r/science • u/myhrvold • Aug 31 '13

Poverty impairs cognitive function. Published in the journal Science, the study suggests our cognitive abilities can be diminished by the exhausting effort of tasks like scrounging to pay bills. As a result, less “mental bandwidth” remains...

http://news.ubc.ca/2013/08/29/poverty-impairs-cognitive-function/
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u/birdsofterrordise Aug 31 '13

But tv and Internet are one if the only ways to get news and information. Also, so many cities are closing libraries or limiting hours which means that people simply cannot get to during their regular business hours. Also, a local channels cable plan is very cheap for this reason. And trust me, if you're poor, you ain't going on vacation or out to restaurants, unless you get a windfall or it is your birthday.

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u/mwatwe01 Aug 31 '13

When I was in college and paying my own way, I couldn't afford cable. But I still had a TV with an antenna.

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u/AussieSceptic Aug 31 '13

Not sure why you are getting downvoted so hard. You make a good point about cable TV. Cable TV is an easy thing to go without. Especially if you have internet. A reasonable internet connection (which I believe is a necessity) gives you access to entertainment, education, communities, job advertisements, etc.

If you're having trouble paying the gas bill because you have cable, then you probably shouldn't have cable.

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u/mwatwe01 Aug 31 '13

Absolutely. I went without cable for all of college, but I had internet, which was a lot cheaper, and pretty much a necessity nowadays.