The Physiological Impact of Technology

I just finished reading iBrain by Dr. Gary Small and I want to discuss further the neurological impact of technology on our youth.  We all know that the youth dominate in the digital world in using the Internet and other digital devices, but what is happening to the brain during this time.  The advancement of technology is inevitable and it would be naïve to think that we could ever go back to a pre-digital world and many of us would not want to.  In my last post I discussed how Turkle said that we are in the infancy of the digital age and that we don’t yet understand the future implications of technology.  Neuroscientist Dr. Gary Small supplies some hard evidence on the physiological impact of technology on the human brain and some of the findings are frightening to me. 

The first thing that really caught my attention was on page 5 where Small discusses that it took over a millennia for the human brain to evolve to the point that it is at now, yet with the onset of technology evolutionary brain changes are occurring over mere decades.  

As in my previous post on Hyperconnectedness, Small is able to provide evidence that our brains cannot function efficiently with too much information.  Referring to research studies of the past that revealed that being exposed to just an hour a day of computer exposure was causing our brain to be overstimulated, he begs the question “…what happens when we spend more time?  What about the brains of young people, whose neural circuitry is even more malleable and plastic?  What happens to their brains when they spend their average eight hours daily with their high-tech toys and devices (p.17).”

It is a known fact that most of our youth use their devices in excess, so I am wondering if in schools we should be focusing on teaching safe use of technology rather than inundating students with more technology in the schools.  I am not suggesting that technology be banned from schools, but rather balance the amount of technology used both during and after schools.  I do think that this could work as “Thinking Green” has recently taken off in schools recently.  Students are taking what they learn in schools about being environmentally friendly and applying it in their personal lives. Likewise, this could also be the same with Safe use of Technology.

Both Turkle and Small agree that there are benefits of our new digital world from the convenience that we gain, to altering our neural networks that sharpens some cognitive abilities such as quicker response to visual stimuli and improving attention span to name a few.  The point I believe they are making is that technology being used as a tool is a great benefit, but the overuse of it can a detriment to humanity.

Technology can become an addiction and as addictions goes, it impacts all areas of a person’s life.  We are already seeing the impact Hyperconnectedness have on our youth.  More children are obese than they ever have been before.  Our youth would rather be connected to a digital device than play outside, or be a part of nature.  Small points out that if children are exposed to technology at an early age when their brains are still so sensitive and malleable, then it can have a lasting effect on their neural pathways that can lead to addiction, short attention spans, anxiety, depression, lack of social skills and much more.  Is this what we want for our youth?  My answer is no and the more I read in on this topic, the more convinced I am that we as a society need to do something before  this becomes something we can’t contain. 

Sprenger, Turke and Small all want parents and educators to realise that we don’t have to give in to the frenzy that technology brings about, but with proper education in the area, our youth can live in balance with technology.  I don’t think the education world should take issue lightly, but rather look to those who have research in the area and let them guide us through this Digital world.