Thursday, November 6, 2008

Your iBrain: How Technology Changes the Way We Think

Because of the current technological revolution, our brains are evolving right now—at a speed like never before.

New pathways being created and old ones discarded. This applies to young and old doing internet searches, for example.
clipped from www.sciam.com
The brain’s plasticity—its ability to change in response to stimuli from the environment—is well known. What has been less appreciated is how the expanding use of technology is shaping neural processing.
Young people are exposed to digital stimulation for several hours every day, and many older adults are not far behind.
Even using a computer for Web searches for just an hour a day changes the way the brain processes information. A constant barrage of e-contacts is both stimulating—sharpening certain cognitive skills—and draining, studies show.
The current explosion of digital technology not only is changing the way we live and communicate but also is rapidly and profoundly altering our brains.
Daily exposure to high technology—computers, smart phones, video games, search engines such as Google and Yahoo—stimulates brain cell alteration and neurotransmitter release, gradually strengthening new neural pathways in our brains while weakening old ones
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