We care about the most important issues that impact our readers. We want to make sure that we keep you as informed on the most up-to-date, top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art news as possible.
That’s why we think you need to know about the latest study.
It’s titled “The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus.” Yes, it means exactly what you think it does.
Welcome to the world of the Internet. It’s either a dangerous Web to navigate or a wonderful world to explore.
This study is the latter. It claims that people who looked at baby animals were more productive at tasks requiring focus.
Do you realize what this means?
It means we have an excuse. It means we can look at all the cute photos we want, all in the name of productivity.
“The students attempted the task three times; the first after looking at a series of pictures of baby animals, then after seeing adult animals and finally after seeing pictures of delicious foods,” according to a Huffington Post article.
Maybe the point is to take more breaks when doing work or studying for a test. The human brain probably isn’t wired to work on something for an extended period of time, and cute animals are one of the best distractions.
“This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus,” said the study’s researchers at Hiroshima University.
“Web browsing can actually refresh tired workers and enhance their productivity, compared to other activities such as making personal calls, texts or emails, let alone working straight through with no rest at all,” said a 2011 Wall Street Journal article. People “usually choose to visit only the sites that they like — it’s like going for a coffee or snack break. Breaks of such nature are pleasurable, rejuvenating the Web surfer,” wrote one of the authors of the “Impact of Cyberloafing on Psychological Engagement” study, Vivien K.G. Lim wrote in an email, according to the WSJ article.
So what we gather from these two articles is that we are encouraged to browse the Internet and to look at cute pictures of baby animals, because it will help us complete the tasks that we need to get done.
This doesn’t mean you can blow off class and work to stay online all day. It emphasizes the importance of taking breaks.
We all need a break every now and then.
That’s why we’re running this editorial in the middle of one of the most hectic and government-filled weeks of the semester.
You deserve a break, and so do we.
So, when you’re done reading this, chill out and relax.
There’s no need to be angry for the entire week.
People are allowed to have different opinions, but let’s not fight about them all the time.
Go find a list of cute baby animal photos. There are plenty of them out there.
