This is Your Brain on Technology
Five Tips on How to Outsmart Technology
By Tsvetelina Fuentes
I forgot.
How much do these words cost you? What have they taken away?
The words I forgot are robbers. They steal precious time, money and opportunities. They hurt relationships and precious moments with loved ones. Do you notice how often we and the people around us use these words? If you tally, you will notice a scary tendency — I forgot, I am busy, I am tired, I am sorry, I forgot, I am busy, I am tired, I am sorry. They create a huge vortex that sweep away people. If you forgot, then the assumption might be that you did not do it, did not say it, did not buy it, did not celebrate it … you did not care!
This way of thinking—or not thinking— prompted me to do deep research into our brain and memory, to take classes and ultimately become a “brain consultant,” who teaches people how to improve their memory. Practically everyone I meet need this help.
The reason: despite all the bits and bytes of data in the cloud, technology has killed our memories.
Just type the two words “is technology” into the Google search bar, and the first thing you will see pop up below is the question, Is technology making us dumber. The fact that so many people turn to Google with this question indicates a real problem.The fact that our first instinct when thinking of this question is to turn to Google is highly suggestive of the answer.
New brain studies call it the “Google Effect,” or a lack of memory caused by our disposition to rely on technology for answers.
In fact, the vast majority of people probably suffer from something called “digital amnesia,” or the breakdown of cognitive abilities simply caused by the overuse of technology. It’s the same kind of breakdown you see in someone with a head injury or a psychiatric illness. Every single day, hundreds of emails, the thousands of instant messages, the constant social media notifications and open browser tabs —it all contribute to the phenomenon of digital dementia.
Guess what? Chances are that you’re suffering from it too.
This is Your Brain on Technology
It used to be a screen was something in a distant building, then it became something in a living room and now it is always in our pocket, or in our hand. A 2012 study warned that spending too much time glued to digital devices can actually cause changes to the brain that match those caused by drug and alcohol dependence. Internet addicts have abnormal white and gray matter in their brains. This irregularity disrupts the areas responsible for processing emotion and regulating focus and decision-making—the same anomalies found in drug addicts and alcoholics.
In the past two decades, our attention span has shrunk to 8 seconds from 12 seconds, and millions of people can’t sleep. Blame the backlit screens that suppress melatonin, which regulates our internal clock. Poor sleep leads bad moods, less focus and brain tissue loss.
Technology is zapping another part of our brain, too: the hippocampus. Studies suggest that the more we use GPS to find our way, the less activity there is in that area of the brain that’s responsible for navigation and memory.
What now?
There’s hope. Our brain is magnificently plastic. New research indicates that the brain is capable of neuroplasticity, or the ability to create new neural pathways. This is your brain’s way of adapting to new experiences, learning new information and creating new memories.
I advise all my clients to unplug. I mean this literally, and the word UNPLUG is also a great acronym to remember the tools that help reclaim your brain.
Infographic box:
UNPLUG
Use your head; Nature-spend time in nature; People -face to face interactions; Learn new things; Undertake creative projects or activities; Go exercise
Use your head.
Memorization is exercise for the mind and one of the best tools to train the mind to concentrate intensely. Memorizing poems, quotes, famous speeches, verses from scriptures, generates mental dynamics of a diligent, energized and productive brain function. In fact, studies show the amount of knowledge you can hold in working memory is directly correlated with IQ and problem-solving ability. If you learn strategies for memorization, you learn faster, perform better and create reliable and lasting learning.
Nature Bathe
Lucky for us in the Vail Valley, this isn’t hard. Getting into nature can work magic on your mind. A University of London study, for instance, found that people who went backpacking in the wilderness with no technology for four days had better mental performance. In fact, they fared 50% better on problem solving and creative thinking tasks following the trip. Add to that, Japanese researchers discovered that just a stroll in the forest decreased the stress hormone cortisol by 16%. A similar scenario played out with South Korean researchers, who found that people who were shown images of city scenes had more blood flow in their brains’ amygdala, which processes anxiety and fear. Meanwhile, images of nature actually lit up the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insula of the brain—areas connected with compassion, generosity and altruism.
People. Remember them?
Look up from your screen and connect with other human beings a bit more often. Enjoy a tech free meals, more conversations, a game nights or undistracted time together. Face-to-face interactions build strong relationships, boost trust and protect confidentiality.
Yet all too often, we’re staring at their phones incessantly, whether it’s at the airport, in a restaurant or waiting for a doctor’s appointment. All this means loneliness— and our teens may be the most vulnerable. San Diego State psychologist Jean Twenge compared surveys from adolescents and their feelings about loneliness in 1991. Between then and 2011, about 25% of the teens surveyed reported that “a lot of times I feel lonely.” Then in 2015, that number climbed to 31%, which is the highest since the survey started.
Learn something new
Nurture your natural love for learning, curiosity and exploring new fields. Novelty leads to a long and happy life. In a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers demonstrated that a rush of dopamine follows novel experiences of any kind. You can form new neural pathways in even more ordinary ways, whether it’s trying a new recipe or learning a new language, or traveling and listening to new music. The experience naturally ignites the senses. Aromas. Taste. Hearing. The unusual can prompt new ideas and connections.
Undertake creative projects or activities.
Unleash your inner creativity. Your brain will thank you. Creativity can reduce stress and improve focus and problem solving. Think: ikebana and drawing, music and dance, cooking and design. Creativity doesn’t sit in one single area in the brain, but rather emanates from the interplay of complex brain activity involving multiple systems. Make something today, a play or a vase, a wood board or a game, embroider or engineer. The choices are many and the rewards are mighty: you get to be free of incessant thoughts.
Go exercise.
What’s good for the heart is good for the brain. The brain requires more oxygen than any other organ in the body. Exercise boosts blood flow, and that blood delivers the oxygen. Exercise also cuts insulin resistance, diminishes inflammation and stimulates the growth of new brain cells and new blood vessels. And ultimately, it also kills stress and anxiety, and it improves sleep and mood. Multiple studies by the University of Wisconsin show that people who move have better brain structure, function and cognition.
The world seems to be spinning faster and faster with people feeling digitally dizzy. Don’t let your memory be outsourced to “the cloud.” Unplug.
Tsvetelina Fuentes is Founder of Fuentes Learning, LLC
Multilingual Teacher
Brain Health Coach and Speaker
Tsvetelina Fuentes works closely with Hearts Reign and presents to organizations and the community on brain health topics.
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