While I understand the science behind why humans gravitate to storytelling, for me at least there's more at stake. In her article in the Harvard Business Review called "The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling," Lani Peterson, Psy. D. writes that "scientists are discovering that chemicals like cortisol, dopamine and
oxytocin are released in the brain when we’re told a story. Why does
that matter? If we are trying to make a point stick, cortisol assists
with our formulating memories. Dopamine, which helps regulate our
emotional responses, keeps us engaged. When it comes to creating deeper
connections with others, oxytocin is associated with empathy, an
important element in building, deepening or maintaining good
relationships." Point being, storytelling literally produces a physical and biological response humans are hardwired to have.
In another article published in the Harvard Business Review, the founding director at the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor at Claremont Graduate University, Paul J. Sak discovered he could "hack" oxytocin levels in humans to motivate people to engage in cooperative behaviors. Guess how? He did this through storytelling.
Ok, so here's where my concern is. While there's emphatic proof of science that storytelling is good for us, the technology that facilitates all this storytelling is changing too fast. There's no continuity. One month you're experimenting, using, thriving on a platform like Vine, or Animoto, or Zeega, or Cinemagram, or WeVideo, and the next month these companies have folded. How can we as a people thrive in our stories when our storytelling capability is dependent on a society that thrives on IPO's?
The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
In another article published in the Harvard Business Review, the founding director at the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor at Claremont Graduate University, Paul J. Sak discovered he could "hack" oxytocin levels in humans to motivate people to engage in cooperative behaviors. Guess how? He did this through storytelling.
Ok, so here's where my concern is. While there's emphatic proof of science that storytelling is good for us, the technology that facilitates all this storytelling is changing too fast. There's no continuity. One month you're experimenting, using, thriving on a platform like Vine, or Animoto, or Zeega, or Cinemagram, or WeVideo, and the next month these companies have folded. How can we as a people thrive in our stories when our storytelling capability is dependent on a society that thrives on IPO's?
The Science Behind the Art of Storytelling
Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
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