Is digital boom spelling cerebral doom?

Abstract

Byline: T. Sathyanarayana Rao, Vishal. Indla, Indla. Reddy There was a time when we started and ended our day by looking at somebody we love. In today's digital world, for most of us, our day starts and ends with a gadget. Our brains are under the influence of an ever-expanding world of gadgetry: Hi-definition multichannel television, video games, internet, wireless networks, i-pads, Bluetooth links - the list is never ending. The current explosion of digital technology is not only changing the way we live and communicate but is rapidly and immensely altering our brain. Daily exposure to high technology and search engines like Google and Yahoo stimulates alteration of the neurons, gradually strengthening new neural circuits in our brain while weakening old ones. As we rely on the Internet and other forms of technology for almost everything from entertainment to political discussion to even social reform as well as communication with friends and co-workers, our brain are evolving at a speed like never before. Economic experts, though point to technology's positive impact on productivity and standard of living. The efficiency of the Web reduces the cost of transactions needed for producing and distributing many products and services. It's easier for consumers to shop for an item among many vendors, which allows for greater savings, choice, and shopping convenience. Routine transactions, such as making a mortgage payment or transmitting financial information, require less time and expense using Web- based technology. [sup][1] As the brain shifts its focus toward new technological skills, it drifts away from fundamental social skills, such as reading facial expressions during conversation or grasping the emotional context of a subtle gesture. A Stanford University study found that for every hour we spend on our computers, traditional face-to-face interaction time with other people drops by nearly thirty minutes. [sup][2] With the weakening of the brain's neural circuitry controlling human contact, our social interactions may become awkward, and we tend to misinterpret, and even miss subtle, non-verbal messages. In short, the modern digital world could well be altering our human identity. It is also interesting to note that just as evolution has programmed men and women to behave differently, there are differences even in the way they use and respond to technology, and a recent survey from the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that women are more likely to email friends and family to share concerns, forward jokes, or plan events. They value the way the Internet enriches their relationships. Women tend to seek diet and health information on the Web and to worry more about criminal Internet threats. They are also more likely to download online map directions than are men. By contrast, men frequently log on to the Web for news and financial updates, sports scores, and video games. The study also showed that men tend to be more tech-savvy, more confident in using search engines, and more likely to try new gadgets and software. [sup][3] Today's young people in their teens and twenties, who have been dubbed Digital Natives (a term coined by the US writer Marc Prensky), have never known a world without computers, twenty-four-hour TV news, Internet, and cell phones. Many of these natives rarely enter a library, let alone look something up in a traditional encyclopedia; they use Google, Yahoo, and other online search engines. [sup][4] It's almost as if something hasn't really happened until it's been posted on Facebook or YouTube. The neural networks in these brains differ dramatically from those of digital immigrants: people who came to the computer age as adults but whose basic brain wiring was laid down during a time when direct social interaction was the norm. Digital natives tend to have shorter attention spans, and this young high-tech generation often finds television too boring when simply watched on its own. …