Another scientific study provides evidence that modern technology changes the human brain, especially if someone simultaneously watches television, surfs the Internet, and "checks" their social media messages on their mobile phone.
The new British study shows that those who are fanatical users of electronic devices, using tablets, "smart" mobile phones, television, etc. simultaneously or sequentially, show changes in gray matter in a specific area of the brain, which is related to emotions.
Researchers do not rule out - but cannot categorically confirm (at least for now) - that this habit (multitasking) has the consequence of increasing over time the risk in these people of emotional problems, such as difficulty concentrating, anxiety and depression.
Researchers at the Sackler Centre for Consciousness at the University of Sussex, led by neuroscientists Kep Ki Loch and Ryota Kanai, who published the relevant paper in the journal "PLoS One", studied the brains of 75 volunteers using special functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) techniques, who had previously been asked in detail about their habits regarding the use of various electronic devices.
Scientists have found that a region of the brain, the anterior cingulate cortex, is smaller in those who use the most devices at once, and has less gray matter density. This area is involved in regulating emotions, making decisions, controlling impulses, empathy (understanding the emotions of others), and more.
Researchers do not rule out that frequent and concurrent use of devices can damage the brain and emotional balance, especially in a young person. “It is important to become aware that the way we interact with devices can change the way we think, and these changes can occur at the level of brain structure,” said Kep Ki Loh, acknowledging that it is still unknown exactly how technology can bring about these brain changes. As he said, new, larger research is needed to shed more light on the issue.
Previous studies have shown that the brain is quite malleable, even changing structurally due to prolonged exposure to new environments and experiences. Neurons (brain cells) and the synapses between them are constantly changing under the influence of everyday experiences, while some changes - due to long-term learning - may be more permanent.
For example, internationally known research revealed years ago that London taxi drivers have a larger area of the brain, the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and spatial navigation (something similar probably happens to taxi drivers in other cities around the world).
Source: tro-ma-ktiko.blogspot.gr
