The first step in tailoring your reading speed is recognizing the diversity of reading materials. An academic journal, a novel, a newspaper article, and a blog post each present unique challenges and require different approaches. For instance, the dense, information-packed nature of academic texts demands a slower, more deliberate reading pace, while the narrative flow of a novel might allow for quicker reading.

When Speed Meets Efficiency: Balancing Pace with Understanding

Balancing the need for speed with the necessity of understanding is a delicate dance. It’s easy to fall into the trap of racing through text only to realize you’ve absorbed very little. Conversely, you might pore over every word and find hours have slipped by with little progress. 

This is where techniques such as skimming for main ideas or scanning for specific information can be invaluable, especially when you’re under time constraints, such as during exams or when you need “college essay writers” due to a looming deadline. Adapting your reading speed isn’t just about reading faster or slower; it’s about optimizing comprehension and retention. 

This means being flexible and dynamic in your approach, slowing down to grasp complex concepts, and speeding up when skimming through familiar or less critical information. It’s a skill that, much like a finely tuned instrument, can significantly enhance your ability to understand and engage with various types of materials.

Fine-Tuning for Fiction: Savoring the Story

When reading novels or narrative nonfiction, you often aim to immerse yourself in the story rather than speed through it. Here, it’s about finding a pace that allows you to appreciate the narrative, engage with the characters, and enjoy the literary style. 

While you might read more quickly through a gripping plot twist, taking the time to savor descriptive passages can enrich your reading experience.

Academic Texts: Deliberate and Detailed

Academic texts are dense and information-rich, requiring a meticulous and methodical approach. Here, speed reading can be counterproductive. Instead, focus on active reading strategies: take notes, highlight key points, and pause to summarize what you’ve learned. 

This deliberate approach can aid comprehension and retention, making your study sessions more productive.

News and Articles: Skimming for Substance

With informational texts such as news articles or blog posts, the goal is often to extract key points without getting bogged down in details. 

Skimming techniques, such as reading the first and last paragraph and glancing through subheadings and bullet points, can help you quickly identify the main ideas. This approach lets you stay informed without dedicating excessive time to each piece.

Technical Manuals: Precision and Patience

Technical manuals and instructional materials demand a high level of accuracy and comprehension. In these cases, slow and steady wins the race. 

Take your time, read and reread complex sections, and don’t hesitate to seek external resources or visual aids to ensure you fully understand the material.

Digital vs. Print: Adapting to the Medium

The medium of the text can also influence your reading strategy. Digital screens often encourage skimming, while print can support more in-depth reading. 

Be mindful of these tendencies and adjust your approach accordingly. For instance, you might need to make a conscious effort to slow down and concentrate when reading long-form articles or reports on a screen.

The Role of Tools and Resources

Various tools and resources can support your reading strategies. Whether it’s software that facilitates speed reading, a highlighter for marking key points in a textbook, or an app that summarizes articles, integrating these aids into your reading routine can enhance your speed and comprehension.

Navigating the Digital Landscape: A New Frontier in Reading

In today’s digital age, students increasingly turn to online resources for their academic needs, from articles and eBooks to educational platforms offering the best paper writing service. While these digital resources can offer convenience and breadth, it’s crucial to approach them with the same level of critical engagement and adaptability as with traditional materials.

Embracing Versatility in Reading

Just as an artist uses different brushes for various strokes, a skilled reader employs different reading techniques for different types of material. For instance, when faced with a complex legal document or scientific research, it might be prudent to slow down, ensuring that each word and its implications are fully understood. 

Conversely, when browsing through a magazine or a casual blog post, a more brisk pace could be more appropriate, allowing you to cover more material in less time.

The Role of Practice and Patience

Developing the ability to tailor your reading speed is akin to mastering any other skill—it requires practice and patience. Regularly engaging with a wide array of reading materials can help you become more comfortable adjusting your reading speed and technique. 

Just like any other skill, the more you practice, the more proficient you’ll become. Start by setting aside dedicated reading time each day, and consciously vary the types of material you read.

Enhancing Comprehension Alongside Speed

Increasing your reading speed should never come at the cost of comprehension. Techniques such as previewing the text, noting the structure of the content, and summarizing sections in your own words can significantly enhance understanding. 

These strategies ensure that as your speed increases, your ability to grasp and retain information keeps pace.

Final Thoughts

Tailoring your reading speed and technique to suit different types of material is an invaluable skill, one that can transform your reading from a passive activity into an active, engaging pursuit. 

Whether you’re delving into a captivating novel, navigating a dense academic paper, or scanning the latest news articles, adjusting your approach can lead to deeper understanding, better retention, and a more enjoyable reading experience. Remember, reading is not just about the words on the page; it’s about connecting with the ideas, narratives, and knowledge they convey. 

Working under the pressure of short deadlines, massive projects that require too much time and effort, and sleepless nights of exam preparation – all of these things can cause stress and anxiety. Students face numerous challenges and have busy schedules. Sometimes, doing everything you need on time seems impossible without a nervous breakdown. However, you can make your student years less stressful. This detailed guide will help you organize your studying and extracurricular activities effectively. 

Naturally, every student wouldn’t mind having a high GPA score and a lot of free time to spend with friends and family. Writing assignments often stand in the way because they require a considerable amount of time and majorly impact your final grades. Therefore, the first tip in this guide would be to look for ways to cope with such tasks more productively. For instance, you can look for paper writing services available for anyone where you can hire an experienced writer to assist you. They will help you organize, structure, edit, and proofread your assignments. It is, without a doubt, one of the possible ways to succeed faster. Now, let’s consider some other practical recommendations.

Organization

Master the schedule. Create a detailed study schedule incorporating all your classes, assignments, and exams. Use a planner, calendar app, or wall chart to visualize your commitments and stay on top of deadlines. In this way, you will not forget anything important, avoiding unnecessary stress.

Prioritize ruthlessly. Not all tasks are equally important. Learn to identify the most significant and urgent ones and tackle those first. Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to do it faster. You can also rely on your skills to identify the tasks that will take a lot of your energy and those you can easily cope with.

Learn how to overcome frustration. Looking at a massive task can be demotivating. It’s helpful to break down large projects and assignments into smaller steps. By doing so, they become less frightening to approach and easier to complete. This approach can reduce stress and procrastination.

Efficiency

The early bird gets the worm. Train yourself to wake up early and start studying when your mind is fresh and focused. Doing so allows you to tackle difficult tasks before the day’s distractions kick in. However, if you can’t make yourself wake up early and get to work right away, analyze your biorhythms. Perhaps you are more effective in the evening. If so, organize your day accordingly.

Minimize distractions. Distractions can make you work on a task for a whole day when it usually takes an hour to cope. To avoid interruptions, put your phone on silent, close unnecessary browser tabs, and find a quiet study spot.

Embrace the power of “No”. Don’t be afraid to say “No” to commitments that overload your schedule or compromise your well-being. Even though it may irritate others, learn to prioritize your studies and personal needs.

Healthy Habits 

Fuel your brain. It’s important to eat foods that give you energy for a longer period of time as well as support your brain function. To avoid sudden drops of energy, you should avoid sugary snacks and processed foods. Even though unhealthy options may seem more convenient, try to prioritize your physical health as much as possible.

Move your body. While we are still discussing your physical health, regular exercise is a powerful mood booster. Take short walks, stretch, or engage in your favorite physical activity to de-stress and energize yourself. You will be surprised by the power of a simple physical activity and its effect on your mental state.

Prioritize sleep. Your goal is to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, as it is crucial for learning, memory consolidation, and overall well-being. If writing assignments do not let you have as much sleep as you need, consider hiring an assistant at one of the online writing services. Read reviews to choose a reliable company and avoid overpaying. For example, you can look for a review on Essayshark and decide if it’s worth your attention. 

Learning Strategies 

Find your learning style. We are all unique and learn in different ways. Identify what works best for you – visual aids, auditory explanations, hands-on practice, or group study and tailor your study methods to your learning style. For instance, if you are a fan of auditory explanations, ask your teacher if it’s possible to record the lecture. Then, you can listen to it again whenever needed.

Actively engage in class. Don’t be a passive listener. Instead, ask questions and participate in class discussions. Active engagement helps solidify your understanding and keeps you motivated. You will remember the things you discuss in class better and will have no problem answering the exam questions at the end of the course. 

Seek help when needed: Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, teaching assistants, or tutors if you’re struggling with a concept. Getting help early on can prevent snowballing problems and improve your understanding. On top of that, surround yourself with positive and supportive people who understand the challenges of academic life. Join a study group and connect with classmates to get encouragement and support whenever needed.

Motivation

Celebrate small wins. Don’t wait until the end of the semester to recognize your achievements. Celebrate completing tasks, mastering difficult concepts, or overcoming challenges. This approach reinforces positive behavior and keeps you motivated. If you are a chocolate aficionado, treat yourself to delicious Belgian sweets after completing a challenging task.

Focus on progress, not perfection. Stay away from unrealistic perfection. Aim for steady progress and improvement. Try not to compare yourself with others. Instead, focus on your development throughout your years in college. Accept that setbacks are part of the learning process; don’t let them define your success.

Have a clear purpose. Remind yourself why you’re pursuing your academic goals. What are your aspirations, passions, and the long-term vision driving you? These things can fuel your motivation and resilience even during hard times.

Hopefully, you will find these recommendations to be helpful and start to enjoy the process of learning. Try to view academic challenges as opportunities for growth and development. Find satisfaction in the pursuit of knowledge and the thrill of overcoming hurdles.

Do you know what a fartlek is? It certainly sounds strange. So, to ease your suspicion, the definition of a fartlek is an exercising technique used for runners. Instead of including the word “exercising” in your writing, using more specific and advanced vocabulary words helps to strengthen your writing. 

Wordela does just that! It doesn’t matter if you are practicing for a standardized test or simply writing an email, advanced vocabulary words are needed in our sentences. You don’t want to learn vocabulary words one time, but you want to put them into your long-term memory. Then, they can be stored into your brain for later use when you are writing. 

The benefits of Wordela are endless. 

• Bolsters confidence
• Helps with pronunciation, communication, and expression
• Masters advanced vocabulary
• Strengthens writing
• Increases analytical skills

So, why should Wordela be used? Let’s compare narrative sentences that were written before and after using Wordela.

The first sentence before Wordela contains simple vocabulary words, but after WORDELA, the vocabulary includes higher level words such as “endearing,” “relentlessly,” “yapped,” and “oblivious.” After reading the second sentence, you should be able to visualize the dog and what it is doing as well as the squirrel’s behavior. 

What Wordela Provides

Wordela provides Smart flashcards and an abundance of courses to practice. Choose from a variety of courses that fit your needs. These options include learning vocabulary in the following areas: 

• Productivity
• Career Success
• Brain Training
• Overnight Vocabulary
• Vocabulary Booster
• ESL Vocabulary
• Corporate Vocabulary

In these courses, there are hundreds of lessons that include games, tips, ideas, exercises, and writing activities! Try Wordela and watch your writing augment! (That means increase!)

Spreeder is an active, growing project. We have a committed team of engineers, teachers, curriculum experts, psychologists, and user interface designers that will continue to improve the product. Here are the latest updates:

New Spreeder Features

Spreeder Tags

Spreeder Tags is a new feature that allows users to add tags to their books, similar to Gmail’s labels. With this feature, users can categorize and organize their books to make it easier to find and read them later. Whether you’re using Spreeder for personal or professional purposes, this feature will help you stay organized and on top of your reading list.

Tags Overview:

Steps to Tag Creation:

1. Go to https://www.spreeder.com/app/library

2. Click on the “Tags” button then “Add New Tag”. Type in the name of the tag you want to create in the “New Tag” field. Press the “Enter” key on your keyboard to create the new tag.

3. Once the tag is created, it will appear Under the Tag Section. To add another tag, repeat step 2. Users can add as many tags as you want to a book, and you can create new tags on the fly as you need them.

This feature applies to all users

Minor User Interface Updates

• Colors of the books are now based on the categories they belong to. This will make it easier for users to visually identify and organize their books by category. This feature provides a quick and convenient way to categorize books in the library without having to manually sort through them.

• Availability of Clear Progress in the Spreeder Library under the In Progress and Finished sections. This will allow users to reset the reading location of a book and remove it from its current section, making it easier to manage your reading list on Spreeder.

• A “Select” button within the Word List Preview dialog will now appear. With this button, users can easily access and navigate to the full word list with just one click, directly from the preview dialog.

• The redundant Previous Step and Next Step buttons on the audio player are removed on both desktop and mobile.

• Side Menu options have been updated to include “Home” and “Explore All”, removing “My Word Lists”, which now appears as part of Home.

• The recent section will now only appear when the user clicks on the “Home” option, rather than displaying in all word list categories.

• User word lists are arranged by creation date when viewing the “Home” tab on the Words screen. These changes make it easier for users to navigate and manage their word lists, helping them to achieve their language learning goals more efficiently.

• FlashCard has now been changed to “Smart FlashCards”

• Settings icon now displayed in the upper right corner inside “Smart FlashCards” screen.

• End screen and audio player are implemented within “Smart FlashCards”.

• New keyboard shortcuts are added for Smart FlashCards:
  • “i” – Open/Close View Word Info
  • “l” – Listen
  • “u” – Previous
  • “o” – Forward
  • “k” – Flip

Spreeder is an online speed reading application that can help improve your reading speed and comprehension. If you’re new to Spreeder or have questions about how to use it, don’t worry. Spreeder has a comprehensive help center that can answer all of your questions.

By visiting Spreeder’s help center at https://www.spreeder.com/help/, you can learn how to use Spreeder, customize your settings, and track your progress over time.

So if you’re ready to improve your reading skills and start reading faster and comprehending more, visit Spreeder’s help center today. With Spreeder’s help, you can become a better reader in no time!

The Save to Spreeder browser extension is now available for Google Chrome and Safari. 

Instantly save any webpage or article to your Spreeder library. Spreeder uses smart technology to import only the text you want to read – removing unwanted ads, menus, and other extraneous content. 

You can import an entire page or just the selected text. 

Instantly read any webpage using Spreeder’s amazing reading technology – or save all your interesting content to read later in Spreeder. 

This feature is included with your existing Spreeder access. All you need to do is follow these simple steps, then log in using your Spreeder account.

For Google Chrome

Click on the link below to install the plugin from the Chrome store, then log in using your Spreeder account. 

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/save-to-spreeder/glaeehjmkiniecdehbnikejfncfohpap

For Mac Users

Step 1: In the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Safari Extensions

Step 2: Search for “Save To Spreeder” and click Install/Open in the popup Click “Quit and Open Safari Extension Preferences”

Step 3: Extension is now installed

For iPhone/iPad Users

Step 1: In the App Store, Search for “Save To Spreeder” and Download (or simply click this link)

Step 2: Once downloaded, it should be available in your Safari browser

Reading is just looking at something, right? Essentially, all that is required is that the person uses their eyes and fixes them on an open page. However, as any school teacher can tell you, reading is a skill.

Learning how to speed read is not easy at all. We form rigid habits when we first learn to read, which can be hard to overcome.

Here are just a few generalized guidelines that could help.

Inner voice

Humans are not a piece of word processing software. Our body works by receiving input from our senses and projecting them inside our minds. The images we see are displayed and edited by the mind.

Our brain does its best to edit out certain details such as blind spots, blinking, and depth is calculated by overlapping input from both eyes. When reading, another factor must be considered: our inside voice.

We all hear a voice in our head when we think, we don’t just think in images. When seeing the word “car” on a page, you pronounce that word with your mind, and then a picture forms.

Given that we tend to mirror our real-life voice with our thoughts, a critical flaw appears: pronouncing takes time. But that flaw is more or less an illusion. Real-life pronunciation takes time because lips have to move, and sound has to travel.

However, thoughts are instant. It is possible for those who wish to learn to speedread, for a word to be seen, without being enunciated by the mind. By not repeating a text and just “seeing” a word, you will save a lot of time.

Most people with office jobs do this every day when reading emails. We sometimes receive emails that are not too important. As a result, we just skim them to make sure we’re not missing something vital.

Skimming happens by default, on instinct. Professional speed readers can do it on purpose, for as long as is required. For example, support staff at GlobeNewswire.com often pick up speed reading by having to process many requests and emails regarding the essay writing help.

After the initial discomfort has passed, your speed reading will improve. You just have to get used to not wasting time.

Visual aid

I do not know if every school in the world did this, but tracing the writing with a physical object was one of the first-speed reading techniques.

The teacher used to write something on the blackboard, and then use a pointer to underline each word as it was being read. In turn, we the students used to keep track of words with our fingers.

Why is this effective? Well, as you attempt to read faster than is comfortable for you, you can easily lose your place. Paragraphs can get rather long, and everything sort of blends together in a blur.

You waste a lot of time trying to relocate your line. The tracing method is an easy solution to that problem, as it can save you a lot of trouble.

Using software

Are you attempting to speed-read a physical copy of a book or electronic document? The answer to this question matters, as most documents can be edited.

Microsoft Word or Google Docs lets you modify the spacing, the font, and the font size. Also, you can better separate paragraphs. Whatever makes you more comfortable is possible.

The idea is to add more variety and make each letter easier to read and more distinguishable.

You can reserve the right to color bits of text and group them. Of course, this change can be applied only as you learn speed reading. If you are interested in any sort of competition, these types of aids will be off the table.

There is also specialized software such as Spreeder, which has made an entire business model out of helping you to read faster.

The software fixes your gaze on a single point and flashes the words of a text in order. This cuts out every bit of wasted time. It feels more like looking at pictures than reading.

You are spared from scanning the text, losing your place, or any other extra step.

A whole other process is triggered in your brain. You are not reading, you are recognizing words. And recognition is instant. When you see a tree, you don’t stop to think to yourself “Hmmm, a tree”. You just notice it and move on.

This doesn’t teach you how to shorten an essay, write poetry, or become more creative. It is a simple piece of software that maximizes your performance in this area.

Try to minimize eye movement

Humans are animals, and animals move because of muscles. This also applies to your eyes, and having to move them around too much can cause severe eye strain.

In essence, our natural habitat would rarely have us dart our eyes back and forth for hours at a time. Reading is in some sense unnatural, a tool developed after our bodies evolved. Given that our most important sense organs are so prone to fatigue, a good speed reader will try to eliminate that fatigue.

If possible, try to enlarge the font and stand back. If you do this, the text will look like a whole picture that can fit into your vision. Sitting close to the screen has the opposite effect. Sure, you see the text better, but at the cost of not seeing it all at once. This guarantees that your eyes have to travel back and forth.

Similar to our previous point, this tip is for beginners. A competition of college events will rarely allow modifications of the text.

You have to be a reader

Here we have a chicken or the egg question. Do speed readers read a lot of books because they are fast, or are they fast because they liked reading in the first place? Did the talent create the hobby, or did the hobby create the talent?

The best speed readers often pursue normal reading for fun, in their spare time. Even though you are not doing it on purpose, you are passively improving your abilities by just slowly reading a book.

Sure, I would not recommend this course of action for more profound works, where each line can have an essay written about it. But, in general, to more you read anything, the more your mind will become accustomed to the general activity.

Fast reading tips are fine, but they are useless if you don’t practice.

Conclusion

Speed readers are good at treating text as a picture. You do not read a picture, you just look at it and recognize it.

Reading is another process in the mind, where your inner voice repeats what your eyes see, and this gives you time to marinate and imagine. This slower way is much better in terms of understanding and grasping the ideas of the text.

However, if your goal is speed, you can use tricks and software to activate this twitch recognition part of your brain.

Let’s get straight to it. You’re probably here because you’re on the verge of buying your first tDCS Device and are unsure what to buy. You have probably heard of the Omni Brain Stimulator, it’s one of 4 popular tDCS devices on the market and it remains by far the most affordable and provides the best value for money. I’ve been using tDCS for speed reading for many years now and remain a big fan of the Omni Simulator in fact the Spreeder community has been using it for years to enhance their speed reading with great success.

So why do I recommend the Omni Stimulator, what makes it the best? Here are the reasons I went with Omni after trying a much more expensive unit that broke on me.

Price

Don’t be ripped off like I was.  When buying anything you always want the best value for money. In 2014 I paid approximately $250 for my first tDCS device which shall go unnamed as I don’t wish to disparage any other products directly. That device lasted 7-8 months and broke.  In 2019 the competition has kicked in lowering the price of many products however there remains a huge disparity in the market on price/value ratio.  It becomes very clear that at $150-250 plus shipping is pretty steep price to pay when the Omni Stimulator is offering their item for $99.00 with free global shipping.

Why Warranty Matters

It’s not just peace of mind but if you find yourself with a broken tDCS device it’s nice to know it will be replaced. As from my experience with my first tDCS Device breaking I was left out of pocket and unless you have a background in electronics you’re out of luck trying to fix it. If any company has a large money-back guarantee they are putting the customer first and I learnt my lesson there. No matter how rugged you’re led to believe the item is go for the one with the larger warranty with any electronics.  The Omni Stimulator has offered a free 5 year warranty since it’s inception. An example of their generosity has been shown with a Spreeder user contacting us about losing their device and how they couldn’t afford another and Harry from Omni sent one out free of charge.

Everything you need

It comes with everything you need to get started. It’s a complete tDCS kit.  Get the device wet the sponges with saline and you’re ready to go and it works without hassle.  Though I had used tDCS previously I did have to buy a couple of electrodes which just added to the cost.

Money-Back Guarantee

Another example of Harry and the Omni Stimulator team putting their customers first is their money back guarantee which is a full year. In all honesty you probably won’t need to use any guarantee on any of the big 4 devices but it’s nice to know you can return it if you wish. Warranty is really what is going to matter to you and their warranty is by far the largest.

Customer Support

Harry and the team over at Omni Stimulator has always been very helpful in answering all our questions and has become a friend of the Spreeder community.  We asked Harry for a quick interview about the Omni Stimulator and tDCS in general which he has agreed to and will be posted soon.

Safety

All tDCS up to 2mA is safe. However there are images of people having slight burns by tDCS electrodes.  It’s not possible to do this with the electrodes they are using.  What they have done is made it so the width of the sponge is longer than the clip attaching it to the item.

Summary

It’s easy to use, works fantastic and has everything you need at the best price.  This glowing review is reflective of our experience here at Spreeder.

Scientists have always been fascinated with the brain, especially different ways to stimulate brain activity. There are various innovative ideas proposed, one of such techniques gaining ground is the use of TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (tDCS) device.

So if you are looking for a transcranial direct current stimulation device and you are not sure what it is, what to buy, what it does or if it even works then this article is just for you as we will be answering the most common questions asked regarding tDCS.

WHAT IS TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION?

Transcranial direct current stimulation or commonly known simply by its acronym tDCS is a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique where low voltage direct current is passed through the scalp using electrodes over designated areas of interest in an attempt to modulate the activity of the brain. In simpler words, tDCS is a brain hack involving using batteries and electrodes to send low-level current to the brain to help tap into the brains full potential. A fixed current between 1mA and 2mA is typically applied. 

WHAT DOES tDCS DO?

tDCS is just becoming increasingly popular in the last decade, although previously used by the military air force for decades to help heighten the senses of the pilots allowing them to effectively pick out targets. Transcranial direct current stimulation was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries or psychiatric conditions like major depressive disorder but research evidence supports tDCS use for cognitive enhancement in healthy people. Recent studies also have shown it to be useful in the treatment of depression.

HOW DOES tDCS WORK?

Transcranial direct current stimulation works by stimulating the brain neurons in specific regions that leads to a cortical change even after the stimulation is terminated. The duration of this change depends on the length of stimulation as well as the intensity of stimulation. The effects of stimulation increase as the duration of stimulation increases or the strength of the current increases.

When positive stimulation (anodal tDCS) is delivered, the current causes an increase in excitability of the neuron. When negative stimulation (cathodal tDCS) is delivered, the current causes a decrease in the neuron. Research has shown that tDCS produces a variety of effects depending on what areas of the brain are stimulated.

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIAL PARTS OF A tDCS DEVICE?

In spite of the daunting name, tDCS devices are relatively simple, for example, the “Omni stimulator” consists of basic parts, which are:

• Wires: tDCS devices have two wires usually color-coded as a red and a black wire. The red color represents the anode, it is the positive wire while the black color represents the cathode, and it is the negative wire. 
• Electrodes: Both wires attach to the electrodes. Electrodes usually made up of a sponge, which is an electrical insulator, while for conduction of electricity a saline solution is used. Saline solution is simply a mixture of table salt and water, which can be readily made at home.
• Headband: A headband or sometimes two are used to hold the sponges (electrodes) of the transcranial direct current stimulation device in place on the surface that you are interested in stimulating.
• The tDCS device itself: The devices consist of a dial usually with multiple settings where the current is regulated. The Omni Stimulator, for example, has four settings of 0.5mA, 1mA, 1.5mA and 2mA with an indicating light to let you know the device is on and functional.

WHAT DEVICE SHOULD YOU BUY?

We recommend the Omni Stimulator as it gives by far the most bang for buck out of any transcranial direct current stimulation device available on the market today. They are a reputable brand, offering a huge 5-year warranty, and offer a 1-year money-back guarantee.

You probably do not want to walk around with any transcranial direct stimulation device in public (unless you don’t mind looking like you’re Doc Brown from Back to the Future) the item is small enough to fit into a larger pocket and light enough to carry around when traveling since it weighs just 230g.

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF tDCS?

The benefits of a transcranial direct current stimulation device are many!

Healthy users speak of having improved mood, feeling more alert, focused and being more creative thereby accelerating learning, and boosting task performance. For example, anodal stimulation enhances facial expression recognition or inhibits aggressive responses whereas cathodal stimulation helps to improve motor function.

Also, the equipment is easy to use, reusable, relatively inexpensive, and easily replaced if worn or damaged. It is therefore easy for people to use tDCS at home, and it may soon be used alongside (or in replacement of) drug treatments to speed recovery and improve motor and cognitive performance. tDCS is also useful in managing some medical conditions such as depression, neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury and improving activities of daily living assessment after stroke.

Although tDCS is a non-invasive method, research has shown that it may induce seizures in people susceptible to seizures, such as epileptic patients. Other adverse effects include skin irritation, nausea, headache, dizziness, and itching under the electrode especially in people with ultra-sensitive skin. This is why tDCS is not recommended for use longer than 20 minutes at a time.

It is worthy of note that testing your device at the lower settings before dedicating to a higher setting of 2.0mA goes a long way in ensuring a wonderful experience. The sponges (electrodes) are also damp but this should in no way affect the comfort of your experience.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT tDCS ELECTRODE POSITIONS (MONTAGES AND PROTOCOL)?

The different possible tDCS positions of both the anode and cathode electrodes on the body are referred to as montages.  There are various montages used, with each producing varying and distinct effects, the region of interest where a likely effect is expected is stimulated using the target electrode. The Protocol is a combination of the electrode position used, the current level used, and the total duration of the session.

 The most widely accepted protocol is anodal (red, positive electrode) stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC – F3), and cathode (black, negative electrode) positioned on the right prefrontal cortex (Fp2), located on the forehead above the right eyebrow, using 1mA of current for 20 minutes. This montage is believed to help improve many cognitive functions such as working memory, impulse control, reasoning, and learning.

Many websites provide information on tDCS montages, electrode placement instructions, and types of effects to be expected.

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The use of social media has increased tenfold with the growth of smart technology and ease of access to the internet. Without doubt, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter have all made it easy for people to interact effortlessly and seamlessly without being restricted by regional borders. Sharing of ideas is more convenient now than it has ever been.

But there is a twist in the plot: Studies show that social media is leading many people to depression and loneliness. Social media users tend to sleep less, are hyperactive, struggle to be attentive, and are more vulnerable to social pressure than those who don’t have social media accounts. Although no study has given a conclusive analysis as to whether social media can cause depression, there is definitely an observational correlation between the two. However, for people who struggle with depression, who believe is a cause from the over usage of social media, there are available life coach training that can help them overcome this issue.

4 Ways Social Media Is Leading To Depression Among the Youth

Increased feeling of social isolation

The more time you spend on the internet (that includes social media), the more socially isolated you get. Offline social networks such as community work, playing together, interacting in church, and telling tales around a campfire, among others, encourage people to be closer together and share their common problems. Social media isn’t anything like that. Users talk with far-away friends and neglect those around them. And because the circle of “friends” is based in remote locations, no one is there for the other in case of a crisis. After all, having many virtual friends on social media isn’t a substitute for real friends. That virtual existence leads to deeper social isolation.

The comparison factor

Browsing through social media can potentially ruin your self-esteem and confidence because, by the look of things, everyone out there is doing better than you in all aspects of life. Everyone seems happier than you, in a better relationship than you, love their job more as compared to you, and have all the good things in life. That comparison mentality leads to depression in more people than in real-life comparison.

Research also shows that people get depressed when they feel like their social media friends are doing worse than them. This form of comparison often makes people feel better about their lives in real life, but it appears to be different in social media spheres. It seems like social media “friends” feel better when they are all at the same social level, maybe because they are able to engage more “productively” that way.

Envy and jealousy

After comparing your life with your friends’ on social media, you will envy them if they seem to be better and happier than you are. If that envy is not controlled early enough, it grows into jealousy. This is a very unhealthy situation to find yourself in because you can easily become a hater. Sometimes you will be tempted to post jealousy-inducing content on your pages in order to challenge the “friend”. And if the friend gets equally jealous, chances are that he or she will post a photo or a story that will induce jealousy in you. In the long run, you will have a group of jealousy friends trying to outdoor one another; a vicious cycle of malice. If you feel like your content isn’t causing enough jealous on the other end, you can easily be depressed.

Sleep deprivation

A normal adult should sleep for at least 6 hours at night. This is, however, almost impossible now because people are chatting for hours. People are even waking up in the middle of the night to check how their posts are doing online.

Sleep deprivation can cause depression in too many ways. First, your colleagues in the workplace are sleep deprived just like you meaning that everyone is tired and unhappy. The office stays moody for the entire day, aggravating your loneliness.

Secondly, sleep deprivation affects how your body responds to workday activities. If you love the gym, for example, poor sleep will lower your workout enthusiasm and results. Lastly, poor sleep lowers your immune system. If you get sick, you stress out and hate your life, and that isn’t good for your mental health.

Conclusion

Although scientists and psychologists are still trying to figure out how social media relates to the sudden rise of depression cases among the youth, it is important that you find help if you are seeing any signs of depression and loneliness.