What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
The Internet is changing our brains. Neurologists and psychologists have discovered that our brains process Internet pages differently than they do printed pages. That can affect how much we learn when we read -- and even alter our brains themselves.
The human brain "rewires" itself depending on how it is used, an ability neurologists refer to as "plasticity." An experiment by UCLA psychology professor Gary Small, MD, showed that spending one hour per day on the Internet for just one week alters our neural pathways. That neural rewiring could have unfortunate consequences.
Example: For the past five centuries, reading books has helped train human brains to concentrate intently over extended periods of time, an ability that has helped our species produce ideas and inventions. If we abandon books in favor of the Internet, our ability to maintain focus and think up new ideas might diminish.
Other consequences of Internet use and what we can do about them...
INTERRUPTION SYSTEM
When we read online, words are not the only information coming at us. There usually are eye-catching advertisements alongside the text and hyperlinks in the text in case we wish to jump to different Web pages on related topics. We might have our e-mail program open and a Facebook feed, too, alerting us each time a new message arrives. Even when a printed book is transferred to an electronic device connected to the Internet, it turns into something very much like a Web site, with links and other digital enhancements.
These distractions don’t just slow our reading, they also make it less likely that we will understand and retain new knowledge.
Example: Canadian researchers asked 70 people to read a short story on a computer screen. Some read traditional text, while others read a version containing hyperlinks. Only 10% of those who read the traditional text reported any difficulty following the story -- versus 75% of people who read the hyperlink version. Those who read traditional text did so faster, too.
Simply ignoring online distractions does not work. We can choose not to click a hyperlink or open an e-mail message -- but ironically, the fact that our brains must make this split-second decision to not be distracted is in itself enough of a distraction to break our concentration.
Reading books often is portrayed as a passive activity when compared with surfing the Web, but the truth is, we think more deeply when we read printed pages than when we read Internet pages. The "quiet space" afforded by the printed page lets us mull over what we read. That quiet space usually doesn’t exist online, so we’re less likely to form reasoned conclusions about the validity of what we read or to create unique ideas by combining the new information we read with things we already know.
What to do: When you wish to give your full attention to online or eReader text, close your e-mail program, your Facebook page and any other competing information feeds on the screen. Also, use software and settings that minimize interruptions. Free, easy-to-use programs
Instapaper Text(
www.InstaPaper.com/text) and
Readability(
www.Readability.com/addons) strip away most, though not all, of the distractions from Web sites, leaving mainly straightforward text. Or use the Safari 5 Web browser, which has a "Reader" button in the address field that works similarly (
www.Apple.com/safari).
LESS IS READ
The Internet puts more information than ever at our fingertips -- yet evidence suggests that it actually leads us to read and rely upon a smaller set of information resources, encouraging uncreative group thinking.
The trouble is that the Internet does not just provide information. It also subtly evaluates it for us. Search engines typically sort their results in order of popularity, and few of us scan past the first page of results.
Example: A study by James Evans, PhD, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, found that the increased availability of academic research online has led academics to read and reference a narrower set of articles when they write journal articles. The Internet allows them to identify which prior journal articles are most popular with their peers and most related to their own research, and they often ignore the rest.
True, the most popular Web pages and articles are likely to be the most useful -- but reading obscure authors, ideas and opinions has value, too. When we read things that most other people have not read, we increase the odds that we’ll have original ideas.
The ease and speed with which we can find specific facts online carry a hidden cost, too. Prior to the Internet, we often had to dig deep into newspapers, magazines and books to find the facts we needed. These days, search engines such as Google direct us to the desired snippet of data in seconds. Once we’ve found the fact that we are after, we usually stop reading. That’s unfortunate, because the time we previously had "wasted" searching through lots of resources gave us a chance to stumble across other important or interesting facts or ideas.
What to do: Scan beyond the first page of results when you use a search engine to explore a topic of interest. This at least gives you a chance to learn more than what almost everyone else interested in the topic already knows.
When an Internet search for a piece of information leads you to a compelling article, book or Web site, jot down its name, then explore it more fully when you have some free time.
LESS SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
The Internet is no longer confined to our desktops. eReaders, smartphones and even vehicle dashboards increasingly allow us to bring the online world wherever we go -- a trend that will accelerate in the years ahead.
The danger of digital distractions while driving already is well-publicized. Less discussed is the potential danger that such portable distractions pose while we’re just sitting around with friends or loved ones. Preliminary research by the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California suggests that the distractions created by the use of mobile Internet devices make it less likely that we will fully grasp the psychological states of those around us. The weaker our grasp of other people’s moods, the less able we are to show appropriate empathy, weakening the bonds that hold together human communities, families and friendships.
What to do: Turn off digital devices when you spend time with others, or at the very least, silence the chime notifying you when phone calls or new messages arrive. Even if you don’t stop in the middle of a conversation to check incoming text messages or e-mails, that chime alone could be enough of a distraction to inhibit your ability to focus on your friends’ feelings.
