TED Community » Tamar Hoffman

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• A reply on Conversation: Is giving Junk food to kids child abuse?

  Aug 9 2011: I think that I understand your point but am not so sure I agree. You are right that a responsible parent wouldn't give their children cigarettes, just like a responsible parent wouldn't give a child excess sweets. However, just like a responsible parent wouldn't always forbid all junk food, a responsible parent wouldn't completely block off exposure to cigarettes. If they were to completely forbid cigarettes, they would make them that much more attractive to children. In my opinion, the right thing to do is to educate children on the harms of cigarettes, maybe even let them try one in a supervised environment, and then let them make their own decision.
  
  You are right, junk food is dangerous on the long term. Nonetheless, there is no reason to be extreme. In the right environment where junk food is given in moderation the risks are severely decreased. There are many risks in this world and those induced by a bit of sugar don't need to be dramatized. There are also studies that show that sweets in moderation can actually be beneficial.

• A reply on Conversation: Is giving Junk food to kids child abuse?

  Aug 5 2011: You are correct that junk food addiction may occur if feeding gets out of hand, but I don't think a little every day is harmful. Developing a routine where you give children for example 3 cubes of chocolate after dinner daily allows the child to understand that this is an appropriate quantity. These three cubes of chocolate need to be regularly labeled as a treat that is not to be abused. Children are capable of making their own eating decisions pretty much from the beginning of elementary school. If they don't receive junk food at home, they will get it elsewhere. Trust me, I was one of those kids who always traded in their carrot sticks for rice krispy treats. If junk food is available at home, children won't be as drawn to indulging in candy every opportunity they get.
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  A comment on Conversation: Is giving Junk food to kids child abuse?

  Aug 5 2011: I starkly disagree with the notion that giving children junk food is child abuse. On the contrary, I believe that not giving children junk food is child abuse. Junk food is not likely to disappear in the near future, and not giving children basic exposure to what's out there is setting them up to be unprepared to make correct decisions. Nutritionists and medical experts for years have argued on the true harms and values of sugary and fatty foods but the one constant rule of thumb that has lasted is that BALANCE is the key to a healthy lifestyle. If kids are not exposed to the harmful, they will never learn to make conscious healthy, balanced eating choices. Eating one candy bar never killed anyone. Eating hundreds is the issue at hand.

• A reply on Conversation: What are your thoughts and questions on "the magic washing machine"?

  Mar 24 2011: See my comment above about an almost waterless washing machine. I completely agree with your notion that technology such as washing machines require resources that are not always viable to spread. Therefore, I think that technology will adapt such that it will work without the resources (water in this case).

• A comment on Conversation: What are your thoughts and questions on "the magic washing machine"?

  Mar 24 2011: I really enjoyed this talk :) Regarding the ending on how this will effect sustainability, in TIME magazine's list of 50 best inventions of 2010, an almost waterless washing machine was featured (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029497_2030623_2029701,00.html). I have a strong feeling that this technology will spread fast as soon as it becomes more accessible because it is green without forcing people to change their lifestyles. I think this is the key. You are completely right in that people are always looking to increase their quality of life. The "light-bulb" population is always looking to become part of the "washer" population, and the "washer" population is always looking to become the "airline" population. The "airline" population also is the most consumption oriented. Though many in this population are looking to be green, rarely will they do so if it means compromising their lifestyle. You said so yourself, even the greenest of the environmental activists use a washing machine. Therefore, I predict that more and more inventions such as the almost waterless washing machine will be invented. We must hope that this prediction comes true for the sustainability of our world.
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  A comment on Conversation: How do you see the future of literature? Do yo think that shorter forms such as poetry and microstories will gain more weight?

  Mar 13 2011: I personally agree that over the next few years e-books will become increasingly popular. However, I think that this is just a temporary trend. There is something romantic about the notion of reading print books that I don't think will go out of style so quickly. After a couple of years of relying almost exclusively on digital media, people will miss print and will most likely return to this form. There may be fewer packing the bookstores than before, but they won't be completely obsolete. Bookstores are not only a place to purchase books. They provide a place to read, drink coffee, socialize. People enjoy going to bookstores far more than they enjoy online shopping for the most part.
  
  Now back to the main question: I agree with the point you are making Mr. Wilkinson. There are obvious successes of modern long novels such as the Harry Potter series. Still, if you look deeper into the content of the book, the long novels are divided into short chapters and the plot lines are relatively easy to follow, even without complete concentration. Maybe the issue here isn't necessarily the physical length of the book, but the writing style. Novels that can be easily picked up and put down after short periods of time are more likely to gain popularity at this point than novels that require enduring concentration.

• A comment on Conversation: If you had to select the driving factor of the turmoil in Afghanistan, what would it be?

  Mar 12 2011: But the real question in my mind is whether the Taliban or poverty is at the root of the problem. This may be like asking what came first the chicken or the egg, but if we can clarify an answer to this problem, the war in Afghanistan may finally come to its closing stages. While this is optimistic, taking a fresh approach to the problem at hand may be the best solution at this point.
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  A comment on Conversation: How do you see the future of literature? Do yo think that shorter forms such as poetry and microstories will gain more weight?

  Mar 12 2011: The point you are making is extremely valid. I already see in myself that increased use of digital media is lowering my attention span. I can no longer sit for as long with sustained concentration. The utilization of technology is actually rewiring the way we think. Rather than focusing on developing sustained concentration on a single activity, or brains are now more inclined to develop multitasking abilities. I believe that what you are saying is true, and that shorter forms of literature will probably become more popular in the near future. While now it seems sad, I feel that soon enough it will seem completely natural. Just as the Shakespearean suspense-of-disbelief went out of style when increased effects became accessible, long novels may endure the same phasing out process. It is not necessarily something that literary world must lament, but rather the development of a new style they must embrace.
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  A comment on Conversation: Why do so many think that population growth is an important issue for the environment? Don't they know the facts of demographics?

  Mar 12 2011: I believe that at this point the fact that we have a major problem regarding population and environmental sustainability is known. However, the facts often aren't conveyed in a manner that reaches out to the general population in an effective way. Not only are exact statistics often not shared enough, those statistics are not shared in a way that will touch people instead of computers. To make a real difference the facts need to be shown in a way that is not overwhelming and will demonstrate how the issue at hand pertains to individuals, not just the world as a whole. For this reason, the work of Gapminder Foundation is so important. If the correct statistics can get out in the correct manner more often, then change will be made more rapidly.

• A comment on Conversation: If you had to select the driving factor of the turmoil in Afghanistan, what would it be?

  Mar 2 2011: So what do you think a solution to the problem is? Trying to go after poverty in the traditional sense (food, education, and other forms of aid) or chasing after the Taliban?