It's easy to stick to the music, books, and films of youth, but exposure to new genres can forge fresh neural connections
Cultural tastes are often formed in youth – mine certainly did. It was in my 20s that I discovered what became my favourite books, films and bands, and the genres that still thrill, move and inspire me today. When you’re younger you are more likely to take risks, to experiment with the new, and when it comes to cultural experiences, if the risk pays off you might discover a world of possibilities.
With age, many people become less likely to experiment with the new, and with good reason. In the real world, you learn the consequences of risky behaviour and the toll it can take. In cultural life, the consumption of culture costs time, money and brain-space. You don’t want to risk the little you have on an experience you might hate. Personally, I don’t feel the need to take a chance on watching an MA 15+ sci-fi/horror film on Pluto. I’d rather stick with what I like.
In addition, the modern world is designed to entrench tastes. Internet algorithms lead you, link by link, to experiences in line with your searches, and selections come from an ever-narrowing bandwidth. You’re never given the opportunity for an experience that will challenge, even if that’s what you want.
Yet knowing – and sticking – to your tastes can be detrimental to neural health. Brains atrophy without fresh input. No great leap has ever been achieved without risk, and cultural experiences are an easy way to take a chance on something new. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your horizon, address preconceived notions and maybe even have them overthrown.
Choices don’t have to be expensive, either. And if you end up feeling you’ve engaged with something that’s really not for you, your criticisms may spur you on creatively, or force you to engage more critically with the world. At the very least, you’ll be forging new neural connections, keeping your brain as fresh and open-minded as it’s ever been.
So from now on, I’m going to start taking a cultural risk. I may even watch that horror film on Pluto. Who knows? Perhaps I’ll discover an entirely new genre to fall in love with, just as I did when I was a teen.
Try the following for inexpensive ways to expand your cultural horizons and try something new…
- Scroll through the SBS On Demand free streaming service and pluck a TV show at random from the complete list. Pick one you wouldn’t usually choose
- If you already subscribe to a film-streaming service, select from a genre outside your comfort zone, and watch a film from the top page
- Go to a library or charity shop and pick a book that falls outside your cultural zone
- Tune your radio to a new station for half an hour
- Listen to a music playlist with a title that doesn’t instantly appeal
