The influence of technology

We already know that doing some repetitive tasks can mould our brains in certain directions, through a process known as brain plasticity. A landmark study in 2000 by neuroscientist Dr Eleanor Maguire at University College London showed that the brains of black cab drivers were being physically changed by their work. Having to memorise London’s enormous maze of streets and landmarks strengthened the areas of their minds associated with memory.

Her work reinforced the theory that connections in our brains aren’t entirely fixed at birth, but modify and re-wire throughout life as we learn. This raises an obvious question for all us tech-junkies. If our brains are that malleable, could we be altering our grey matter – changing how we think – as we obsessively click on our Facebook News Feed or scroll through Instagram every five minutes?

“When we spend a lot of time on a particular mental task, the neural circuits will strengthen. If not, they will weaken,” says Dr Gary Small, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who co-wrote the 2008 book iBrain: Surviving The Technological Alteration Of The Modern Mind.

So the answer to that particular question would seem to be yes. But is it a good or bad thing? It’s a controversial area within the scientific community and one that divides expert opinion because we’re at the early stages of research and much of the rhetoric flying around cyberspace is anecdotal (like my orange juice fiasco). The truth is, we don’t yet know. But scientists are trying to understand how technology might be affecting two areas in particular: our memory and our ability to concentrate.

The rise of ‘Borg Brain’: is modern technology affecting our minds?