I'm sure many of you have heard of the PDFA poster "This is your brain on drugs."This poster predated the advent of the Internet into mainstream culture. Of course, the Internet has many legitimately useful features, but people can form addictions to Internet use, continuing to use excessively despite detrimental effects to their quality of life, similar to a drug addiction. My interest, here, is to answer the question, "What does your brain look like on the internet?"
In the past couple years, neurologists have shown a growing interest in the cognitive changes effected by internet use, focusing on the physical effects on a person's brain. This discussion from NPR examines the toll taken by information overload and "technology juggling." Specifically, a sample of individuals deprived of their gadgets for three days reported significant positive results in terms of their stress levels and pace of life. Streaming information makes it difficult for the brain to filter relevant information, as shown by a study right here at Stanford.
fMRI analyses show the acceleration of physical wear and tear on the brain caused by "tech overload," a very real problem documented by the thousand. Excessive attachment to technology creates difficulties in being present in the moment, as discussed in this New York Times article. Also, studies have shown that productivity decreases significantly when multitasking, a practice greatly increased by technology use.
These are just a few tidbits of the type of discussions to come on this blog!
In the past couple years, neurologists have shown a growing interest in the cognitive changes effected by internet use, focusing on the physical effects on a person's brain. This discussion from NPR examines the toll taken by information overload and "technology juggling." Specifically, a sample of individuals deprived of their gadgets for three days reported significant positive results in terms of their stress levels and pace of life. Streaming information makes it difficult for the brain to filter relevant information, as shown by a study right here at Stanford.
fMRI analyses show the acceleration of physical wear and tear on the brain caused by "tech overload," a very real problem documented by the thousand. Excessive attachment to technology creates difficulties in being present in the moment, as discussed in this New York Times article. Also, studies have shown that productivity decreases significantly when multitasking, a practice greatly increased by technology use.
These are just a few tidbits of the type of discussions to come on this blog!
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