Digital Dementia Virus

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Studies show that the brain of the digital generation is experiencing changes similar to those that occur after a traumatic brain injury or in the early stages of dementia - dementia, which usually develops in old age.

It's hard to believe, but the average seven-year-old European has already spent more than a year of his life (24 hours a day) in front of the screens, and an 18-year-old has spent more than four years!

Are you saying that the children are completely different now? Yes, children are different, but their brains are the same as that of a person a thousand years ago - 100 billion neurons, each of which is connected with ten thousand of their own kind.

The brain needs to be developed and nourished. All our thoughts, actions, problem solving and deep thinking leave a mark on our brains. "Nothing can replace what children get from their own, free and independent thinking when they explore the physical world and are faced with something new." - says the British professor of psychology Tanya Biron.

You will be shocked, but since 1970, the radius of children's activity (the space around the house in which children freely explore the world around them) has been reduced by 90%! The world has shrunk to a smartphone screen. The kids have forgotten and, even worse, just don’t know what it’s like to run in the rain, launch boats, climb trees, or just chat with each other. They sit for hours, buried in their smartphone. But they need to develop their muscles, be aware of the risks that the world has in store for them, and simply interact with their friends. “It's amazing how quickly a completely new type of environment has developed, where taste, smell and touch are not stimulated, where we sit in front of screens most of the time, rather than walking in the fresh air and spending time in face-to-face conversations,” says Susan Greenfield … We definitely have a lot to worry about.

The brain is formed when there are external stimuli and the more there are, the better for the brain. Therefore, it is very important that children explore the world physically, but not virtually. A growing brain needs this, just like a thousand years ago.

Also, the child needs a healthy and full sleep. But modern children are not able to get out of the Internet and break away from computer games. This greatly shortens the duration of their sleep and leads to disruption. What kind of development can there be when you are tired and have a headache, and school assignments do not come into your head ?!

How can digital technology change a child's brain, you ask? First, the number of external stimuli is limited due to the monotonous time spent on the Internet. The child does not receive the experience he needs to develop sufficiently important parts of the brain that are responsible for empathy, self-control, decision-making … And what does not work dies off. After all, a person who has stopped walking will atrophy his legs? Children are not used to remembering information - it is easier for them to find it in search engines. So much for your memory problems. They don't train her at all.

Think kids are so much smarter thanks to the Internet? Did you know that today's eleven-year-olds perform tasks at a level that was demonstrated by eight- or nine-year-olds 30 years ago. The researchers note that one of the main reasons for this is life in the virtual world.

“I fear that digital technology will infantilize the brain, turning it into a kind of brain for young children who are attracted by buzzing sounds and bright lights, who cannot concentrate and live in the moment,” says Susan Greenfield.

But you can still save your children! It is enough just to limit the time of using all kinds of gadgets. You will be surprised, but Steve Jobs, the guru of the digital industry, did just that. His children did not use iPads at all, and they were forbidden to use other gadgets at night and on weekends.

Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of the American magazine "Wired", one of the founders of 3D Robotics, also restricts his children from using gadgets. Anderson's Rule - No screens or gadgets in the bedroom! “I, like no one else, see the danger in being overly addicted to the Internet. I myself faced this problem and do not want my children to have the same problems."

The sons of the creator of Blogger and Twitter services can use their tablets and smartphones for no more than 1 hour a day, and the director of OutCast Agency limits the use of gadgets in the house to 30 minutes a day. His younger children have no gadgets at all.

Here is the answer to the question "what should be done?" Take care of the younger generation. Think what future awaits them in 10-20 years, if today they spend half a day in front of the screens of their ultra-modern gadgets.

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