How the Internet destroys your brain
Nowadays, more
and more cases of depression are diagnosed in the younger generation. Has anyone
thought about reasons? According to many researchers, online presence can lead
to mental abnormalities. The Internet can destroy your brain, bit by bit. There are
some facts, which everybody should know.
First of all, studies show strong connection between depression and the
number of hours spent on the web. To prove it, psychologists examined 1319
people between the ages of 16 to 51. In general, they proved that people who use social media are more exposed to depression because of the pressure to be
online and reply all the time. It makes them sleep too short and have low
self-esteem.
Second, online socializing makes you insular. During face-to-face communication, the interaction isn’t based only on words but also on non-verbal
cues. In some cases, they totally change the way of expression or even the
meaning of words. On the web, you only interpret the language of emoticons, which depend on your mood. Thus, a short sentence sent via SMS is much more
easily read as ignorant.
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| Source: http://www.writerbeat.com/articles/11692-This-Is-How-The-Internet-Is-Destroying-Your-Brain- |
Next, using social media may affect your real-life relationships. Why? A
like or a comment on your friend’s post will never have the same effect as
normal conversation (not to mention a hug). Due to the internet addiction , it’s
very easy to lose real relationships.
What’s more, we are used to jumping between web pages, apps (TV channels). This supports
multi-tasking, but in fact, it reduces the capability to focus on tasks. Hence, it’s
very close to wasting time and anger.
Finally, “replacing memory”. When you learn something, you activate the
neural pathway of sensory and motor areas of the brain, improving their
function at the same time. Recalling a memory, you recall the same brain state as you were
learning, but this time adding new features and improving functioning of sensory and motor areas. Thus, what’s happening when you don’t
recall a memory very often? The brain erases old data. This is a desirable
situation when you haven’t used some part of knowledge for a long time – your
brain prepares more space to store new information. When this process is caused
by the thought that Google finds anything in better time, your brain doesn’t
remember facts but the place where they can be found and becomes more and more
lazy.
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| Source: http://all-that-is-interesting.com/how-internet-destroys-your-brain/2 |
On the other hand, the Internet is a big tool, which allows you to do a
lot of things faster and more effective. It helps you at work, with homework
and many other situations that some years ago were unbelievable. Indeed, it won’t
replace a hug, but it will enable to maintain relationships all over the world (which
is very often impossible e.g. due to the financial situation).
To sum up, the Internet is a tool, which is able to lead you to be
lonely, sad or even depressed. It can even destroy your brain in many different
ways. However, this amazing tool is able to simplify your everyday life, work
and help with situations that would be unbelievable without the Internet. That’s
why, I think a conscious user improves his brain possibilities and uses the web
in a very effective way.
- And you? Do you agree with the statement: "The Internet destroys our brains"?
- What do you think about brain training by learning languages or practicing maths?
- Do you know some techniques of brain training?
- Has the Internet had an influence on your real-life relationships? What kind?
- How much time do you spend online?
Bibliography:
- http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9808/30/cyberstudy/
- http://all-that-is-interesting.com/how-internet-destroys-your-brain
- http://www.writerbeat.com/articles/11692-This-Is-How-The-Internet-Is-Destroying-Your-Brain-
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-brain-over-head-tank-similar-ravi-bg?trk=mp-author-card
Comments
I spend a lot of time online, but not on social media. I play complex video games and read semi-scientific stuff (always trying to get my own conclusions). That's enough brain training for me. It affects all my reliationships positivle as I always have something intresting to say.
Yes, I totally agree that people nowadays use the Internet in the most awful way, by spending hundreds of hours doing absolutely nothing productive, wasting it on facebook and other social media, but that is only one of the million of ways, and stating that the Internet is bad only because people are braindead facebook zombies is like stating that nuclear fusion is the worst thing we've ever discovered, only because US killed so many people due to nuclear bombs in Japan.
I think it's crucial to work on self-improving yourself, especially in the particular subject that interests you or you consider it important, and the Internet is one of the best ways to achieve that. Whether you spend your time doing that or wasting your life on facebook is totally different matter. I spend most of my time very productively, and I'm happy to say that the Internet improved nearly every aspect of my life, apart from real-life relationships that could indeed be worked on, but in overall comparison it's definitely more good than the bad. I prefer to be that mad scientist working on awesome things rather than drunk macho spending his entire day in the nearby club ;).
About memory loss: it might as well be true that peoples reliance on the Internet destroys their memory. Still, this can be seen as a good thing. Memorising everything was always a faulty system, that's why we invented calendars and such. Now with the Internet, no knowledge or piece of information is gone forever - and this, in turn replaces our reliance on human memory. A way better system if you ask me. Why should I remember how to code when I can just go to stackoverflow and get all the info from there? The evolution will slowly adapt, perhaps our unnecessary parts of brain responsible for memorizing things will evolve into something more useful.
I agree with statement, that brain, like muscles, has to be trained, so everyone should do something to make it healthy for many years. But Internet isn't only bad. There is a lot of interesting informations, like this article. Thank you :)
But on the other hand if you use it smarty, it makes your live easier. As Agnieszka mentioned it can helps you in such areas like: shopping, learning, finding a job. In my case internet doesn’t have a huge influence on my real-life relationships. I am a kind of a person who prefers face to face relations so I never had such problems of staying to much online. After a whole day at work and then at university I prefer reading a good book than staying online.
I think that as long as you practice your brain (it doesn’t matter how) so long you have an ability to learn faster. When I compare the amount of knowledge I have learned by hard in High School to actual amount I see a huge difference in time which I invest in learning - same amount of material I used to learn in half time.
When it comes to a brain training techniques i recommend you a book called „The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age”. It offers proven & practical tips and techniques that anyone can use to enhance the abilities of brain. I won’t spoil so I don’t list examples.
Some months ago I was observing 10 children between 6 and 10. I saw how they use computers - I was fearful. They was thinking about games all the time. When these children knew their friends were online and they had to do some duties they were angry or just crying. Can you imagine it? Of course, it's parents' fault, but such situations aren't in the minority.
Even, I met an adult man who got angry when his mobile was discharged.
Don't you know such examples?
I fully agree with you - and before reading your post I wrote a comment under Aleksander's one. About younger generation. As you said, the point is that these people just prefer online meeting (as propably everything) not understading the power (or sense) of face to face meeting.
I wanted somebody to tell about brain training. My case is not only about 'making life easier' but 'exchaning your brain with the Internet', because many people just do it.
I consider that you should know something about everything and everything about something. Which means if you are e.g. IT guy, you should know some programming languages intead of searching how to parse string to int on stackoverflow :D (which is absolutely basics!!!)
Unfortunatelly, I know a lot of people who google everything (really everything) because of bad memory and possibilities to use google.
I think you need to find balance and don't take most things you find on web seriously.
When talking about that Internet makes your brain lazy, in some cases this is true (for ex. when you only search google and then you do no read it fully) but in other this is not true. In some jobs it is important to use your knowledge and also to search google in efficient and fast way. All of IT jobs are such type.
I do a lot brain training because most of games I play are logic games or games that practice brain.
For sure Internet is making relationships worst. People tend to speak more online than face to face even if they are next to each other. I think its because that they think what they write online will stay online and has no influence in real life. They don't imagine that they can hurt someone very badly.
We are the generation that didn't start with computers everywhere (like current generation) so we value playing board games or playing outside. For us it was/is natural to do such things.
For current generation unfortunately natural is playing on computer/phone/tablet. I always try to 'kick' my sister (10 years old) out of home to play outside with her friends.
I believe that exercise the brain is a great idea, and even I do it. For example, I brush my teeth with left hand even though I'm right-handed, or eat with the other hand than usual. Such exercises help the brain be in form , but also in case I could not use his right arm, I will not be completely helpless.
I'm online approximately one hour a day. I used about 5 hours a day, but it did not bring me any effect beyond the wasted time, so reduced the time to read news and communicate with friends. I prefer to call or send a text message on the phone.
I didn't know nowadays Japan has this problem, but it's one of many examples that the problem exists and is more serious than lots of people realize.
This exercise with toothbrush is interesting. I heard about it some time ago, but haven't tried yet. And you?
haha - right, it is :)
what about your sister? Is she willing or rebellious? :)
"Firearms should be banned, because they kill people!".
Firearms are not bad, but people who use them in improper way are.
The same thing applies to the internet- it is great tool, which requires great responsibility. Guess what could happen if a child could carry firearms, knives or any other "adult" thing.
For people with disabilities Internet is a huge convenience. They could talk with someone or study online without leave their home.
I study graphic design and for me Internet it's the best tool to learning. I could make tutorials and if I don't keep up with the understanding something that I can always go back or play from the beginning.
I'm very often on line because all the necessary applications I have installed on the smartphone so if someone writes me on Facebook or email I write back very quickly. As for the relationship that I am delighted that, thanks to the internet I still keep in contact with people from the other part of the world but if someone is close to me than I more prefer a normal contact, face to face. It's always better :)
I believe that the most important problem is how you use it, not how much you use it. Sometimes you need to be online for hours and for me it is nothing wrong until it becomes a rule and everyday you spend hours in front of monitor, probably wasting your time.
If you ask me, I think the Internet has a positive effet on my real-life relationships - I use it to keep in touch with friends who live far away or make an appointment with those leaving near me.
However, Internet is not 100% bad. As written in the article, it helps doing things, that weren't possible few years ago.
In my opinion, it is very important to know how to use internet and all social apps, because it is very easy to become addicted and stop noticing the difference between the real world and virtual one.
I think that you can train your brain with such websites as Coursera or Khan Academy. I, for example, learn psychology for fun with a help of Coursera.
But if we’ll take social media - yes, this thing makes people depressed. It started when Facebook (and others) provided a “like button”. Getting likes generate serotonin in our brain. And the effect is similar to anti-depressants.
The Internet makes the communication easier and at the same time creates a lot of misunderstandings between people. Coz we don’t pass our non-verbal signals, but stickers. And this unnatural for our brain experience can be quite damaging
And besides if we are so afraid about our brains, we can train it. And we can do it even online ;) There are plenty of games on the Internet that help to jog our memory. We can also do it by learning languages, doing crossword puzzles or sudoku.
The downside of the Internet is that it is the thief of time. We spend way too much time online and very often we do things like watch kittens or funny videos on YouTube or scroll down Facebook pages. And it takes a lot of discipline to "log out" and do some other things.
Do you feel the impact on spending lots of time using the net?
I feel - hence my question.
I have always seen that as "the Internet is nice tool which makes my life easier" or "the Internet is a tool which consumes my time", but I have never thought about it as two-in-one :D
I know one situation - a girl in my school commited suicide because of stalking (as you said). It was terrible for everybody. My school had about 800 students and believe me - this situation taught a lot all of us.
Thanks to the Internet we will be smarter or more stupid. Everyone has got headpiece and that what technology alter for us it depends on us.
Especially when I look at my godson, after playing 10 minutes of game and having a problem what to do next - the first thing what to do next is not to try more to find a solution but looking at Youtube...
Problem with homework - the same thing - check out on Internet.
I think the best thing to train, are old school games that really trained your brain like Charades, Crosswords and to train even more trying something like Sudoku etc.
When it comes to real life relationship time spent online has risen high. That's a general problem - many people are still trying to make a lot of Facebook events instead of meeting people life and talk with them. I know that's a time saver.. but it's just sad.
The sad fact is that when Internet has become popular, people were fascinated by the possibility of a great source of news, communication with people abroad withoud leaving home and many others. Now people don't use the Internet in such a good way. Sometimes we can chat with someone who is sitting a few meters away.
When talking about a brain training, I have heard that it is a good habit to for example change a way to school or work sometimes so that avoid following the same way everytime. It is said that it can cause some new collocations in brain.
I don't think that it's destroying our brains but I think that it can steal our life, when we spend most of our day reading a lot of low quality content from Facebook or for example very popular site Wykop.pl, not to mention doing this side by side with your boyfriend. I'll quote Taco Hemingway "We used to dance, shining rectangles everywhere."
What do you think about brain training by learning languages or practicing maths?
It's a good practice.
Do you know some techniques of brain training?
I know that solving puzzles is good for your brain, even crossword puzzle can have positive influence on your memory. Also your physical condition has influence on the memory, so making yourself in good shape can improve your brain condition.
Has the Internet had an influence on your real-life relationships? What kind?
I'm happy that the Internet do not have any influence on my real-life relationships, but it has influence on my rhythm of life, I know that if I would limit the time spending in the internet I would have more time in life to make good.
How much time do you spend online
If I count without a time spending during work (because my work is internet) it would be 3 hours a day, but it's still too much.