Technology has altered the human brain,” is a universal fact, since technical advancements have an incredibly deep effect on the way our brain works. The Tech has made us to feel, think and even dream differently. While it has made drastic impact on our attention skill, memory and sleep routine, some researchers claim that tech has few positive impacts as well. It has bestowed new skills to make us more creative, to organize our lives, and make our mind free from frustrations. Many studies conducted on the impact of technology on our brains, here are some of the most interesting findings, as compiled by Mashable.
#1 Dreaming In Color
Television has deeply affected our brain, especially our dream. In 2008, a Dundee University research established that adults above the age of 55, who
had brought up with a black and white TV, were more likely to experience the dream in black and white. But the younger generations, brought up in the era of Technicolor, always dreamed in color. The American Psychological Association verified these findings.
#2 Sleeping Problems
Tech –savvy people are used to fall asleep, by looking at the glow of laptop or Smartphone display. The bright light produced by the Smartphone, laptop, and tablet screens disturbs our body’s internal light cues and sleep inducing hormones. This bright light can fool the brain by thinking it is still day time and causes long lasting effect on our internal sleep clock. Our eyes are very sensitive to the blue color produced by the screen, which makes harder to fall asleep, especially for those who suffers from insomnia.
Technology has altered the human brain,” is a universal fact, since technical advancements have an incredibly deep effect on the way our brain works. The Tech has made us to feel, think and even dream differently. While it has made drastic impact on our attention skill, memory and sleep routine, some researchers claim that tech has few positive impacts as well. It has bestowed new skills to make us more creative, to organize our lives, and make our mind free from frustrations. Many studies conducted on the impact of technology on our brains, here are some of the most interesting findings, as compiled by Mashable.
#1 Dreaming In Color
Television has deeply affected our brain, especially our dream. In 2008, a Dundee University research established that adults above the age of 55, who
had brought up with a black and white TV, were more likely to experience the dream in black and white. But the younger generations, brought up in the era of Technicolor, always dreamed in color. The American Psychological Association verified these findings.
#2 Sleeping Problems
Tech –savvy people are used to fall asleep, by looking at the glow of laptop or Smartphone display. The bright light produced by the Smartphone, laptop, and tablet screens disturbs our body’s internal light cues and sleep inducing hormones. This bright light can fool the brain by thinking it is still day time and causes long lasting effect on our internal sleep clock. Our eyes are very sensitive to the blue color produced by the screen, which makes harder to fall asleep, especially for those who suffers from insomnia.
#3 Fear of Missing Out
Most of us are acquainted with the acronym FOMO, ‘Fear of Missing Out’. The New York Times describes FOMO as ‘the amalgam of worries, missing, and frustrations that can burst out while skimming social medias.
Before the advent of Social Medias such as Facebook and Instagram, people who decide to spend weekend time at home with a glass of wine and good books might have felt a bit guilty or misery that they were not out having a good time. But with the social media, the guilty feeling is blown up to a mega proportions. While you watch photos and videos of delicious food, raging parties, and dancing galore, you have the feeling that you have missed out on fine things and feel you should be out in your best attire instead of being at home with frustration. Even though, this is not your real idea of fun, you still may have those guilty feelings.
#4 The phantom vibration syndrome
Now we are hardwired to feel that our phone is vibrating, even if they are not. In 2012, a study published in the Computers and Human Behavior Journal found that 89 percent of 290 undergrad scholars surveyed felt their phone vibrating, even when it wasn’t, once every couple of weeks. The similar results were also found with the survey conducted on Hospital workers.
According to a psychologist, physical sensation such as itchiness may have mistaken by our brain as our phone vibrating. He claimed, “Something in your brain is being triggered that is different than what was triggered just a few years back.”
#5 Loosing Memory Power
There was a time where students were supposed to mug up the entire books and feed in their memory. But in this Google era, the entire information is just available at your finger tips. Who else wants to memorize the whole information, when we have a Siri or Google Now?
In 2007, a neuroscientist conducted a survey on 3,000 people and found out some drastic changes in the level of memory. Some people fail to recollect personal information, birthdays, and even their own phone numbers. In the similar way, studies have proved that calculators may diminish simple arithmetical skills. Now people even cannot navigate to their own places without using GPS.
#6 Impulse Control Disorder
Internet and social media play a huge role in diminishing our memory and attention spans. Tech- savvy people find it difficult to read books for longer time, and opt for skimming articles online instead of reading word by word. This phenomenon may cause great troubles for the youngsters, as they fail to develop memory skills.
A 2013 research established that video games like Halo reducing player’s capacity to restrain impulsive or aggressive behavior. Investigators concluded that forcing players to make snap decision in violent situations, inhibited proactive executive control over immediate reactions and impulses. People with an impulse control disorder cannot control the urge to do something harmful to themselves or others.
#7 Become Creative
Tech enables creative and non- creative people alike to connect with artistic media. Author Clay Shirkey claims that Tech develops ‘cognitive surplus’,
the excess time and mind power we bestow to detect the activities that we find out pleasure. As per Shrikey, the social media makes people closer to videos, images and texts and it endorses culture of sharing. Thus people become more enthusiastic to share and create something of their own such as Flicker albums, a book review or a DIY project.
#8 Enhancing Visual Skills
A 2013 research found that video games, such as Halo and Call of Duty enhancing visual and decision making skill. These games enable the players to take a sudden decision based on visual cues that improves attention skill or the skill to analyze the features of your physical environment. These games can enable the players to even spot the difference between objects in dim environments.
Complex strategy-based games such as starcraft can enhance the ‘cognitive flexibility’ of the brain as well as the ability of multitasking.
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