Never Get Eaten

More Tech, Less Brains?

Tech dominates our world. Some people embrace the integration of technology while others fear the adverse effects of dependance. The average American can be seen with an iphone in hand and a Fitbit strapped to their wrists, even driving cars that can parallel park themselves.

But if cars can park themselves, will humans eventually lose the ability to do so themselves? I believe so, and Nicholas Carr is with me.

Life Alongside Technology

Pamela Lund, author of Massively Networked, writes about our future co-existence with tech joyfully. She promises “smart homes” that monitor the daily activities of its inhabitants, using that data to automate aspects of the environment. Lund dreams of a world where wearable and environmental technology accent every part of our life.

Teenagers live almost entirely in sync with their gadgets, barely remembering life before they had a GPS, high resolution camera, phone, internet and banking device in their pockets. But are these gadgets doing all our thinking for us? The answer to this question could be as simple as attempting to get somewhere you’ve never been using a paper map.

The Other Side of the Coin

Nicholas Carr doesn’t share Lund’s pie in the sky outlook of tech integration. He points to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change to adapt to its environment, to make the case that technology is actually hurting our brain.

Neuroplasticity has enabled us to evolve beyond our genetic barriers. Our brain can literally change just by repeated physical or neurological activity, such as practicing an instrument. The darker side of this phenomenon is, as Carr says, “plastic does not mean elastic.” (34)

Decreased Attention Spans and Technology

According to a 2014 study, the average American attention span went from 12 seconds in 2000 (before attached technology really took off) to just 8. At that rate, we should all be unable to focus on anything at all by 2025.

Many people feel that this is simply multi-tasking and good for the brain, but research has shown that there is no true multi-tasking, only “task-switching” which is detrimental to the attention span.

How Do We Stop?

Take a break! Put your phone down as long as you can stand it. Psychologist Larry Rosen swears by it and students at the school really enjoyed their experiment.

Take a break, for your brains’ sake!

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. “The Vital Paths.” The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. Print.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordyn-holman/why-you-probably-wont-finish-reading-this-article_b_6850042.html

http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-wise/201209/the-true-cost-multi-tasking