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According to one study, intensive use of the Internet could alter the brain in a way that could affect our attention, our memory and our social interactions.
The research, published in the journal World Psychiatry, revealed that the Internet could produce acute and lasting alterations in specific areas of cognition, possibly reflecting changes in the brain.
The researchers investigated the main hypotheses on how the Internet might modify cognitive processes and then examined how these hypotheses were corroborated by recent research findings in psychology, psychiatry and neuroimaging. "The key findings of this report are that high levels of Internet use could indeed affect many brain functions," said Joseph Firth, of the University of Western Sydney, Australia.
"For example, the unlimited flow of prompts and notifications from the Internet encourages us to constantly hold divided attention, which can in turn reduce our ability to stay focused on a single task," he said. Firth. "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 hand, it seems to have the potential to start changing the way we store, and even the value, the facts and the knowledge in society and the world. in the brain, "said Firth. . The widespread adoption of these online technologies, as well as social media, is also a source of concern for some teachers and parents, researchers said.
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 had been conducted in adults. Additional research is needed to determine the pros and cons of using the Internet in young people, according to researchers at the University of Western Sydney, Harvard University in the United States , and Kings College, Oxford University and the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
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 problems. exercise, spending too much time on digital devices. "To help with this, there is now a multitude of applications and software available to limit the use of the Internet and access to smartphones and computers, as parents and people support can use to set "family-friendly" rules around the time spent devices, as well as the types of content used, "he said.
"Often talking with children about how their lives affect them online" is also important in identifying with hope children at risk of cyberbullying, addiction, and even exploitation, to allow a quick response to the problem. Avoid adverse outcomes, "said Firth.
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