Multi-tasking and constant use of internet, video games and “always-on” technologies may be rewiring our brains in unintended ways. By clicking and skimming our way through the internet we could be losing our ability to concentrate and contemplate–in a sense, training our minds to be more like a computer. Is the use of technology changing the way you think?
Author and speaker Nicholas Carr recently wrote in the Atlantic Monthly how the use of technology has altered the way he absorbs and processes information. In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr makes the case that by consuming most of his information via a computer screen vs. the printed medium he’s “not thinking the way (he) used to think,” and perhaps even “remapping (his) neural circuitry.”
For a writer like Carr, “the Web has been a godsend.” He can now easily research topics with the click of a mouse, and spend minutes instead of hours in the library. He no longer needs to read tomes of information to find the “telltale fact or pithy quote” needed to support an argument. In a sense, the efficiency of internet search technologies brings many benefits including more productivity (due to better and faster access to information), however there are downsides as well.
By “tripping from link to link,” capturing bits of information here and there, and constantly scanning internet news and information, Carr finds that he’s losing the ability to concentrate and stay focused on longer pieces of writing. In the article, Carr interviews friends and other professionals who constantly use the computer. These associates report that they’re also having difficulty reading articles of more than 2-3 paragraphs and often find they’re skimming more than deeply reading.
Dr. Gary Small is a Professor of Psychiatry & Bio-behavioral Sciences, and Director of the UCLA Center on Aging. He is also the author of “iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind.” Via letter to the editor of Atlantic Monthly, Dr. Small agreed with Nicholas Carr’s observations.
He writes, “The average young person spends more than eight hours each day using technology (computers, PDAs, TV, videos), and much less time engaging in direct social contact. Our UCLA brain-scanning studies are showing that such repeated exposure to technology alters brain circuitry, and young developing brains (which usually have the greatest exposure) are the most vulnerable. Instead of the traditional generation gap, we are witnessing the beginning of a brain gap that separates digital natives, born into 24/7 technology, and digital immigrants, who came to computers and other digital technology as adults.”
In the letter to the editor, Dr. Small continues, “Today, video-game brain, Internet addiction, and other technology side effects appear to be suppressing frontal-lobe executive skills and our ability to communicate face-to-face. Instead, our brains are developing circuitry for online social networking and are adapting to a new multitasking technology culture.”
So, our brains are “re-wiring” and adapting to how we’re using technologies, but this begs the question; “Is this rewiring of our brains a positive change?”
I found Dr. Small’s letter to the editor very intriguing and thus I contacted him for a few follow up questions.
When asked about the effects of too much technology on the brain, Dr. Small said, “Tech users may increase their hand-eye coordination, peripheral vision and reaction time. Research has found that surgeons who regularly play video games make fewer errors in the operating room. Potential negative effects include increased frequency of errors from multi-tasking, worsening of attention, the risk of technology addiction, and a decline in face-to-face human contact abilities.”
Many of us are well down the path of too much technology usage. We’re addicted to our Blackberries, inboxes, PSPs, and YouTube. What if we deem the costs outweigh the benefits? What if we want to stop? Is the rewiring of our brains reversible?
“The brain is malleable at any age so we can continue to rewire our brains in ways that improve our lives,” Dr. Small says. “The best approach is to make sure that we are spending enough time off-line, both with other people and on our own. The lure of technology can present a daily challenge for many people so scheduling regular breaks and learning ways to reduce stress and increase focus are helpful too.”
Questions:
* Do you find that constant use of technology is changing the way you think? Positively or negatively?
* Have you noticed a dramatic shift in your online vs. offline reading?
* Technology is surely making us more efficient, but with too much technology are we also training our minds to be more “robotic”?
* In the Atlantic Monthly article, the founders of Google have suggested that humanity would be better off if we had “all the world’s information directly attached to (the) brain” via interface or implant and of course, supplied by Google. How much technology is too much? When will we know when we’ve crossed “the line” between benefit and harm?
Related post: Are Web 2.0 Tools Dumbing Us Down?
Tags: Dr. Gary Small, Google, iBrain, multi-tasking, neuroscience, Nicholas Carr, search technologies, Social networking, Technology, technology and brain, Web 2.0
I noticed that the other day I was using a fork like it was a mouse (kidding).
On a more serious note, the way one reads on the internet is very differently than when reading print. That is why websites are designed a certain way – well atleast the good ones concentrate on efficiency and ease of use.
Web 2.0, as you point out, good website design (and copy) takes into account how users consume information online. By writing more efficiently (tighter) and in bursts, adding hyperlinks, and blinking advertisements etc around our content, are we actually contributing moreso to the problem of “rewiring” our brains?
Actually, I’m inclined to agree and disagree at the same time. While I do spend an inordinate amount of time on my Q or online I don’t believe this has had a significant impact on my patience for reading lengthy articles or case studies.
However, I would like to note that I do have a lot less patience for articles with fluff and segways than I used to. The short “all you need to know” does seem to be addicting and I would much rather read a 4 paragraph article with all the facts crammed in than an 8 paragraph article with excess information. I think the more important factor that everyone isn’t looking at however is, how engaging is the information your reading. For instance your blog was several paragraphs longer than others I have read however I was able to read it from beginning to end with no problem, because you kept me engaged with information, and you didn’t have excess fluff–just my thought for the day–now to go shorten my attention span even further
Lieca, thank you for taking the time to comment on this post and thank you for the compliment.
Writing styles and engaging commentary definitely helps keep our attention, however I wonder if our time crunched days, constant multi-tasking, and maybe even impatience is leading and pushing us to focus on the facts at hand in our daily situations–and perhaps expect the same for our reading materials.
In Carr’s article, he mentions how his friends say that because they read mostly online, they now no longer have tolerance for lengthy novels like “War and Peace”. And while that particular novel is a tough read, the point is– I wonder in our quest to get to the crux of the issue, or the main points, if we’re exchanging some of the beauty of language and prose for the Cliff notes version…
Any thoughts?
Interesting post, Paul. I believe in balance when it comes to using electronic devices. They’re marvelous tools and help me do my job efficiently. Like everyone else, I depend on them. Research materials are right at my fingertips, and that’s good to a degree. However, it isn’t any substitute for reading books, is it? To fully understand a topic, it’s important to invest time and effort to read about it. It helps me to acquire perspective and knowledge, as well as an appreciation for language itself.
At the end of the business day, it’s time to engage with family and friends, cook a good meal, read a good book. There is no substitute for a life fully lived. It seems that people who hard wire their brains with electronic devices 24/7 are missing out on the real world and sacrificing it totally for a virtual one. It’s up to each one of us to know where to draw the line.
Claire, your comment, “no substitute for a life fully lived” reminded me of a recent Dentyne commercial where people are encouraged to forego the computer and get back to 1:1, in-person communication (of course -with fresh breath).
You also made a good point that each person will need to determine their own balance. The balance between online/virtual and time away from the computer will be important – especially for those who deem the side effects (rewiring of the brain) unacceptable.
I’ve been trying to comment on this post all day but kept getting distracted by something else brighter and shinier… Plus, this post is too darn long.
; )
Seriously, technology and its tools (especially social media tools like blogs, Twitter, etc.) definitely are an ADD dream… no attention span? No problem! You can still express yourself/inhale information easily!
That said, I think there is a balance. So I don’t see it as, for example, a blog vs. a book. But I can see how others might use up all their reading time without cracking the spine of a novel. For me, the loser is television, not books, since the more I’m online, the less TV I watch.
To your larger point, though… is this rewiring our brains? Yes, probably. At least, it’s training them differently. When I see my kids text and talk, for example, it’s clearly the case.
Ah I think it’s doing both to us. The internet and technology as a whole is an absolute double-edged sword.
In my opinion this is very subjective and it varies from person to person. Yes I do agree that we are spoiled for information especially the way we consume them. With proliferation of technology and tools our approach to consumption and the usage have undergone changes. For instance when I am using technology I am using it to fulfill different needs i.e. (research, read, connect, communicate, be informed, entertain so on and so forth). These setup types define the way one consumes information. Depending on your interest and need you skim and scan information and you try to maximize your information assimilation process.
Reading a book offline is more attention grabbing then reading a book online. When you are reading online you have a broader vision as you are skewed towards the medium and its stature whereas when you read the book offline your vision is in sync with the book.
Technology knowhow have led to increased expectation. As people try to update themselves, consume information, know about wider topics etc, they put pressure on themselves and hence feel fatigued and stressed. A more disciplined approach can help create an amiable environment with technology.
Brevity can be,
An oft overlooked but still,
Valid writing style
Here’s the point as I see it. We, as modern people, have to absorb many times the information than did our own grandparents and especially our ancestors. This has spawned to an explosion of inventions unprecedented in history.
It makes sense that as the population grows and our communication techniques (one of the abilities that make us human) get better we will evolve (hasn’t it always) our assimilation techniques. That means we begin to be able to filter the superfluous information out and get to the mot important part faster. So for some types of reading like research and business we tend to filter. I think for entertainment we revert to reading everything and enjoying the nuisances.
The important part here, for humanity, is that we learn as much as we can and communicate our thoughts to our fellow humans where ever they are. Electronic communications allows us to do that. It also allows us to learn more.
Three years ago I started listening to audio books. They have included both non-fiction and fiction. I mostly use them when I drive and have been able to listen to a hundred and fifty books in that time. I could never have done that if I had to read the books. My opinion is it doesn’t mater if we read, listen or look (a combination is best). What maters is what information we get and how we use it.
This is something marketers must keep in mind.
Paul,
I sensed this years ago and became determined to avoid the negative side effects of technology. To date, my only tools are a computer and a cell phone (not a PDA).
Recently, I cut back on Twitter and Plurk and mostly use them to touch base with contacts and share ideas. I also have cut my posting from 4 – 5 times a week to 2 – 3 times a week, including what I write for the Daily Fix. I make an effort to meet clients, friends and family over coffee or a visit as often as possible.
My bottom line: Critical thinking is far too important to waste.
Ann, thank you for commenting on this post. You made a very interesting point about TV as the loser, especially with so many TV shows available online- maybe a day or two after they originally air.
Regarding Dr. Small’s response to the effects of technology on younger brains, I think this is something that adults (parents) can help monitor and balance. In my interview with Dr. Small, he mentioned that according to a Pew Internet Research project, 90% of teens use the internet compared to 72% of people ages 51-59.
Dr. Small argues in his book, iBrain that, “younger people might do better if they balance their tech time with offline activities that help their brains develop complex reasoning abilities in the frontal lobe, as well as empathy skills in the temporal lobe.”
Nick and Khushboo, thank you for adding some great points to the discussion.
Nick, technology is a double edged sword–I don’t know about you, but when I’m reading a book I get that singular focus -as Khushboo describes–because I am dialed into the content for that point in time. When I’m on the internet, I feel rushed, hurried and have a sinking feeling that I’m missing something since there is so much information to consume. Gotta move, gotta click, gotta connect, must absorb.
There is much benefit to reading online with all the great content available at the click of a mouse. But for me at least, opening a book is a far richer and deeper experience…
Roger, there’s something to be said for writing tight isn’t there? Thank God for all the copy writers and editors of the world!
Harry, thanks for commenting on this post regarding the different mediums that we have available to us to absorb information.
I think everyone learns differently. For example, while I enjoy audio books, I listen more for pleasure than anything else. For me at least, I cannot retain content I hear, probably because I’ve always been a visual learner and also because I haven’t trained my mind to absorb and remember content thru that channel. So listening to Jack Welch’s “Winning” wouldn’t be the same for me as reading it.
Some people are auditory, visual, tactical etc learners. Different strokes for different folks?
Lewis, correct me if I’m wrong but I believe your comments on cutting back on technology use have as much to do with the return on investment you felt you were getting (time spent vs business value) as avoiding the negative effects of technology on the brain.
I don’t want to get too philosophical here, but I believe we can have a much richer experience with a friend or business associate over a cup of coffee as opposed to a phone call or online chat. Obviously there’s not enough time in the world to keep in touch with everyone -hence the beauty of the online medium to quickly touch base or provide a rapid update.
That said, what are we missing when we choose to spend most of the time on that “upkeep” using online tools?
Paul, I read half your post then skipped to the end. Then I clicked the link in your post, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, and did the same thing. I’ve grown up with computers, and skimming does come naturally.
I have noticed the negative effects… I miss important pieces of information, don’t make connections, or don’t appreciate subtleties like context.
To fix the problem, I just don’t close my tabs. Then, when I’ve satisfied my “information curiosity” I go back and finish everything. In fact, I’ve created a habit out of it… I can’t close my tab until I’ve read every last word. In the end, I did go back to your post and finished it.
Ultimately, people are still in control of the way they interact with technology, as they always have been.
Stephen, thanks for commenting.
I really, really hope the content in this post wasn’t too onerous for the reader. I realize that brevity doesn’t come naturally for me (need to work on that) but sometimes I find that I just cannot make my key points and back them up without a longer post. Last thing I want is incomplete or non-cogent content.
I’m glad you found a method to the madness. We each need to find that perfect method and balance to cope with the daily onslaught of too much information…
Paul,
You are correct: This year I cut back my time online during the business day (none in the evening) because I believe most online activities are unproductive and hurt the bottom line. However, my larger point is that I don’t own or subscribe to, and never have, most of the online gadgets (e.g., IPod) or sites.
Do you find that constant use of technology is changing the way you think? Positively or negatively?
I am 40 to old enough to remember the world before the Internet. And I have say that I feel like I am better informed now. I do love my paper Economist, though, the one publication to which I receive the print version. I pay for several other publications of various sorts for just the online version.
As for changing the way I think I have grown to expect to be able to find things out instantly and do things instantly. I just got back from a quick trip to the East Coast. I was able to arrange the flights and hotel in minutes and no delay. I take that for granted, now.
I think that I have more information in my head because of the Internet. I am not sure, however, the static to noise ratio. Yikes.
* Have you noticed a dramatic shift in your online vs. offline reading?
Yes, I only read The Economist and books off line. Everything else I prefer to read online.
* Technology is surely making us more efficient, but with too much technology are we also training our minds to be more “robotic”?
I do not feel my mind is more robotic.
* In the Atlantic Monthly article, the founders of Google have suggested that humanity would be better off if we had “all the world’s information directly attached to (the) brain” via interface or implant and of course, supplied by Google. How much technology is too much? When will we know when we’ve crossed “the line” between benefit and harm?
That’s a flat-out stupid idea. People NEED to get away from it all. Turn off everything.
I think part of each day should be technology free.
I’d rather inplant a cold beer to my lips in some small Costa Rican town while watching a tree Sloth move a few inches or a Spider Monkey go ape. This after a day in the rain forest or beach without a phone or Internet connection to be found.
Paul, I love your posts always, since you really know about marketing and technology (not like many programmers that think they know marketing – must say sorry). I just think it is hard for most of the people to understand this complexity. Too hard for a blog.
Anyway, I think there are more positive than negative effects from the changes for our generation. Yet I am not sure about the following generations that perhaps do not have all the same experiences as we have.
The most interesting aspect I like to discuss are the actual marketing benefits of the technological improvements. For example, what is the benefit of websites for my company? I’m just having a new tool that everyone has. New costs, new time to work on and actually no competitive advantage from itself.
The same goes for any bright new shinny techno stuff. Facebook, twitter, virtual worlds,… just something new that will not bring competitive advantage to your company. Just new costs and faster work (more work).
And that’s why Lewis made a great strategy about it.
I really believe that the Internet has open a new world to me. I had a dream i was building theses towers one at the north pole and the other at the south pole, there was theses magnets shaped like donuts and the went on each side of the towers and it was spinning like a top with the magnet energy from the earth spinning it.On each sides where theses large generators.Wire where stretched across the world . I said in my dream now the world never half to worry about energy again.And i woke up.It all came from me reading the Internet, something i never did , is read.
I really believe that the Internet has open a new world to me. I had a dream i was building theses towers one at the north pole and the other at the south pole, there was theses magnets shaped like donuts and the went on each side of the towers and it was spinning like a top with the magnet energy from the earth spinning it.On each sides where theses large generators.Wire where stretched across the world . I said in my dream now the world never half to worry about energy again.And i woke up.It all came from me reading the Internet, something i never did , is read.
I really believe that the Internet has open a new world to me. I had a dream i was building theses towers one at the north pole and the other at the south pole, there was theses magnets shaped like donuts and the went on each side of the towers and it was spinning like a top with the magnet energy from the earth spinning it.On each sides where theses large generators.Wire where stretched across the world . I said in my dream now the world never half to worry about energy again.And i woke up.It all came from me reading the Internet, something i never did , is read.
I really believe that the Internet has open a new world to me. I had a dream i was building theses towers one at the north pole and the other at the south pole, there was theses magnets shaped like donuts and they went in the middle of the towers and it was spinning . Magnet energy fields from the earth spinning it.On each sides where theses large generators.Wire where stretched across the world . I said in my dream now the world never half to worry about energy again.And i woke up.It all came from me reading the Internet, something i never did , is read.
I knew my brain was becoming rewired when my first thought upon spilling a cup of coffee was “control-Z” to undo…and, weirder yet, I instinctively thought “control-F” to find my car keys somewhere in the house.
Neil, thank you for taking the time to comment on this post. I loved your line that you’d rather be inplanting “a cold beer to my lips in some small Costa Rican town while watching a tree Sloth move a few inches or a Spider Monkey go ape.”
This may surprise many people, as I am a marketing/technologist kinda guy, but I definitely believe too much of a good thing (internet) may be bad for us and the research of Dr. Gary Small definitely cemented these thoughts…
Dusan, thank you for commenting on my posts and also for the compliment!
I’ll agree with you that the acquisition of any technology does not automatically infer competitive advantage. The real comp adv lies in the use of that technology to address business problems–and address them in a manner that competitors are not. Sounds trite, but in my 15 years in technology I’ve seen failure after failure and millions of wasted dollars from not aligning technology with business challenges.
Suzi, there are many times I wished for a delete or backspace key for many of my actions or mistakes! Thanks for a bit of comic relief.
Yeah, who are the kooks that come up with these brain implant ideas and so on?
I cannot go a day without a least a little time away from technology. Even if there were a way to turn off the implant, I would know it was there and that would be enough to make fun, non-tech things less fun.
@Suzi: Yeap, I did it as well with hands full of stuff falling down… Undo I said. I think that’s part of rewired brain.
@Paul: me too. Just too many cases seen – did like others do (with no real thinking about it) and wasted tons of money…
Paul,
Just came across an interesting quote that might interest you and Daily Fix readers:
“When I go into offices, I see brilliant people looking at a bloody screen for hours. I say, ‘When are you communicating? When are you learning and being creative?’”
–Peter Ueberroth, business guru and former Major League Baseball commissioner
Claire, your quote is a good one, however it does remind me of a previous post I wrote titled “Frivolous Facebook Fridays” where one company I profiled is asking employees to set aside one hour a day to social network (on the computer). So, can business relationships be developed/created using social networking? For sure, but I think we could all use some time away from the technology to ponder and deeply contemplate.
What I find constantly amusing in these wired times is that it is getting more and more difficult to justify productivity in the workplace if you are doing several things online. On occassion, we tend to browse through social networks just to break the ‘tedium’ whilst looking for worthwhile resources for current work based projects. If not that, I noticed that some people cannot function properly without their daily dose of YouTube or CNN online. How did we ever work before we got caught in the web?
Laura, thank you for commenting. I believe many people like to think they can focus on their current project with five open browsers, alerts, chats popping up etc. The reality is that we have a fixed architecture for our brains. We can train them to multi-task more effectively, but to your point, we could be draining our productivity by doing so.
I must say the article is really interesting. I have never given a thought in this way about technologies. N i agree you are rite. Our minds are really working like robots these days. Technologies are beneficial in any ways, but they are having other way too…
Interesting topic Paul. What you wrote makes a lot of sense, although I think it applies to some and not others.
I consider myself a “younger baby boomer”, if there’s such a finer cut at the group, and my guess is this article has larger impact on the boomer group than, say, the Gen X or Gen Y group.
For us, since we grew up in the analog, “paper”/printed world, we did (and still do) have to make adjustments in this digital/paperless world. On the other hand the new generations were born into this world already so I think this is less of an issue for them.
In fact for a younger person I don’t think they look at this as being rewired or always on or too much technology or multitasking. It’s the way it is and anything else is actually a real effort for them.
It is most probable that our brains had already made several major changes in the past (e.g., going from primitive to industrial to modern ages). So this may just be another small evolution. Maybe another topic for another day.
Cuong, thank you for commenting on this post.
You make a very interesting point about the effects of “rewiring” on the generations, and rightfully point out that Gen Y’s are probably used to multi-tasking as this is this normal daily environment.
All this said, neuroscientists have shown that in many instances multi-tasking isn’t making us more productive, but instead makes us less able to pay attention and sloppier in our final work product. Not true in all instances of course, but for many populations is this accurate.
I’ll steer you to a previous post and let you decide!
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/12/are_web_20_tools_dumbing_us_do.html
I found your article incredibly fascinating..
I googled upon it while researching Internet addiction. I find it interesting as I am 30 years old, and have been absolutely immersed in technology for the past 20 years. Often, Internet addiction is described as detrimental, however I find it difficult to determine how and why it is a bad thing. Perhaps it is that my brain has long since been rewired.
I am a software developer, so I use the Internet many hours per day for professional advancement and research. Since my kids often claim the TV, I use the Internet to randomly browse and research new and exciting things of which I didn’t previously know. I personally feel that I am addicted to learning new things, and the Internet is an extremely useful tool for doing just that. As a creative hobby, I build and modify my Jeep, which I research new ideas and howto’s on the Internet, but often finances interfere with being able to create and do new things on the auto. I replace time which I cannot afford to modify it with researching everything from cancer, WWII history, how tanks work, welding, music history, literary works, to you name it.
Does this make me addicted to the Internet, or is this simply a sign that I have long since rewired my brain? Since I have been doing this for so long, I actually don’t remember any other way of being. I do find that I am extremely analytical and logical in my everyday thinking.
I used to enjoy writing and drawing before I became immersed in the internet. In addition to losing those interests, I also feel that I’m less creative than I was before plugging in.
@ Jim, While you said, “Perhaps it is that my brain has long since been rewired,” remember Dr. Gary Small says this is reversible over time – if you deem it necessary. Perhaps for you, however, growing up in the Internet age, a reversal is unnecessary.
Amber, thanks for commenting. Your experiences are typical of many people coping with the rise of Internet and mobile technologies all around us!
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Interesting article, I’m addicted to the internet and it sure has rewired my mind. Lately I’m too self conscious when talking to others, my mind is continuously asking if im staring or giving enough eye contact and all those stuff. Its so frustrating. It all started when I started using the Internet for atleast 10 hours a day.
Anyone know the medical term for what I’m going thru? This fear of eye contact…..
Hello. We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.
I am from Nigeria and know bad English, give true I wrote the following sentence: “Business gant chart, nick’s firestorm is since a trial that the greek mandates sergei to feel away from the phones for him.”
With respect 8), Shaiming.
For future readers, here is another article on the same topic from the NYT…
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html
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