Internet may be changing our brains
Oct 19th 2011, 9:26 am
#1
Bored liberal
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Over there ----->
Posts: 13,713
Internet may be changing our brains
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15353397
Social network sites may be changing people's brains as well as their social life, research suggests.
Brain scans show a direct link between the number of Facebook friends a person has and the size of certain parts of their brain.
It's not clear whether using social networks boosts grey matter or if those with certain brain structures are good at making friends, say researchers.
The regions involved have roles in social interaction, memory and autism.
The work, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences, looked at 3-D brain scans of 125 university students from London.
Researchers counted the number of Facebook friends each volunteer had, as well as assessing the size of their network of real friends.
A strong link was found between the number of Facebook friends a person had and the amount of grey matter in certain parts of their brain.
“We cannot escape the ubiquity of the internet and its impact on our lives, yet we understand little of its impact on the brain, which we know is plastic and can change over time” Dr John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust
The study also showed that the number of Facebook friends a person was in touch with was reflected in the number of "real-world" friends.
So spending time on social networking sites doesn't mean you are a friendless loser in real life...
Social network sites may be changing people's brains as well as their social life, research suggests.
Brain scans show a direct link between the number of Facebook friends a person has and the size of certain parts of their brain.
It's not clear whether using social networks boosts grey matter or if those with certain brain structures are good at making friends, say researchers.
The regions involved have roles in social interaction, memory and autism.
The work, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences, looked at 3-D brain scans of 125 university students from London.
Researchers counted the number of Facebook friends each volunteer had, as well as assessing the size of their network of real friends.
A strong link was found between the number of Facebook friends a person had and the amount of grey matter in certain parts of their brain.
“We cannot escape the ubiquity of the internet and its impact on our lives, yet we understand little of its impact on the brain, which we know is plastic and can change over time” Dr John Williams, Head of Neuroscience and Mental Health at the Wellcome Trust
The study also showed that the number of Facebook friends a person was in touch with was reflected in the number of "real-world" friends.
So spending time on social networking sites doesn't mean you are a friendless loser in real life...
Oct 19th 2011, 10:22 am
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 5,965
Re: Internet may be changing our brains
'Plastic' brain
The right superior temporal sulcus has a role in perception and may be impaired in autism. The left middle temporal gyrus is associated with "reading" social cues, while the third - the right entorhinal complex - is thought to be important in memory and navigation.
The right superior temporal sulcus has a role in perception and may be impaired in autism. The left middle temporal gyrus is associated with "reading" social cues, while the third - the right entorhinal complex - is thought to be important in memory and navigation.
But does having a big brain with more grey matter make you any more intelligent. I have lots of facebook friends- does that mean I am a genius?
Oct 19th 2011, 10:52 am
#3
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: Internet may be changing our brains
Not if you're considering a Jeep Wrangler.
Oct 19th 2011, 10:53 am
#4
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Dubai
Posts: 5,965
Re: Internet may be changing our brains
up yours bahtatboy!
