Is Technology Rewiring Our Brains?

I received a very interesting article from the Director at our organization. The article (available from the San Diego Tribune) asks the question of whether or not technology is rewiring our brains.

While violent video games have gotten a lot of public attention, some current concerns go well beyond that. Some scientists think the wired world may be changing the way we read, learn and interact with each other.

There are no firm answers yet. But Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the Internet and smart phones can alter how the brain works.

When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people, it drifts away from fundamental social skills like reading facial expressions during conversation, Small asserts.

So brain circuits involved in face-to-face contact can become weaker, he suggests. That may lead to social awkwardness, an inability to interpret nonverbal messages, isolation and less interest in traditional classroom learning.

Our Director encouraged us to walk down the hall and talk to colleagues a little more often and send emails a little less often. The irony of all of this is that he sent the article via email...thankfully, the irony was not lost on him and he joked about it.