Week 17: Effects of selected technology on the brain
Recording
Did you miss class this week? Would you like to hear more? Listen to Dr Minoo's lesson on the effects of selected technology on the brain.
Brief History of Technology and Introduction to this week's class
Over the past half-century, technology has transformed our lives in profound ways. The 1970s marked the advent of personal computing with the introduction of the first microprocessors and the emergence of companies like Apple and Microsoft. The 1980s saw the proliferation of personal computers in homes and offices, while the 1990s brought the revolutionary rise of the internet, changing how we communicate, work, and access information. Mobile technology took center stage in the early 2000s with the introduction of smartphones, fundamentally altering our interaction with the digital world. The 2010s witnessed the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), embedding smart devices into our daily routines. Most recently, the development of sophisticated AI systems like ChatGPT has further expanded the boundaries of what technology can achieve, impacting various aspects of our cognitive and social lives.
In our class, we will look at technology in general as it pertains to brain health. We will look at things like shopping, map navigation programs, social media, smartphones, and Chat GPT, and how each of these impacts the brain. On a positive note, we already know that learning new things can enhance brain health. So, let's enrich our brains as we dive into the topic of technology and the brain.
Video:
Interesting look at the past, present and future of technology. It is an overview which provides context to our lesson, and is a nice review of where we have been, and where we are going.
Our brain on shopping
(Firth, 2019) (Moawad, 2017) (Skeldon, 2021)
Technology has not only transformed the way we shop but has also had significant effects on our brains and thought processes related to shopping. Online shopping is quick and easy. It allows us to view many products at once, often allowing us to compare prices and reviews. We may use sites like Amazon which contain a variety of different products, or we may choose to follow certain social medial groups. These choices can result in different impacts on the brain.
Video:
Shopping is evolving rapidly. In this video, we are introduced to the shopping experience in China, and the changes which are now becoming part of our own shopping habits.
Brain impact:
• The ease and speed of online shopping activate the releasing dopamine and reinforcing the desire for instant gratification. As customers, we become used to immediate satisfaction, and we become less patient with traditional, slower shopping methods.
• Having so many choices can lead to decision fatigue, where the brain becomes overwhelmed by too many choices. This can cause stress and decision paralysis.
• Shopping also may cause you to feel anxious over making the best choice, which can lead to over-research and second-guessing decisions.
• While shopping via social media links, the brain’s social and reward system are activated, which can skew trust to the social media sites instead of traditional advertising.
• Influencers (those who post frequently on social media) create parasocial relationships with the followers, which engage the brain’s social connection pathways.
• When the goal is sustainability and ethical shopping, the brain’s moral and ethical reasoning areas are engaged, which promote decisions based on values.
• In some cases, a frustrating experience while shopping may be accompanied by changes in the brain and the heart, similar to when you are threatened.
Neuromarketing (Bentahar, 2023) (Harrell, 2019)
Neuromarketing is the use of neuroscience techniques to understand how people's brains respond to marketing and advertising. It combines insights from psychology, neuroscience, and marketing to study consumers' sensory, cognitive, and emotional reactions to different marketing stimuli.
With neuromarketing, researchers look at our brains to see how we react to various marketing elements like advertisements, product packaging, and brand logos. Then, using different techniques measuring brain activity, researchers can see what attracts our attention, what excites us and what makes us feel positive or negative.
Neuromarketing seeks to understand how consumers perceive and remember brands. It is applied in a variety of methods:
· Emotional engagement: Researchers look for brands that evoke strong emotions. By understanding these emotional triggers, companies can create branding that evokes positive emotions.
· Visual elements: Eye tracking studies are used to reveal how consumers visually process logos and which design elements are most attention grabbing and memorable. It can also be used to determine the most effective colors and fonts that resonate with consumers and align with the brand’s identity.
· Types of ads: Neuromarketing can be used to pretest advertisements to see which ads will be most likely remembered. They can also help identify the best narrative structures that resonate with viewers.
· Multisensory experiences: Brands can use neuromarketing to create sensory experiences that reinforce brand recognition. This can include sounds, senses, or tactile experiences associated with the brand.
· Personalizing marketing: Neuromarketing can be used to tailor marketing messages to specific segments of the audience. With personalized brand experiences, The shopper. Can feel a deeper emotional connection and better brand recall.
Video:
Neuromarketing knows what we like. In this video, we meet a researcher who is looking at the science of decision making and how it can affect what we want to purchase.
Our brain on map navigation programs
(Bunce, 2024) (Clemenson. G, 2021)
Map navigation programs, such as GPS and smartphone apps, have significantly impacted the brain's spatial navigation and memory functions. The navigation system in the brain primarily involves the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, which work together to form cognitive maps of our environment. The hippocampus, located in the medial temporal lobe, is essential for spatial memory and navigation, enabling us to remember and navigate through familiar routes. The entorhinal cortex contains grid cells that help us understand our position in space by creating a coordinate system, allowing for precise movement and orientation. This complex system integrates sensory input and spatial information, facilitating our ability to navigate, recognize landmarks, and plan routes without relying on external aids.
Research shows that reliance on these tools can reduce activity in the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for spatial memory and navigation skills. This reliance can lead to decreased ability to form and recall cognitive maps, making it harder for individuals to navigate without digital assistance. Additionally, the convenience of turn-by-turn directions may lead to less engagement of the brain's natural wayfinding abilities, potentially impacting long-term cognitive health and spatial awareness.
The use of map navigation systems also affects brain plasticity, which is the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize itself. When individuals frequently rely on GPS for navigation, the brain's natural ability to develop and strengthen neural pathways associated with spatial reasoning and memory is diminished. This reduced engagement can lead to atrophy in the hippocampus, impairing its functionality over time. Brain plasticity thrives on challenges and learning new routes and environments without digital assistance promotes cognitive resilience. Therefore, excessive dependence on navigation technology may hinder the brain's capacity to adapt and maintain its spatial processing skills, potentially affecting overall cognitive health.
VIdeo:
How our brain creates virtual maps? We will learn about place cells and the hippocampus and how they relate to navigation. Reliance on GPS tools can reduce activity in the hippocampus
Our brain on social networks
(Gunter, 2023) (Frenette, 2023) (Korte, 2020) (Coleman, 2024)
Social networks are an opportunity to go into someone’s life. Often, this leads us to desire what they have for ourselves. Mimetic desire is a concept introduced by the French philosopher and anthropologist René Girard. It refers to the idea that human desires are not innate but are rather imitated from the desires of others. According to Girard, individuals often unconsciously adopt the desires and goals of others, which leads to a pattern of imitation or "mimesis." Desires and behaviors can spread rapidly through social media, shaping individual and collective preferences. (Mimetic Desire, 2020)
Video: Social media uses persuasive technology to hack our brains.
Key Points of Mimetic Desire:
· Imitation: People tend to imitate the desires of others rather than developing their own independently.
· Rivalry: As individuals imitate each other's desires, they often end up desiring the same objects, leading to competition and rivalry. This can escalate into conflict and even violence if not managed.
· Triangular Relationship: Mimetic desire involves a triangular relationship between the subject (the person desiring), the model (the person whose desires are being imitated), and the object (the desired thing). The subject desires the object because the model desires it.
Video: Great introduction to Mimetic theory
Mimetic Desire and Social Networks:
Social networks provide a platform for people to observe and imitate the desires of a vast number of individuals. The visibility of others' preferences, lifestyles, and achievements can amplify mimetic desire, the tendency to desire what others desire, based on the imitation of others' wants and behaviors. Influencers on social networks often act as models whose desires and behaviors are imitated by their followers. Trends can spread rapidly as users mimic what they see others doing, buying, or valuing. Social networks can intensify feelings of rivalry and competition as users constantly compare themselves to others. The curated and often idealized representations of others' lives can lead to increased desire for similar experiences or possessions, driven by the mimetic desire to achieve what is perceived as desirable through the lens of others' experiences.
The nature of social media algorithms tends to promote content that is popular or trending, further reinforcing mimetic desire by showing users what many others are engaging with or desiring. This can significantly impact consumer behavior. Advertising and marketing strategies often leverage this by showcasing desirable lifestyles and products through influencers and targeted content.
Social networks also involve areas of the brain related to the experience of the social network. One area which is particularly active during social media experiences is the reward system. Social networks are designed to stimulate the brain's reward system, particularly the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. Every like, comment, or share on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter provides a burst of dopamine, reinforcing behavior and creating a cycle of addiction. This constant pursuit of social validation can lead to compulsive use, as the brain continually seeks out the positive reinforcement provided by social media interactions.
Social networks can directly impact our mental health. The impact of social networks on mental health is multifaceted. On one hand, they offer opportunities for social connection and support, which can be beneficial for mental well-being. On the other hand, excessive use of social media has been linked to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The comparison culture fostered by social networks, where users constantly compare their lives to the curated, idealized versions presented by others, can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Cyberbullying and online harassment are additional negative aspects that can significantly affect mental health.
Social networks also impact our attention spans. The rapid, ever-changing content on these platforms trains the brain to expect constant stimulation, making it harder to focus on tasks that require sustained attention. The frequent interruptions from notifications and the habit of switching between apps contribute to a fragmented attention span, reducing the ability to concentrate on single tasks for extended periods. This constant multitasking can lead to decreased productivity and cognitive overload, as the brain struggles to keep up with the barrage of information.
TikTok and young brains (Shmerling, 2022) (Aldosari, 2021)
A sociogenic illness is one in which multiple people within a social group develop similar medically unexplainable and often bizarre symptoms. The suffering may be quite real, but there may be no apparent cause or test result which can confirm it.
There has been a social media induced sociogenic illness which become recognized in the recent years. Neurologists are seeing increased numbers of patients, especially teenage girls, with unusual involuntary movements and vocalizations, which are reminiscent of Tourette syndrome. These ticks appear to be related to many hours spent watching TikTok videos of people who report having Tourette syndrome and other movement disorders.
Medical providers say that these girls do not have Tourette's Syndrome. Instead, they're experiencing a movement disorder brought on by stress and anxiety., which was probably made worse during the pandemic And increased social media use. These ticks are a way for the brain to release stress, according to researchers. And although they are not suffering from Tourette's, a child who is experiencing these tic- like behaviors should consult a professional for help.
Video:
Social media and mental health, and how this affects the younger brain.
Smartphones
(Sparrow, 2011) (Yong, 2020) (How Phone Use Is Changing Our Brains, 2023) (Cellphones and Brain Activity – Are There Negative Health Implications?, 2020) (Ruggeri, 2023)
Smartphones have had potential positive as well as negative impacts on the brain.
Negative Impacts
Attention and Cognitive Control
Studies suggest that frequent smartphone use can lead to a reduction in attention span and difficulties in maintaining focus. The constant notifications and multi-tasking can fragment attention and diminish cognitive control. Additionally, the mere presence of a smartphone, even when not in use, can reduce cognitive capacity. Research by Ward et al. (2017) found that participants performed worse on cognitive tasks when their smartphones were present but not in use, compared to when their phones were in another room.
Memory
Smartphones can act as external memory storage, leading to the "Google Effect" or digital amnesia, where people are less likely to remember information that they can easily look up on their devices. Furthermore, reliance on GPS and map applications may impair spatial memory and navigation skills, as users depend more on technology for direction and less on their cognitive mapping abilities.
Sleep Disruption
The blue light emitted by smartphone screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep and poorer sleep quality. Frequent smartphone use, especially before bedtime, is associated with disrupted sleep patterns and reduced sleep duration.
Mental Health
High levels of smartphone use, particularly involving social media, have been linked to increased anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness. The constant comparison with others and the pressure to be always available can contribute to these negative emotions.
Video: A nice video which highlights some of the research surrounding smartphones and the impact on the brain.
Video: A very short look at phone addiction and how it is affecting our social relationships
Positive Impacts
Cognitive Enhancement
Some smartphone applications designed for brain training can help improve cognitive functions such as memory, problem-solving skills, and processing speed. Apps like Lumosity and BrainHQ have shown potential benefits in cognitive training. Additionally, smartphones can serve as valuable educational tools, providing access to a wealth of information and learning resources that can enhance knowledge and cognitive skills.
Social Connectivity
Smartphones enable people to stay connected with family and friends, which can support mental health and well-being. Social interactions, even virtual ones, can provide emotional support and reduce feelings of isolation. Access to online support groups and communities can be beneficial for individuals dealing with health issues or seeking social support.
Health Monitoring
Smartphones can be used to monitor health and fitness through various apps, which can encourage healthier lifestyles and proactive health management. These apps can track physical activity, diet, sleep patterns, and other health metrics.
Video:
In this very short video, the idea is promoted that you can use your phone to feel better instead of stressed. The video mentions an app called "Virtual Hope Box", originally used to help Veterans with PTSD, but can also help with our own mental health. Finally, something healthy to do with your smartphone!
ChatGPT and AI Assistants
(Presse-Agentur, 2024) (Bai, 2023) (Guo, 2023)
Cognitive Offloading: ChatGPT and AI assistants facilitate cognitive offloading, where the brain relies on external tools to handle tasks that would typically require mental effort. For example, AI can manage schedules, answer questions, and provide recommendations, reducing the need for individuals to remember details or perform certain cognitive tasks themselves. While this can increase efficiency and reduce mental workload, it may also lead to a decline in memory retention and problem-solving skills as the brain becomes less engaged in these activities.
Learning and Comprehension: AI assistants like ChatGPT can enhance learning by providing instant access to information and personalized tutoring. They can explain complex concepts, offer practice exercises, and adapt to individual learning paces. However, there is a potential downside: over-reliance on AI for learning might hinder the development of deep comprehension and critical thinking skills. When learners depend too much on AI for answers, they might not engage as thoroughly with the material, leading to surface-level understanding rather than deep, meaningful learning.
Social Interaction: The use of AI for social interaction, such as through chatbots and virtual assistants, can affect the brain's social processing areas. AI interactions can provide companionship and support, especially for individuals who are socially isolated. However, these interactions lack the depth and complexity of human social interactions, which are crucial for emotional and social development. Relying too heavily on AI for social needs might reduce opportunities for real human connections, potentially impacting emotional well-being and social skills.
Video:
The pros and cons of ChatGPT.
Summary
Technology has found its way into our lives and has transformed them (for better or worse). We should always remember that we have a choice on how to use technology. We can use it for our benefit (price comparisons, navigating in strange cities, engaging socially with others, communicating, and keeping up with everyone, while dodging the negative parts (too much reliance, lack of decision-making tasks, over relying on the ideas of others). Technology is not going away. We just need to find a way to use it in a responsible and healthy way.
References
A Guide to Smartwatches
Aldosari, M. (2021, November 9). Is TikTok Causing Tics in Teen Girls? What Parents Need to Know. Retrieved from health.clevelandclinic.org: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/tiktok-causing-tics-in-teen-girls
Bai, L. e. (2023, September 20). ChatGPT: The cognitive effects on learning and memory. Retrieved from onlinelibrary.wiley.com: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brx2.30
Bentahar, A. (2023, July 13). Neuromarketing: The Future Of Marketing Strategy. Retrieved from forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2023/07/13/neuromarketing-the-future-of-marketing-strategy/
Bunce, G. (2024, May 1). Cognitive Maps - The Science Behind our Brain’s Internal Mapping and Navigation System. Retrieved from gis.utah.go: https://gis.utah.gov/blog/2020-01-29-cognitive-maps/
Cellphones and Brain Activity – Are There Negative Health Implications? (2020, August 7). Retrieved from unitedbrainassociation.org: https://unitedbrainassociation.org/2020/08/06/cellphones-and-brain-activity-how-smartphones-impact-our-brains/
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Skeldon, P. (2021, November 10). Online shopping frustrations impact the brain in a similar way to theft or an internet outage. Retrieved from internetretailing.net: https://internetretailing.net/online-shopping-frustrations-impact-the-brain-in-a-similar-way-to-theft-or-an-internet-outage-23988/
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