Its effecting your brain: Digital Overload!

Adolescents who shift their focus between digital media, and other electronic media activities like texting a friend, playing a video game and writing back to a friend on Facebook – at the same time – are more vulnerable to risk. The ability to multi-task is a myth. It is proven that time and time again that the brain is unable to successfully use different parts of the brain simultaneously When the human brain shifts focus the same part of the brain is being used for all those functions, say experts, unlike walking and talking, which uses two different parts of the brain.

According to Linda Chamberlain of Kenai Peninsula College “What we are looking at is a see-saw,” said Linda Chamberlain, a nationally recognized expert on adolescent brain development and violence against children. “It is like a scale that needs to be kept in balance. If you are spending 60-70 hours a week with technology, that is that much less time you are spending with adults, peers and developing social skills.”

According to Chamberlain the adolescent brain is in a critical stage of development. Chamberlain says these brain changes influence adolescents’ emotions, learning, decision making and behaviors. She gives tools for minimizing stress and conflict. “It’s extraordinary. There are strengths and enhancement of skills from digital media, but also costs, particularly if Americans average 60-70 hours a week connected to some form of media,” she said.

 

Whether you’re an adult or teen, if you’re using the same area of your brain, like driving and talking on a cell phone, the brain doesn’t process both tasks at the same time. The truth about multitasking is that it takes longer to do each thing and the error rate increases. “That’s stressful, particularly for the adolescent brain, because they don’t have all the hardware yet,” Chamberlain explains. Sensory overload can produce “brown-outs,” which is especially unproductive. Young people today have abilities that exceed every generation that came before them. The skills are “wonderful,” but are taking from other areas in a life.

  

“That is a cost we are just beginning to realize. When you continually shift your focus and then come back to what you were doing, the quality of your work is compromised,” she said.

It should be noted that not all technology and media are bad for the brain. There are certain aspects which are strengthening, but there must be balance.

Dr. Chamberlain expressed another warning and that is, “that today’s teens are more at risk of being victims of dating violence or substance abuse. For the first time in history a girl’s boyfriend or a guy’s girlfriend can have instant access to one another through texting. This 24 hour access can result in a boy or girl who wants to know where they are every minute of the day. Threats might be part of the interaction. Sexual content may be part of it.

 

“We all grew up with bullying, but what is different here is that those threats can come 24-7 because of texting. Bullying and dating violence are connected to suicide,” she said.

The biggest defense is establishing strong, healthy relationships with adults in teens’ lives. Family meals are important, conversations are learning tools, and interaction in person with adults and peers is crucial for social development.

“We need to know what kids are being exposed to in the language and texting. In order to make sure there is balance and moderation, we need to know what is going on out there.”

In the past, parents may have worried more about how video game influence factors like desensitizing young people to violence. But in this new time of pervasive cell phone use and social media, modern people are in a whole new arena of questions. The research indicates a tendency toward more fearful and aggressive behavior. “This on-going access opens a whole new level,” she said.

One piece of research, at the University of Washington, found that based on the number of hours of television children age 1-3 watch, they could predict the probability that the child would be diagnosed for attention deficit disorder. Some researchers are focusing their questions on how adults are faring as well in terms of their media consumption.

  

There is the opinion adults are creating attention deficits by the way they live. Here are some quick tips to help you deal with some overload that are work related, such as email.

• Don’t respond immediately to all messages.
• Take the time to think through a reasoned response.
• Re-read your message aloud to yourself to identify if there is contextual, phrases that might be misunderstood.
• Balance is the best option