Module 14. Hacking the mind better through multimedia

Hacking the mind using audio

Modules 12 and 13 took a rather dim view on multimedia technologies, which we saw could have a potentially negative impact on how individuals think, feel, and behave. A big part of the criticism rests on the suggestion that media technologies have evolved more quickly than the human brain has, and so media technologies can exploit or fool our cognitive and sensory abilities. This in turn can lead to unpleasant or unwanted experiences and behaviors.

However, this potential for digital media to exploit the brain means that it can be used to beneficial effect by 'hacking' the brain to achieve positive results. In this module, we will take a look at some of the more interesting and unusual examples of these. We start by looking innovative uses of digital audio.

Like the kind of audio used for transmitted ASMR, binaural beats require audio formats in which you can record two tracks, each to be played in one ear. However, with binaural beats, it is absolutely essential that the sounds be stereophonic. Like ASMR, binaural beats seem to be effective for some people in reducing anxiety (Wiwatwongwana et al, 2016) and stress (Gantt et al, 2017) in certain cases. It is hypothesized that binaural beats work by entraining the electrical patterns in the brain--what we often call "brainwaves"--to the frequency of the beats. ASMR, on the other hand, is thought to work because of different neurological mechanisms.

In the case of Alive Inside, although the ability to record and play back music predates digital media technologies, the portability, physical size, memory storage capacity, and affordability of modern media playback devices are what makes an intervention like the one discussed in the documentary possible for large numbers of people.

Hacking the mind using still and moving images

These past examples have all been about hearing and sound. Let us look at other sensory or media modalities.

Recall from Module 12 that digital media can be so engaging and attention-capturing that some researchers believe that it can lead to media addiction. On the flip side, however, immersive multimedia can also distract individuals from other unwanted sensory stimuli, such as pain.

Yet another use of multimedia for pain relief is presented in Activity 14.6.

Conclusion

There are many ways that digital multimedia technologies have been useful and beneficial to individuals. After all, without digital, interactive multimedia and the Internet, you may never have had a chance to pursue an undergraduate degree outside a more traditional university setting! In addition, it is likely that you can list a few other benefits that digital media technologies have benefited you or people that you know. You will likely cover these topics in your other BAMS courses. The unique and innovative ways in which multimedia could be used to benefit individuals as given in the examples in this module, however, may not be discussed in your other courses, which is why we devoted some time to exploring them. I hope that these examples might inspire you to push the boundaries of multimedia technologies and applications to benefit people!