “the use of grouped or isolated pictograms can be used strategically depending on whether the message to be transmitted is favorable or negative; promotional or prohibitive. At the same time, future areas of research are pointed out in this area: for example, if mere repetition, the presence of icons or grouped images, generates a feeling of optimism and confidence regardless of the concept that these icons capture; whether the effect is more powerful when all the icons are the same or different, etc.

THE BATA EFFECT

In this sense, a most suggestive approach is to explore whether this repetition of pictograms is behind the success of Hawaiian shirts (or Christmas sweaters, for example); garments regarding which there is an almost unanimous consensus on their inherent horterism; Despite which, summer yes, summer too, they are a bestseller: is there a parallel effect to the one known as the Bata Effect that explains it?

The Robe Effect (or, in more academic terms, clothed cognition) refers to how the clothes we wear can modify and improve, refine, optimize, guide, or however you want to express our cognitive capacity. This effect was first documented in a 2012 study by researchers at Northwestern University. In it, those responsible carried out a series of experiments with which they verified that the results obtained in a test of attention and concentration capacity achieved by a group of volunteers improved significantly when they performed them dressed in a white doctor's coat. An improvement that, however, was not experienced by another group of volunteers when they wore an identical white coat but presented in this case as “a painter's coat.” Nor did a third group of subjects who carried out the test with the same doctor's coat on display. Results that, according to the researchers, are justified through a double effect: the physical experience of wearing the garment, in this case the doctor's coat, and the symbolic meaning given to it. That is, the values, attributes and capabilities that are usually assigned to those who usually wear it, in this case, doctors.

Back to the success of Hawaiian shirts, is it possible that, by virtue of their motley prints based on repeated and grouped pictograms, they manage to generate a feeling of optimism in those who wear them, that things are going to go well for us and it is going to be a great day?

What is toxic positivity?

Learn why not addressing negative emotions can cause psychological damage

When we feel depressed, anxious, angry, or sad, a common coping mechanism is to bury those feelings and emotions and try to move on. It’s also common to hear that it isn't constructive to ruminate on the things that keep us down, and that a shift in mindset or perspective can lift us out of our fatalistic slumber.

The often-uttered slogans, 'happiness is a mindset,’ or 'good vibes only,’ can sometimes hide the darker aspects of the human experience and is often referred to as toxic positivity.

"Generally denying or suppressing emotion is understood to be a poor emotional regulation strategy. It can work in some instances, but over the long term, people may not confront or understand how they are feeling,” says Brock Bastian, a psychologist from the University of Melbourne, who has studied how societal pressure to be happy leads to poor wellbeing. “This leaves those responses unaddressed or unprocessed and this continues to impact on their wellbeing."

Is it Good to Always Stay Positive?

It's true to an extent, that learning to see the positive side of negative experiences can help us build resilience, to grow into wiser, more well-rounded people. But the cost of ignoring why we might feel down may end up causing lasting psychological damage. We can begin to shift blame onto ourselves for not feeling happy, rather than thinking about the external and internal conditions that led to us feeling down at a particular time.

Bastian and his co-authors found people experiencing negative emotions feel socially disconnected if they think others around them not only want them to be happy but expect them to feel happy, too. They feel that their emotions are not normal or socially acceptable.

This type of dynamic can happen often online. Naturally, we want to know what our friends are up to, and what's happening in the world around us. There is, though, a tendency for people to highlight only what's positive about their life, be it a holiday, anniversary, or birth. We then shape an image of ourselves that ignores the mundane, or depressing, which sends an unrealistic message to our peers of what our lives are like.

Dealing With Negative Emotions

If we tell our friends or family to 'get over it,’ it can diminish their experience. By telling that person to look at their lives from a different perspective, we neglect a basic human need to feel heard.

"Sharing our negative experiences with others is very important – we all have them and when we feel we just need to snap out of it, or that others are not comfortable with engaging with this side of ourselves, we tend to lack authenticity in our interactions with others,"

Are Feelings of Anxiety and Depression Normal?

If we are not willing to accept negative emotions as part of life, Bastian explains, we may see negative emotions or feelings as a sign that there is something wrong with us. But it is normal to feel depressed and anxious sometimes, and we experience these emotions for a reason. Anxiousness and sadness can give us information about the state of our bodies in relation to a situation we are in, and we should listen to these emotions for our wellbeing.

When the expectation is that it is not normal to feel these emotions, Bastian believes we can pathologize our negative emotions, leading us to think we may have clinical, diagnosable forms of depression or anxiety. It is important, however, not to trivialize the experience of these emotions. When these emotions stick around for more than a few days (or weeks) and when they begin to impact our ability to live effectively and to carry out what we need to do, then seeking help should be advised.

It's possible to still be optimistic about the world, to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it feels like things are closing in around us. Bastian thinks happiness is more strongly influenced by how comfortable we are with our negative emotions, rather than how much we enjoy experiencing positive emotio

What are renewable energies?

Renewable energies are a type of energy derived from natural sources that can be replaced faster than they can be consumed. An example of these sources is, for example, sunlight and wind; These sources are continually renewed. Renewable energy sources abound and we find them in any environment.

In contrast, fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, are non-renewable energy sources that take hundreds of millions of years to form. Fossil fuels produce energy by burning, causing harmful emissions in the form of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Renewable energy generation produces far fewer emissions than burning fossil fuels. A transition from fossil fuels, which currently account for the majority of emissions, to renewable energy is essential to address the crisis caused by climate change.

Today, renewable energy is cheaper in most countries and generates three times more jobs than fossil fuels.

Here are some common sources of renewable energy:

SOLAR ENERGY

Of all the energy sources, solar energy is the most abundant and, in addition, it can also be obtained even under cloudy skies. The rate at which the Earth intercepts solar energy is approximately 10,000 times faster than the rate at which humanity consumes the energy.

Solar technologies can produce heat, cooling, natural light, electricity, and also fuels for a multitude of applications. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy, either through photovoltaic panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.

Although not all countries are equally benefited by sunlight, we know that in any country an important contribution of solar energy to all its energy sources would be viable.

The cost of manufacturing solar panels has dropped precipitously over the last decade, making them, in addition to being affordable, often the most economical way to produce electricity. Solar panels have a useful life of around 30 years and come in a wide variety of shades depending on the type of material used during their manufacturing.

 

WIND POWER

Wind energy takes advantage of the kinetic energy of moving air through the use of enormous wind turbines located on land surfaces, in the high seas or in fresh waters (on the water surface). Wind energy has been used for millennia, but technologies, both on land and on water, have evolved in the last few decades to become a powerful way to produce electricity thanks to taller turbines and rotors that have larger diameters. .

Although average wind speeds vary markedly depending on each location, the global technical potential for wind energy exceeds the global production of electrical energy, also taking into account the potential in most regions of the planet to allow significant deployment. of this wind-based energy.

In many areas of the world we find strong winds with very high speeds; However, the best places to generate this energy are sometimes located in the most remote locations. The generation of wind energy in aquatic areas has significant potential.

 

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

Geothermal energy uses the thermal energy available from the Earth's interior. Heat is extracted from geothermal deposits through wells or other means.

Reservoirs with these high enough temperatures and naturally permeable are called hydrothermal reservoirs, while reservoirs that have sufficient heat, but use means of hydraulic stimulation, are called enhanced geothermal systems.

Once on the surface, fluids at various temperatures can be used to generate electricity. This technology, which consists of generating electricity through geothermal deposits, is already mature and reliable, and has been in use for more than 100 years.

 

HYDROELECTRIC POWER

Hydroelectric energy takes advantage of the energy produced by the movement of water when it rises or falls steeply. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers. Hydroelectric plants in reservoirs use stored and stagnant water, while river hydroelectric plants use the energy produced by the flow of water in a river.

Hydroelectric reservoirs usually have multiple applications, producing drinking water, water for irrigation, flood and drought control, navigation services and also this energy supply that we indicate.

Hydroelectric energy is currently the largest source of renewable energy within the electricity sector. It is based on generally stable rainfall patterns and can be negatively affected by droughts caused by climate change, or even by changes in ecosystems, which also produces this problem and which can affect these rainfall patterns.

The infrastructure needed to create hydroelectricity can also cause changes to ecosystems in very negative ways. For this reason, there are many who defend this small-scale energy source as a more environmentally friendly option and especially suitable for communities located in very remote locations.

 

OCEAN ENERGY

Ocean energy derives from technologies that use the thermal energies of seawater, waves or water currents, for example, to produce electricity or heat.

Ocean energy systems are still in an early stage of development with a variety of wave and tidal current conversion devices in the experimental phase. The theoretical potential of ocean energy exceeds any current energy needs in human beings.

 

BIOENERGY

Bioenergy is produced from various organic materials, called biomass, such as wood, coal, manure and other fertilizers used for the production of heat and electricity, and agricultural crops used for liquid biofuels. Most of the biomass is used in rural areas for cooking, providing lighting and heat in rooms, and by the most disadvantaged populations in developing countries.

Modern biomass systems incorporate specific trees or crops, residues from agriculture or forest environments, as well as organic waste streams.

The energy created from burning biomass forms greenhouse gas emissions, although at lower levels than the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil or gas. However, bioenergy should only be applied in certain situations since its potentially negative impacts on the environment are related to a large-scale increase in bioenergy plantations and forests, which generates deforestation and a change in the use of the areas. of Earth.