"How I'm Preparing To Get Alzheimer's" - TED Talk Analysis

I chose to complete my analysis on a TED Talk entitled “How I’m Preparing To Get Alzheimer’s” that was presented by Alanna Shaikh.

You can watch the speech here.

Shaikh, a global health expert and TED Fellow, delivered her speech at the official TED conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland in June of 2012. The object of her speech was to heighten awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia as a whole; however, I also think it was extremely therapeutic for her to be able to share her story with others. She encourages her audience to not run from the disease. Instead, she urges her audience to be prepared. 

“If the monster wants you, the monster’s [going to] to get you.”
As viewers, we are not given much information on the audience of this particular speech, so I had to make some inferences.  * The audience seems extremely engaged throughout the entire speech.  When the camera cuts to them, everyone in the frame appears to be enthralled with what Shaikh is saying.  * Everyone seems connected on an emotional level.  It is almost as if some of them have experienced this with someone they love and can relate to Shaikh’s story. 
* There appears to be people of ALL backgrounds in the audience, and each one seems engaged.  This further instills the point that dementia does not care who you are – the color of your skin, your religion, how wealthy or successful you have been in life.  If it wants you, it will come for you anyway. 

The audience also laughs at the appropriate times and is solemn when necessary.  These are all strong indicators that they are being respectful and genuinely care about what Shaikh has to say.  They don't hesitate at all to give Shaikh a standing ovation at the end of her speech.  

The crowd gives Shaikh a standing ovation.

You could tell Shaikh was a little nervous in the beginning (most likely due to the highly emotional and personal content of the speech), but the audience’s reactions and interactions put her to ease.  It’s almost as if the audience was taken aback by the emotional direction the speech took.  It wasn’t as scientific or analytical as other TED talks might be -- it was RAW, it was TOUCHING, it was POIGNANT.

The audience gives Shaikh their full attention.

Shaikh makes eye contact with her audience the entire time.  However, she stands very still throughout the entire speech.  Her feet remain in the same position at the end as they did at the beginning.  As the speech continues, she does begin to move her hands, gesturing at certain things.  I think she would have looked more relaxed on stage if she had moved around a little bit.  Standing in one place for the entire speech gave me the impression that she was uncomfortable.  I think bringing along a photo or some type of media component might have made her speech even more personal and reinforced a connection with the audience.  Being able to put a face to a story always RESONATES with an audience. 

Shaikh maintains eye contact with the audience throughout her speech. 

Shaikh employs humor to lighten the somewhat deep mood.  Shaikh had no visual aids or props ... she simply talked to her audience as if they were her friends. Additionally, she uses more personal experience to back up her assertions than actual research and fact.  However, I think that this firsthand knowledge is just as valuable. 

 

The speech was organized traditionally and flowed nicely. Shaikh manages to complete the following:   

o   Introduces her connection with Alzheimer’s by discussing her father’s disease.

   o   Brings in statistics about Alzheimer’s in general and how the disease affects the world.

o   Makes her assertion – She is choosing to prepare for Alzheimer’s instead of running from it.

o   Lists the three points she plans to make throughout the speech and begins to discuss each one.

1. Doing more hands-on, fun activities (drawing, origami, knitting) … Hands will oftentimes remember even when the brain can’t.

2. Building physical strength -- yoga, tai chi, weight-bearing exercise

3. Working on becoming a better person (which Shaikh describes is the hardest of them all)

o   Shaikh ends with the concluding statement that she wants a cure for the disease, but that she will be ready just in case the cure doesn't come in her lifetime. 

“I need a heart so pure that if it’s stripped bare by dementia, it will survive.”  

             Overall, I thought Shaikh delivered a strong and inspiring speech, while providing a new perspective on how to deal with the looming potential of Alzheimer’s.   

- Madalyn