The Internet Really Is Changing Your Brain
Yes, spending 14 hours a day online has turned us all into ADHD-afflicted social misfits who can't watch a film/talk on the phone/cook a meal/have sex without surfing or texting at the same time. But, it turns out that while our brains are indeed being totally warped by technology, it's mostly in a good way.
Studies by UCLA neuroscientist Gary Small show that using the Internet doubles activity in the parts of the brain controlling decision-making and complex reasoning: "The brain is very specialized in its circuitry and if you repeat mental tasks over and over it will strengthen certain neural circuits and ignore others... what we are seeing is technology affecting our evolution."
He recommends, however, taking the occasional break from online life in order to spend time with actual human beings, or "risk losing the ability to read emotional expressions and body language." Hmm, that ship has probably sailed for those of us who communicate via IM with people in the same room, but save yourselves!
