7 Reasons Why You Should Watch TED Talks More Often ...

1. Creative

TED talks vary in times, from five minutes upward; however, regardless of the length, their creativity keeps me entertained. It’s so cool to learn about improv or how to read Chinese using imagery! Anyone acquainted with TED will explain why you should watch TED talks as they fill your imagination with visuals and admiration, such as Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir. All you have to do is search videos tagged with ‘creativity’ to see what I mean. It’s definitely worth checking it out, though you might soon find yourself addicted like I am.

2. Easy to Use

TED.com is a user-friendly site to view TED talks. Whether or not you search a video directly, you are bound to stumble upon a jewel while scanning the tags. I also enjoy scrolling through the ‘popular’ and ‘recent; videos that are featured on the homepage. They are a great way to get familiar with the way TED works. Look and see for yourself!

3. Inspiring

The inspiring air of TED talks leaves me talking. Take Jane McGonigal, for example, who created a video game to help beat Depression. Or Shane Koyczan’s talk to the bulled population with his poem, “To This Day.” They are genius! Who knows, you may find yourself reading more after you hear Lisa Bu’s talk on “How Books Can Open Your Mind.”

4. Progressive

TED is the up-and-coming way to share, as exactly as their slogan proclaims, ‘ideas worth spreading.’ Personally, I like hearing Thomas Insel talk about a new understanding of mental illness. What’s more, you can find talks like David Dow’s on how to stop the cycle of violence that leads to the death penalty that get you thinking. The talks use real life stories to help aide in creating a better future. They inspire change.

5. Accessible

TED talks are available in a string of languages from English to Hungarian. You can currently listen to the same talk in 103 different languages! That’s incredible! These are ‘ideas worth spreading’ as you forward them to friends and relatives who may not speak the same language as you. It’s accessible in a large number of languages but also it is growing. More translations are becoming available over time with an goal estimate by TED of 165 languages.

6. Educational

The educational values of TED talks are more than apparent. I’ve watched various videos in classes to help with my understanding of Daniel Dennett’s Theory of Consciousness and more. In my public speaking class, we studied why these talks were engaging and successful, and how we too could make connections with our audiences. I believe that TED talks can be a very powerful aid in classrooms because they draw out the subject into a approachable and manageable thing to learn.

7. Unity

It’s always fun to find the latest trend online, but these TED talks are more than something to smile about. They bring people all around the world together on common thoughts to have arguments about different theories in the hopes of making things things better for the future. You can share videos and discuss with loved ones or classmates. You can attend a TED event yourself to experience it more fully. But no matter what avenue you choose, it helps you connect.

TED talks are the latest thing with their alluring yet informational style. If you haven’t checked them out by now, make sure to open it up in another tab and start exploring! What’s one of your favorite reasons for watching TED talks?