How is science beneficial for our children?

The 33rd edition of the Fête de la Science takes place throughout France, until October 14. An edition that brings together thousands of free events open to all.

This week, on the occasion of the Science Festival, Amélia Matar looks at the benefits of this school subject for our children and adolescents.

The French struggle to trust science. A 2022 Ipsos survey shows that one in two French people consider that their personal judgment is as valid as the opinion of a scientist. However, the scientific approach is a valuable resource to enable our children to understand our contemporary society which is evolving rapidly.

Indeed, the scientific approach consists of observing, asking questions, formulating hypotheses, then testing these ideas through experimentation. At a time when some parents are worried about the passivity of certain young people, particularly in the face of screens, raising awareness of the scientific approach puts the child or adolescent in the position of an investigator, and an actor.

And above all, science is useful for academic success. Research shows that their study helps to develop the logical mind, creativity but also cooperation in certain cases. Finally, it is also a real education in critical thinking, essential in the age of fake news which is multiplying online.

The theme of the Science Festival this year is the oceans, but like every year, it covers a wide range of subjects. And this 33rd edition takes place in particular in a context where technology and digital addiction are becoming worrying subjects.

A WHO report, published on September 25, reveals that 11% of European adolescents have problematic use of social networks, presenting symptoms close to addiction. This Science Festival is an opportunity to discover cognitive neuroscience as a family, a discipline which helps us understand our uses, sometimes inappropriate, of digital technology, and which can above all be part of the answers to be provided to these young people who sometimes overconsume screens. .

Cognitive neuroscience studies the functioning of the brain and the nervous system, and in particular cognitive functions such as memory, attention, language or perception. And when we are interested in this science, we easily understand why inappropriate use of screens and social networks is harmful to our teenagers (and to everyone). We therefore come back to this idea that science is a real power, within everyone’s reach, and which everyone can grasp.

Sciences are covered widely and all disciplines are in the spotlight. Here are some examples that illustrate this idea that science is useful in helping our children navigate the modern world.

• The University of Caen offers young people an exhibition “Unfrize your brain” to allow them to understand the evolution of this organ through times.
• In Clermont-Ferrand, the “Cour
• In Saint-Martin-d’Hères, Grenoble Alpes University and its partners open the laboratory doors to allow you to discover behind the scenes of research.
• And in Paris, the Ecole Normale Supérieure offers numerous workshops, such as the “In the head of Mbappé” workshop: a card game with scientists from Oxford to discover the neuroscience of football.

More than 6,000 events are organized throughout France, open to all and free.

“Nothing in life is to be feared, everything is to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

So go to the Science Festival website until October 14!