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According to one study, the Internet can alter specific regions of the brain and affect our ability to pay attention, our memory processes, and our social interactions.
The research, published in the journal World Psychiatry, has shown that the Internet can produce acute and lasting alterations in specific areas of cognition.
Researchers, including those at Oxford University in the United Kingdom and Harvard University in the United States, have explored key badumptions about how the Internet could alter cognitive processes.
He also examined the extent to which these hypotheses were corroborated by recent research findings in psychology, psychiatry and neuroimaging.
The report combined evidence to produce revised models of how the Internet could affect the structure, function and cognitive development of the brain.
"The key findings of this report are that high levels of Internet use could actually impact many brain functions," said Joseph Firth, senior researcher at Western Sydney University in Australia.
"For example, the unlimited flow of prompts and notifications from the Internet encourages us to constantly hold divided attention – which can then reduce our ability to stay focused on a single task," Firth said. director of the study.
"In addition, the online world now presents us with a unique resource, vast and permanently accessible, which contains information and facts, which are never more than simple gestures," he said.
"Since we literally have most of the world's factual information at our fingertips, it seems to be potentially changing the way we store and even value the facts and knowledge in society and the brain," he said. he added. .
The recent introduction and widespread adoption of these technologies online, as well as social media, also worries some teachers and parents.
The World Health Organization's 2018 guidelines recommended that young children (aged 2-5) be exposed to one hour per day or less of screen time.
However, the report also revealed that the vast majority of research on the effects of the Internet on the brain has been conducted in adults – so it is necessary to continue research to determine the pros and cons of the # 39, Internet use among young people.
According to Firth, although more research is needed, avoiding potential negative effects could be as simple as ensuring that children do not miss other crucial developmental activities, such as social interactions and social interactions. exercise, spending too much time on digital devices.
"To help with this, there are now a multitude of applications and software available to restrict the use of the Internet and access to smartphones and computers – what parents and parents people in charge can use to define "family-friendly" rules on personal devices, as well as the types of content used, "he said.
"At the same time, it's also important to talk to kids about how their online lives affect them, in order to identify children who may be subject to cyberbullying, addiction or even exploitation. , and thus allow a swift intervention to avoid adverse outcomes, "said Firth. .
"The findings of this paper highlight how much more we need to learn about the impact of our digital world on mental health and brain health – there are certainly new potential benefits for some aspects of health, but we need balancing them with potential risks, "said John Torous, a member of the clinic at Harvard Medical School.
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