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Your 21st century brain on Facebook
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Are you experiencing short attention spans? Do you have difficulty empathizing with others? Well, according to one neuroscientist, this might be the result of your visits to social networking sites like Facebook.
According to Professor Greenfield, a neuroscientist at Lincoln college, "It might be helpful to investigate whether the near total submersion of our culture in screen technologies over the last decade might in some way be linked to the threefold increase over this period in prescriptions for methylphenidate, the drug prescribed for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder."
Methylphenidate, or Ritalin, prescriptions have also increased in the US. Interestingly, college students in the U.S. who were already on Ritalin, Prozac and other psych meds and in need of additional counseling rose from 7% in 1992 to 18% in 2000. Could there be a link to their online activities?
Some experts suggest that excessive exposure to new digital technology can be problematic for the brain's ability to respond. In fact, there are some studies that suggest that not everyone can handle multitasking and that the demands of today's technologies may result in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
While we applause the vast technological changes taking place in our society, some experts say that such technologies prevent us from paying full attention to one thing. That technologies like instant messenging and Twitter require quick responses versus depth and sublety in our thinking.
According to Dr. Greenfield, who spoke of one Facebook user claiming 900 friends,"that you can't see or hear other people makes it easier to reveal yourself in a way that you might not be comfortable with. You become less conscious of the individuals involved [including yourself], less inhibited, less embarrassed and less concerned about how you will be evaluated."
Given the brain's exposure to roughly eight hours of technology every day, it is likely that our high-tech revolution will have some sort of impact on our behavior. In fact, initial results indicate important links between extensive brain exposure to new technology and mental disorders.
So the next time your attention span is short or you feel you're lacking emphathy, perhaps that's the time to turn off the computer and your other electronic gadgets and go outside and get some good fresh air.
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