Pharmafile Logo

Is Technology Harming Your Brain?

September 22, 2015 | brain, dementia, memory, short term memory, technology 

Is technology harming your brain? Saycomms healthcare PR team confronts different opinions on how technology affects memories and attention span.

Head Spin
Recently I watched the TED lecture ‘Technology and the Human Mind.’ Baroness Susan Greenfield very convincingly made the case for the negative effects that technology can have on our developing brains. However, a Daily Mail article has rather taken the wind out of the sails of my new found distrust of technology. 

A Difference of Opinion
The article referenced a piece from the British Medical Journal in which three leading academics challenge Baroness Greenfield’s assertions. They point out that she is using her media standing to promote evidence that has not been peer reviewed.

They refute Baroness Greenfield’s claim, “reliance on search engines and surfing the internet could result in superficial mental processing at the expense of deep knowledge and understanding.” They point out that when people know they can look information up they are less likely to remember it. Psychologists have also observed a short term memory phenomenon in groups of people. People rely on others to remember key facts, which means they are less likely to remember the facts themselves. This has been termed ‘transactive memory.’

Professor Bishop, Dr Bell and Dr Przybylski also highlight that average internet usage has not been found to harm adolescent brains. They note that the more important debate around excessive technology use and low rates of physical activity, particularly amongst toddlers, has been overshadowed by Baroness Greenfield’s media presence which they consider unhelpful. 

Whose side anyway?
My inner scientist now sides with Professor Bishop, Dr Bell and Dr Przybylski and their peer reviewed evidence. Nevertheless Baroness Greenfield’s argument is a fascinating one.  What is it that is causing average attention spans to shrink? 

Up against a goldfish
Communications professionals need to understand attention spans as well as they can. As human attention spans shorten, to below that of a goldfish’s 9 seconds, it only makes the life of a communications professional harder and harder. It also means I would like to thank you for giving me your attention this long!

-Written by Harry P.

This content was provided by Say Communications

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Say Communications 

The 7 truths behind successful Healthcare influencer engagement programmes

Pharma companies need to be engaging DOLs in the same way as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs). But how can companies ensure best practice DOL engagement? Here are Say’s recommended critical...

Say wins Communiqué Awards for corporate influencer campaign based on life hacks

SAY received the top recognition for the ‘Excellence in Corporate Communications’ and ‘Excellence in Engagement Through Social Media/Digital Channels – Under £50,000’ categories with our “Lift Up Your Everyday with...

The immunotherapy knowledge gap: keeping the patient at the heart of cancer treatment

Advances in cancer treatment are frequent, but how much do we actually understand about these new treatments?

Meeting the experts behind the story: How building a bicycle led to a revolution in respiratory health

Hear from Professor Wladyslaw Wygnanski, inventor of a revolutionary respiratory medical device called BiMOD.

How ‘Greenwashing’ accusations could delay the very changes its supporters demand

Are shouts of companies ‘greenwashing’ to provide a façade of environmental and ethical respectability causing more harm than good? Or should we call out practices that we believe are papering...

The power of influence in transforming women’s health

Over the past four years HRT prescriptions have doubled in the UK, the cause was turbo charged by the action of celebrities and influencers.

The doctor will text you now: Why healthcare providers cannot underestimate the importance of communicating change

Healthcare communication needs to switch from ‘transmit’ to ‘receive’, listening to what patients need and embracing the plethora of communication tools wholeheartedly.

Can tobacco companies really reinvent themselves as healthcare companies?

A surprising move by key player, Phillip Morris, has called attention to the start of a new era for the tobacco industry. But can tobacco companies reinvent themselves as healthcare...

Why you should feel optimistic about the future of healthcare

It has been a difficult year to remain hopeful for those working in the healthcare industry, but there are some reasons to remain optimistic.