Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Medindia
Advertisement

Use the Internet and Become a Snappy Thinker!

by Hannah Punitha on October 27, 2008 at 5:29 PM
 Use the Internet and Become a Snappy Thinker!

The Internet improves people's ability to make snap decisions and filter large amounts of information, according to a new study.

In the study, Gary Small, director of the memory and ageing research centre at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that the brains of those tested were markedly more active when carrying out Internet searches than when reading books.

Advertisement

However, the stimulation was particularly in the areas that control decision-making and complex reasoning. Areas associated to abstract thinking and empathy showed virtually no increase in stimulation.

"Young people are growing up immersed in this technology and their brains are more malleable, more plastic and changing than with older brains," Times Online quoted Small, as saying.
Advertisement

"The next generation, as [Charles] Darwin suggests, will adapt to this environment. Those who become really good at technology will have a survival advantage - they will have a higher level of economic success and their progeny will be better off," he added.

For the study, Small scanned the brains of 24 volunteers and found that browsing websites stimulated the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, which control complex reasoning.

Older users and those who had not previously tried the Internet all showed similar effects.

Baroness Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution and author of ID: The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century, said: "The hypothesis in iBrain is that natural selection will weed out people with brains that are more emotional or more capable of abstract thought and that we will be left with people who are more autistic in tendency. I would agree."

However, Igor Aleksander, emeritus professor of neural systems engineering at Imperial College London, said: "It may be that by using the Internet you stimulate different parts of the brain. However, it would be difficult to show this could not be achieved through other situations."

The study is to be published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

Source: ANI
SPH
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest News on IT in Healthcare

AI Tool Mimics Doctor's Notes With Precision
The GatorTronGPT AI tool might lead to a substantial improvement in healthcare efficiency through AI advancements.
Renal Revolution in Uncontrolled Hypertension Management
FDA-approved two renal denervation systems mark a groundbreaking step in treating uncontrolled hypertension.
AI System Offers Potential for Early Autism Diagnosis
The AI system generates a report outlining the specific neural pathways impacted and their expected influence on brain functionality in individuals with autism.
COVID-19 Sparks Major Healthcare Digital Transformation
Rather than being perceived as an obstacle, experts argue that the pandemic has served as a catalyst for digital transformation, especially the healthcare industry.
AI-Driven Muscle Metrics Aids the Growth Standards for Kids
Novel innovation by AI helps provide a swift, yet reproducible measure of lean muscle mass in developing children.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
×

Use the Internet and Become a Snappy Thinker! Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests