Originally uploaded to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrBJC6FNS0 by NeldaTV Nicholas Carr on How Technology is Affecting our Brains Is technology making us stupid? Are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply because of constant online distraction and addiction to smartphones and social media? Science and technology writer Nicholas Carr has explored these concerns in numerous articles and his New York Times bestseller The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. The news is not good. Neuroplasticity is the ability of brains to physically change in response to stimuli. Human brains are changing as a result of our interaction with technology. For Pulitzer Prize finalist Nicholas Carr, his interest in this phenomenon started with himself. “I seemed to be losing my ability to concentrate, to focus my mind. I began to suspect that it was all the time I was spending online in front of a computer screen.” Carr launched into researching how our brains are affected by technology and the history of technology. His intuition proved to be correct, and his worry turned into a real concern. When the internet was emerging, Carr was excited by the possibilities. “Human beings are by nature information gatherers and our minds tend to be attracted to whatever’s most salient or important in our environment.” Carr understood that this could be a wonderful and powerful tool, but anticipated risks. “Technology is either going to solve all the problems with the world, or it’s going to create all the problems in the world.” His research showed that technology was evolving to do both. According to Carr, access to unlimited information is a double-edged sword. While these tools have been beneficial especially for people who have felt isolated, endless amounts of unfiltered information moving past in a constant blur actually undermine deep thinking and reinforce biases. It promotes shallow thinking and encourages people into tribes of beliefs rather than broadening their perspective. The smartphone and social media took this to warp speed. The constant presence of these devices also has resulted in unrelenting extraction of human attention. We simply can’t help ourselves from checking our phones, our social media, or being on the internet. If your phone is even nearby, it will draw your attention. One scientist described cell phones as a “divisive device of supernormal salience” because it contains so much—our photographs, our social lives, news, entertainment, everything that’s salient or important to us in any given moment. Carr certainly doesn’t advocate for the elimination of technology but rather the informed use of technology and a balance with real human interaction and deep thinking. “It’s attentive thinking that unlocks the full potential of the human mind. There’s a whole lot of activities that are actually more enjoyable and fulfilling if you do them with your full attention without being constantly distracted by technology.” It’s a compelling argument for closing your laptop, turning off notifications, and putting that smartphone down—in another room far, far away. What you’ll learn 00:00 Intro 03:42 What prompted Carr to investigate the impact of technology on human thinking 06:34 Neuroplasticity and how our brains are adapting to technology 08:14 The evolutionary roots of human’s natural desire to gather information 09:20 How the smartphone has created a divisive “supernormal salience” and what that is 10:48 Why social media has become the most addictive technology 12:18 Why unfiltered information undermines deep thinking and narrows perspectives 15:44 The dangers of endless amounts of communication 18:31 How smartphones are undermining human richness of thought 24:13 Tips for breaking the cycle of constant technology distraction 30:59 When is the best time for children to have a cell phone Learn more about Nicholas Carr: https://nelda.tv/nicholas-carr/ Connect with Nelda: https://nelda.com https://www.facebook.com/NeldaSueYaw https://twitter.com/NeldaSYaw https://www.instagram.com/neldasueyaw/ Learn more from Nicholas Carr: http://www.nicholascarr.com/