Technology And Brain Essay

The impact of technology and the brain. Introduction: As a society of innovation the increase of technology is prevalent in everyday life. A study conducted by a web based research platform, Dscout, found that on average Americans touch their phones 2,617 times a day. 84% of American households contain at least one Smartphone, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in fall 2016. A surprisingly large portion of Americans own three or more Smartphone 's, the number reported was a 33%( Olmstead). 80% of households contain either a desktop computer or a laptop. 68% of households containing at least one tablet and 39% of households contain at least one streaming media device, such as an Apple TV( Olmstead). The prevalence of technology

In the first experiment, participants answered trivia questions in two blocks, these trivia questions would contain words that were computer terms or general terms. Each block was followed by a color word presented in either blue or red, to test reaction times to matched computer and non-computer terms (Sparrow). The purpose of this study was to test whether the participants could answer the series of trivia questions without associating the answer with the computer words meaning they would use their own memory to answer the question. The experiment showed computer words were more accessible than general words after participants had encountered a series of questions to which they did not know the answers. This demonstrates that when the participant lacked the answer, they depend on the computer to solve the problem and answer the question. This is significant because the concept of knowledge in general seemed to activate thoughts of computers. This happens even when answers are known. When a participant doesn 't know the answer they feel the need to find the answer therefore depending on the computer. This process shows that the brain depend on the computer and search engines like Google Search to access information. The relying on search engines and the computers is because of how accessible they are, people no longer store information

It is estimated that 3.58 billion people use the internet, that is almost half the world 's population ( Numbers). The internet is crucial for research, communication and innovation. The studies conducted on the internet demonstrate how users become dependent on the computer for information and answers. The studies also show how it can increase brain activity which could increase cognitive abilities in older populations. Critics of internet usage can claim that its users are too dependent and may not be using their brain to its full ability. Advocates for internet usage could say that the internet provides information for users to access that they would never be able to remember if it were left to their own memory. They could also point to the study that showed cognitive function and brain activity increases which could be beneficial to older generations. Critics for the popularity and prevalence of Smart phones could say that just by having them within eyesight they decrease the cognitive functions of its users and pose a health risk because of the radiation emitted. Advocates could claim although it causes a decrease in cognitive ability, Smart phones are still considered a valuable resource because of its ability to communicate and search for information. Although there is conflicting research, these studies show how important of