how the internet changing your brain
The prevalence of the Internet is changing the way our brains work and this can be attributed to the distractions that connectivity brings. For example, millennials are more forgetful than previous generations. This is thought to be a direct result of the constant distractions that connectivity brings. Additionally, the knowledge that information is readily available online means that we're less likely to form a memory of it. Previous generations would have memorized directions on a map for example. now, there's a reliance on being able to access this GPS app. Additionally, we're becoming more addicted to our smartphones. Constant glances to check for messages mean that we're becoming more and more used to developing a habit of being distracted. Our brains are less used to transitioning into deeper modes of thinking which makes it more difficult to do this when we need to. Research has also shown that the constant flow of information has meant that we are losing cognitive control. This means not only is our ability to control our minds reducing but also our ability to decide what we're thinking about. The more you rely on your phone and an app to provide information, the less you are able to determine what's important to focus on. We are increasingly more concerned with information that's new as opposed to what's actually important. However, technology is clearly affecting the way our brains work and it isn't necessarily a bad thing throughout history inventions have always enabled us to focus better.It’s a challenge that’s familiar to anyone with a smartphone in their pocket who can’t quite remember the year that a favorite album came out or the name of an actor in an old movie. Take out the phone? Or rack the brain?
