Ted Talks are more than the science videos that you had to watch in high school
Ted Talks are one of my favorite types of media to consume. They are smaller presentations, typically between 10 and 20 minutes, that provide informational and educational content to wide masses of people in a very accessible manner. They are free videos on YouTube that cover various important topics presented by a wide range of professionals. Ted Talks provide a stage to embody their notion of “Ideas Worth Spreading” and I think they deserve more recognition beyond being assigned to watch one of them in class.
One of the main reasons I love Ted Talks and the organization is because you know that the speakers are highly educated and specialists in their fields. The speakers know what they are talking about, and you can trust what they are saying. This makes it much easier to become quickly informed on a topic or to explore an interest. You only have to devote a small amount of your time to be introduced to a new idea or to gain a new perspective on a field that you might already have some experience with. Some of my favorite topics that I have gotten to explore via watching Ted Talk videos include spoken word poetry, changing your mindset, mental health and environmental impacts of our current society. Learning about all of these subjects and beginning to think more critically about your actions or things around you does not have to take long or a huge amount of effort, it could simply begin by watching a new video.
Ted Talks are also great when you feel overwhelmed or upset about something, as they have talks on various topics that provide great advice or a new way to approach things. This includes talks on community, emotional intelligence, building relationships, how to ask for help and many more. I have used Ted Talks numerous times in the past to gain an understanding about why we react to things in a certain way or how to make myself approach my emotions in a more productive manner. You don’t always have to consume Ted Talks as a means of starting something completely new. You can use Ted Talks as a manner of improving yourself and making yourself stronger, both emotionally and intellectually.
Ted Talks are an amazing resource that I have loved since high school and I want more people to realize what we have right in front of us. They are a great way to access new information in a digestible manner, specifically in regards to their talks regarding emotions and mental health.