Tuesday, September 28, 2010

How 'Twilight,' other dark fiction affect teen brains

REPORT IN THE GUARDIAN AFTER THE CONFERENCE: click here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/sep/27/twilight-vampire-literature


Regarding former SDSU Prof Maria Nikolayeva, now at Cambridge University:

"It turns out, according to the organizer of the interdisciplinary conference, called "The Emergent Adult -- Adolescent Literature and Culture,” that fiction with dark themes does indeed alter teen brains in sometimes important ways.

"The conference is bringing together scientists, authors and education experts to make connections between recent neuroscience research and the representation of the adolescent in literature, film, computer games and social networking sites. Participants are looking at the physiological, psychological, chemical and sociological effects of reading teenage fiction, said organizer Maria Nikolajeva, who is the first director of the Cambridge/Homerton Research and Training Center for Children’s Literature, which is dedicated to studying children’s media. ... "

More in the Washington Post:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/literature/experts-probe-how-twilight-and.html

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