How Technology Affects The Brain
Social connectivity is a fundamental attribute that humans need. Communicating on technology may be helpful to a lot of people that have a hard time speaking in person.
Communicating, videogames, entertainment. These are a few ways people use technology in their everyday lives. Most of the time, people use technology as a source of happiness.
However, technology can be harmful. Sometimes, people may think they’re using technology for good, but the internet is unlimited and can affect people in ways that wouldn’t be expected.
Temporary happiness can sprout from being on the internet or using technology as some form of entertainment.
One study from the Neurology Care Center found that technology can improve and enhance learning and memory. According to Dr. Alice Stpierre of the Neurology Care Center, Studies show cognitive enhancement digital games and apps effectively develop multiple mental abilities.
Another way technology can positively impact the brain is by connection. Social connectivity is a fundamental attribute that humans need. Communicating on technology may be helpful to a lot of people that have a hard time speaking in person.
Communicating through technology can help people express their emotions clearer because you can take time to think, and you can incorporate pictures and videos into your messages.
Communication through technology has a positive impact on many people due to the aspect of not having to talk in person. Stpierre also states that technology supports emotional health by allowing distant connections, which lead to shared experiences and mental well-being improvements.
Although there can be some positive effects of technology on the brain, there are also many negative effects. One research finding from Harvard Medical School claims that technology is worse for your brain than good; Debra Ruder, from the Harvard Medical Center states that much of what happens on screen provides “impoverished” stimulation of the developing brain compared to reality.
Technology impacts neural stem growth in the brain, which can influence other parts of the body. Screentime also disrupts the REM cycle, which can cause poor sleep habits.
Excessive time in front of a screen may be a reason you may have trouble sleeping, or feel tired even after a long night's rest. Another negative effect of technology on the brain is a decline in creativity.
As your brain is growing through your childhood and teen years, your knowledge and creativity is also expanding. When children and teens abuse technology, it becomes more difficult to focus and learn, and it can hurt creativity.
After time, technology becomes some form of an addiction for around 60% of the world's population of teens. Along with this, technology addiction statistics have calculated and found, “Teens get an average of 8 hours of screen time per day” (Marais).
Eight hours of screentime per day is equivalent or more time than most teens spend sleeping. Harvard Medical School claims, Ruder says, “A young person’s brain lacks a fully developed self-control system to help them with stopping this kind of obsessive behavior”.
This shows that young peoples’ brains are being distressed by technology to the point where it becomes more of an obsessive behavior, rather than a source of enjoyment.
How can I limit myself? One thing you can do to help prevent as much strain on your brain from technology is to use blue light glasses.
Blue light glasses are proven to help reduce eye strain and damage to the brain, as they filter out the blue light emitted from devices.
Another way you can limit yourself is by reading before bed. Reading is a brain-healthy way to wind down before going to sleep; rather than watching TV or scrolling on your phone.
Instead of being on technology, you could pick up a new hobby instead. Things like art, baking, sports, crafts, and hanging out with friends and just a few things you could to stimulate your brain instead of resorting to technology.
To close things off, technology has been proven to have more negative effects on your brain growth than positive. It’s best to have less than about two hours of technology per day.