Too Old for School

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February 25, 2013 by karamcaulay

My last post mentioned that I’m attending University of Toronto’s Digital Communications Strategy and Social Media course.  Did I mention that I’m middle-aged?  Yikes!  Don’t want to write the words (or say them), but I bring it up because we’re never too old to learn!

My daughter brought it my attention – “Mom, aren’t you too old to go school?”   I didn’t think about it before as I love learning and continuously take courses.  Now I’m pursuing a certificate at UofT.  I also love reading interesting books; just finished John Medina’s brain rules.

A lifetime journey

John Medina talks about how curious toddlers are and how they are constantly experimenting and learning about their environment.  Well, we don’t lose that drive as adults.  He says, “Every year, the brain reveals more and more of its secrets, with babies leading the way.”

We do not outgrow the thirst for knowledge

John Medina tells a story of two scientists in their mid-70s (way beyond middle-aged) who are active in their profession and passionate about swapping their ideas and keeping their work current.  He says,

“They were creative like artists, wise as Solomon,

lively as children.”

He goes on to say that they had lost nothing and that their intellectual engines were still revving, and curiosity remained the fuel. That’s because our learning abilities don’t have to change as we age.  We can remain lifelong learners.

How this relates to social media

Media is constantly changing and in order to keep up, we need to be constantly learning – no matter our age.  The communications industry is a perfect environment to encourage curiosity as we grow older. Keeping up on social media trends helps adults remain nimble, adaptive and perpetually young!