busyScientists Fear Technology May Be Rewiring Our Brains
When the brain spends more time on technology-related tasks and less time exposed to other people, it drifts away from fundamental social skills like reading facial expressions during conversation, Small asserts.
So brain circuits involved in face-to-face contact can become weaker, he suggests. That may lead to social awkwardness, an inability to interpret nonverbal messages, isolation and less interest in traditional classroom learning.
... this really sounds like the anti-bookworm propaganda some teachers heaped on me when I was younger, because I preferred the company of books to that of the banal little beasts they called my classmates. And while I've got some nearby friends, frankly I prefer the company of online folks to most of the locals, because the Midwest is not exactly a hotbed of culture and brilliance. The scientists may have a point in there somewhere, but if they want to sell it to intellectuals, boy howdy they'd better find a better way to phrase it.
December 10 2008, 10:32:41 UTC 12 years ago
As for the social interaction side, for me the people I meet online are just as real as the ones I meet in person. It's harder to have a cup of tea together, but all the other interaction stuff hasn't gone away.
'Less interest in traditional classroom learning' is, IMHO, a different problem - people are used to soundbites and videoclips. When Max Headroom first came on TV, the quick cuts were a novelty -now most feature films will do the same. Concentrating for twenty minutes at a stretch is something that needs to be learnt; but you cannot blame the technology for it.
Thoughts
December 10 2008, 19:14:45 UTC 12 years ago
In terms of social interaction, I find it often easier and more rewarding online than in person. I'd like to have close relationships close by, but it isn't always possible. It took years to build a local community year, and it's a massive amount of work. The people who are most important in my life mostly live several states away, with the exception of a few family members and a few local friends. The net's how I keep in touch with most of them.
I think people are blaming technology for things that have far more complex causes. Some of the problems are real, but they won't be fixed by targeting the wrong cause.
Re: Thoughts
December 10 2008, 19:53:19 UTC 12 years ago
But I was thinking about how many people in the history of humanity have been isolated to lesser or greater degrees, and I think that if anything, we have *more* social contacts than humanity has ever had. We certainly see a greater range of faces and behaviours; and for the most part, we're able to learn how to relate to them.
Online allows us to seek out the kinds of people we want to relate to. I love it.
Re: Thoughts
December 10 2008, 21:56:29 UTC 12 years ago
I think you're right about this.
To give a personal example: if I want to interact with people who aren't white, I've got two options. Go online, or drive somewhere that people mix more. I can go to a jazz restaurant in St. Louis, or a Mexican or Indian one in Champaign; I can go to a con and make friends with people at the ethnic-fic panels. But in Charleston and Mattoon, there's a sea of white faces with an occasional sprinkling of others. I've got a couple friends locally who are Native American, and I used to be in a group that had one Muslim member, and that's how it goes here -- one or two at a time. It's really hard to accrue a racially mixed group even if you're trying. It's not easy to find different people or coax them into mingling when they've had enough bad experiences to prefer lying low. But I can visit MyBlogLog and instantly be in a context that's about, hm, maybe a third to half white, and all kinds of other folks.