Having a smartphone or a tablet is an integral part of our daily lives, but is it really driving human creativity? The wisdom of the crowd – design by committee – is a great tool for quick, easy decisions, but it’s also limited to simple choices. Unlike an auction, which can determine a car’s value, a crowd will never be satisfied with a car that they’ve designed themselves.
Language
The evolution of language is a good example of the way human creativity has adapted to the modern world. Language first evolved in southern Africa, and it appears that it was a necessary prerequisite for human creativity. But language alone does not produce distinctive human behaviors. We need something else to foster the creative process. Fortunately, this something else is available for us. In the following paragraphs, we will examine one aspect of human creativity and look at ways to use it.
To make sense of how creativity has changed throughout human history, consider some basic theories. The most important factor is that we live in a material culture that facilitates our ability to generate new ideas. It also supports the theory that human beings had been creative 100,000 years ago, but it wasn’t primarily used to solve practical problems. A material culture, on the other hand, enables us to apply creativity for our benefit.
Self-awareness
One study suggests that self-awareness is a necessary component of human creativity. Researchers found that people who are more creative are more open to new stimuli, and their brains are less prone to ignoring irrelevant stimuli. In other words, an object that is irrelevant to the average person is actually more complex than it appears. In contrast, creative people exhibited lower levels of latent inhibition, and were therefore always aware of the extra information they encountered.
Device makers
Historically, computer technology was a completely new idea, which made the idea of using a computer surprising to many. But as the technology has become more sophisticated and beneficial to humans, many of its inventors have become ecstatic about the possibilities it offers. Today, device makers are looking for ways to increase creativity with these new technologies. Here are a few of their most interesting discoveries:
Screen time
Many people are concerned that too much screen time is causing their children to lose their creative juices. But recent studies suggest that a certain amount of screen time may actually promote creativity. Children who spend most of their time on screens have a harder time developing their inner landscape and creating their own visual imagery. As a result, this problem is more widespread than many people realize. Here are some of the benefits of screen time for your children.
Some video games help children develop problem solving skills and hand-eye coordination, but others are known to promote violent behaviors. In addition, children today spend hours in front of the television instead of playing outside. As a result, children are more likely to become overweight, and the amount of physical activity they get is lower than it used to be. In addition, video games are addictive and limit creativity compared to free play. Parents should spend as much time as possible looking for activities that encourage children to express their creative ideas.
Regulation
A new study has identified the genes that drive human creativity, distinguishing us from chimpanzees and Neanderthals. It found that 267 of those genes were unique to modern humans, and likely play a role in the evolution of human creativity, self-awareness, and cooperativeness, which are all important to human survival and well-being. The findings of this study were published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
The social and ecological context of the invention and development process plays an important role in the formation of innovative groups. These groups may be created by an authority or employer to encourage innovation. They may be provided with incentives, norms, and sanctions, or they may be expected to innovate on their own. A case in point is Thomas Edison’s founding of the first industrial laboratory in Menlo Park, California, in 1876. It was a hub for technological innovation and later spread throughout the United States and Europe.
