How the Internet broke my brain

[Darren Dirt]

The Neuroscience of Internet Addiction

"...but we lose the ability to pay deep attention..." I didn't catch the rest of what he said.




moar: http://www.youtube.com/user/bigthink (it's like under-five-minutes TED talks! over one THOUSAND of them!)

[Mr. Analog]

Nicholas Carr is a weapons grade troll who bashes Wikipedia over the quality of editing while working for Encyclop?dia Britannica as an Editorial advisor.

A Harvard plutocrat looking to sell books.

[Darren Dirt]

Okay well skip that particular media bite. There's plenty other authors in their YT channel and website to satiate that info-thirst. And a good chunk of it is "well now, I'll have to think deeper about that" stuff.

[Mr. Analog]

Like, give me an example?

Ideally one that doesn't presuppose theory as fact (i.e. "internet addiction")

[Darren Dirt]

http://bigthink.com/michiokaku

one of hundreds (not saying all are smart, correct, or agreeable) (just like TEDtalk speakers, tbh)



not to mention http://bigthink.com/richarddawkins, and intelligent "pop culture icons" turned status-quo challengers like http://bigthink.com/pennjillette and http://bigthink.com/stephenfry

[Mr. Analog]

See now that's a better way to kick off interest...

Does make me wonder how you found that first one though. Do you feel like you're addicted to the internet?

[Darren Dirt]

I had watched a handful of science-related videos on BT's YT channel. Can't remember how I got there originally, but most likely via the excellent long interview Neil deGrasse Tyson did with Stephen Colbert, from there more Tyson clips eventually got me to BigThink, I'm pretty sure.

The link in the OP piqued my interest enough to watch ("neurons change when we do/think something new/differently" idea) and I don't believe in "addiction" per se for internetz, but I can't deny it's been a real focus-killer in my life, personally. But I shared for discussion, not blind acceptance, obv.



Anyways, back to work I go... Must Resist Internet Timesinks

[Mr. Analog]

Ok, I was just curious, the original link was broken and leads to this:
http://the%20neuroscience%20of%20internet%20addiction/

Which piqued my interest a bit as I've seen Nicholas Carr's rantings before and he's no authority on neuroscience (or science at all really)

[Darren Dirt]

link fixed. got my URL mixed with my LABEL (brain musta already moved on to the next 2 or 3 tasks in my focus )

[Mr. Analog]

Meh, @%&# happens, don't sweat it

[Darren Dirt]

Just realized, virtually all of the "short" clips are just excerpts from the entirety of a full interview (which is typically 45+ minutes) so in a way it's perfect for intelligent/info-loving Short Attention Span Theatre audience members.


Mr. Carr's full interview is 16 minutes, seems he focuses on the sociological/behavioral impact of technology:
http://bigthink.com/nicholascarr

[Mr. Analog]

Which was what his last two books were about if I recall lol

It's a commercial for what he has to say in his books (just without the Billy Mays flair)

[Darren Dirt]

Still a concept of some reasonableness...
http://www.google.com/search?q=neuroplasticity+brain+changes+when+we+learn+new+things


or at the very least, theory gets you thinking about concentration/focus. On that subject, http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2006/11/11/why-do-you-turn-down-the-radio-when-youre-lost/



http://bigthink.com/larrywall Perl inventor, still very child-like wonder towards programming by the looks of it 

whereas http://bigthink.com/davidheinemeierhansson Ruby On Rails inventor has some ... strong opinions.

[Mr. Analog]

It's a widely accepted opinion for sure, however I've yet to see any convincing science applied to it.

I DO find it amusing that so much discussion around the idea of internet addiction happens on the internet...

[Tom]

See now that's a better way to kick off interest...

Does make me wonder how you found that first one though. Do you feel like you're addicted to the internet?

I don't feel I am, I know I am. Started off being additcted to email. Gotta have that fix ....

[Mr. Analog]

See now that's a better way to kick off interest...

Does make me wonder how you found that first one though. Do you feel like you're addicted to the internet?

I don't feel I am, I know I am. Started off being additcted to email. Gotta have that fix ....

E-mail: the gateway drug technology LOL

[Darren Dirt]

[insert animated GIF of Zuck hitting F5 every 2 seconds @ the end of The Social Network]

[Darren Dirt]

It's a widely accepted opinion for sure, however I've yet to see any convincing science applied to it.

"The brains of "internet-addicted" teenagers may differ significantly from those of non-addicted teens, a small study suggests.

Internet addiction, though not officially recognized by health-care authorities, has been defined in several studies as an impulse-control disorder. It has been characterized by an overwhelming desire to stay online and impairs an individual?s ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Going offline leads the addicted individual to experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those of alcohol and drugs.



The researchers used a technique called fractional anisotropy (FA) to measure the organization of the brain, which is greatly influenced by the number and location of white matter fibres. Those study participants who had displayed addiction symptoms showed lower FA values in a variety of regions of the brain, such as as the orbito-frontal white matter, corpus callosum, cingulum, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and corona radiation. Lower FA values indicate that the nerve fibres are not functioning properly.

...findings* indicate that internet addiction disorder has abnormal white matter integrity in brain regions involved in emotional generation and processing, executive attention, decision making and cognitive control..."

- http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2012/01/12/internet-addiction-study.html






























*The study of 17 adolescents apparently addicted to the internet and 16 controls was conducted by Chinese researchers and published in the Wednesday issue of the journal PLOS One. :coughsamplesizecough:
(comment: "OR, people with cognitive impairment are easily addicted to things such as the internet" <-- Troll, go away! There is no place for logic on the internet!

[Mr. Analog]

I laughed when I saw this earlier yesterday 'cause I knew it would end up here

Even beyond the laughable size of the study, you gotta wonder about the people behind it... like maybe a State that runs "camps" for "internet addicts"

dun-dun-dun