Haleema Warraiat
Without a second thought, most people associate “fun,” with children along with their playful screams and seemingly never-ending energy. While kids certainly get their fair share of recreation, it does not overtake the sizable amount of fun that adults are capable of. Science proves that adults have fun on account of their life experience, intelligence, and social ability. Getting older does not limit creativity but instead intensifies it.
Emerging adulthood defines children as they transition away from their adolescence and into their adulthood. Most would envision that once a child becomes an adult, they lose their taste for fun. This is undoubtedly false. While children and adults both can tell tales and make-believe, adults have the advantage of life experience and the knowledge that comes along with it. Children rely solely on what little of the world they have explored which limits their imagination. Creativity makes its mark during adulthood as tasks like playing with toys, enjoying music, and reading books help build cognitive skills. Santrock (2022), says about 80% of individuals’ most significant creative contributions will be completed by age 50. It is a common mistake to think that the youngest of humanity holds more capacity for fun.
An oversold theme in movies such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Peter Pan, is that staying young is the only way to keep the human mind sharp and excited. It would be deceitful to say reaching adulthood is a dull misery.
Some adults express their creativity by cooking beautiful meals or by wearing intricate outfits. Some are more whimsical and engage in stereotypical children’s activities like collecting and playing with toys. Many adults are deemed weird, childish, and even obsessive for owning large collections of toys. They are defined as such for the instinctual desire to consume different creative forms. Collecting toys is a skill many take and can include spending hours online and in stores searching for their favorite dolls, trading cards, or figurines. Maturity gives people sustained attention to appreciate high-quality craftsmanship, visionary design, and nostalgic symbols. Expertise can show up in middle-aged or older adults as having extensive, high-quality knowledge on domains of interest. Theodore P. Zanto, Adam Gazzaley (2019), say adults reported higher motivation and less mind wandering compared to younger adults during sustained attention tasks. This verifies that creativity is shown at higher levels in adults which makes toy collecting natural.
Hello Kitty, an incredibly popular character, was created by Sanrio, a Japanese merchandising company, in 1974. The cat was created for girls twelve and under but was commercially successful with teenagers and adults around the world. Many people do not understand the love around this white cat with its signature red bow as some deem it basic. Yet, its simplicity plays a major role in its success. The design itself is incredibly straightforward. The character lacks a mouth because the creator, as stated by Yuko Shimizu to Time Magazine in 2008, could not find a way to express it cutely. Hello Kitty has lived many lives and has been used in marketing campaigns from makeup palettes to theme parks to food storage containers. Her reach is endless because her effortless design allows her to transform into anything.
When asked why Kitty does not have a mouth, Shimizu explained, “It's so that people who look at her can project their own feelings onto her face, because she has an expressionless face. Kitty looks happy when people are happy. She looks sad when they are sad. For this psychological reason, we thought she shouldn't be tied to any emotion — and that's why she doesn't have a mouth.”
“People adore her because kawaii characters, according to Chen (2023), make people feel instantly happier by releasing dopamine into the body to combat stress hormones.
The belief that human beings aim to be social and desire to affiliate with other people is Erikson’s theory. Following a creative path can lead people to others like themselves. Feeling accepted and engaged keeps people from leaving their passions behind. Normative age-graded influences are present in everyday situations. For example, two children in the same third-grade art class might not think they have anything in common besides their age, but they could soon discover their shared appreciation for glitter glue. Additionally, the same can be said for middle-aged adults who routinely shop for handbags together. Pezirkianidis et al., (2023), say adult friendships are associated with developed social lives as well as more positive relationships. Sharing interests and having a community gives people resources to deal with loneliness. Socioemotional selectivity theory suggests older adults are more selective in their relationships and activities to maintain social and emotional well-being. Being particular about which social circles a person has a presence in can have a major impact on quality of life. In essence, being creative and being social, typically go hand in hand. Research suggests that adults, despite their challenges, are superior in their potential to have fun. By incorporating their unique experiences, bright minds, and friendly personalities into their way of living, the limit to what brains can dream up is boundless. The human brain evolves through human life and certainly does not have its peak during childhood.
References
Chen, C. (2023, January 18). Cuteness Overload: The neurology and psychology behind ‘Cute Things.’ The Science Survey. https://thesciencesurvey.com/editorial/2023/01/18/cuteness-overload-the-neurology-and-psychology-behind-cute-things/#:~:text=No%2C%20you're%20not%20the,and%20you%20instantly%20feel%20happier.
Pezirkianidis, C., Galanaki, E., Raftopoulou, G., Μoraitou, D., & Stalikas, A. (2023). Adult friendship and wellbeing: A systematic review with practical implications. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1059057
Santrock, J. W. (2022). A topical approach to life-span development. McGraw Hill Education. https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/topical-approach-lifespan- development-santrock/M9781260726817.html
Zanto, T. P., & Gazzaley, A. (2019). Sustained attention. Sustained Attention - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/sustained-attention#:~:text=In%20addition%20to%20age%2C%20motivation,et%20al.%2C%202014).
Comments