CNN health released a study, people who search more often on-line, their brains active more often than normal people. Google makes them smarter.
The experiment goes like this: scientists invited 24 people (age 55-78) to join. A half of them are Internet heavy users and the others are not. In the first stage, they were asked to read some text on a screen, and the machine (MRI) monitored the activities in their brains. The “reading” and “language” parts of the brain became active when people are reading, which is already known by the scientists.
In the second stage, people were asked to google something on the Internet. Then parts of brain, which are in charge of “logic” and “policy making”, started acting. Furthermore, people who are heavy users, the activities in the brains happen more frequently than others.
Non-savvy reading Non-savvy searching
Web user reading Web user searching
What makes the differences? The research does not explain the reasons with a strong conviction. Any ideas do you have? Maybe try to google something.
Hi Pei,
This article is so interesting. I guess it demonstrates the difference between scientific research and casual research. Not sure if you saw the article titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” that ran in the July issue of the Atlantic Monthly. The author, Nicolas Carr speculates that using Google is changing our brain circuitry, making it more difficult to concentrate on one thing for a long period of time. Does the “surf” mentality make us dumber? Guess it depends on whether the ability to concentrate on lengthy writings is a measurement of intelligence. Check it out http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
Hello,
I’m glad to know that all the time that I spend doing research in the internet is helping my brain and not making it slow. I think that the most that you use your brain the better and searching on line keeps your brain very busy. Many times I find myself doing more than one research at the same time and also doing other activities, like reading my e-mail while and reading the news on line, so I can say that sometimes I over work my brain…
To Pam:
Thanks, I knew the article but have not read it yet. I’ll check it.
To Rubi,
The Internet provides us too much information, when we are searching, we also need to filter all the information to find what we need. That may be the reason why our brains active more. BTW, don’t forget to take a break, Rubi.
Which article we should trust? Smarter or stupid? Sometimes I just feel like my brain can not run when it meets too much information at the same time. I hope this study hold truth.