Does the internet rewire your brain?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120424-does-the-internet-rewire-brains

There are many notions that the technology age we currently live in has affected our brains; that it’s eroding our attention centres and affecting our face-to-face communication. And apparently using email releases the same addictive neurochemicals as crack cocaine. So while some say that our brains have suffered due to our dependence on technology, it seems that everything we do affects our brains. Every thought or experience causes the constant wiring and rewiring of our neural networks. Watching TV or drinking water or not choosing to go to work all leave traces on our brains. Practice also changes our brains, for example taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus, which houses the ability for navigation. So the question becomes: if we use the internet regularly, what are we practicing? The internet is used mostly for information search or digital communication; therefore this would mean that we should get better at doing those things. Personally, I don’t think that the internet has much of a negative effect on your brain or life for that matter. As long as you don’t spend all day on the computer and have absolutely no real communication with the outside world and don’t rely on the internet/technology to do everything for you then you should be fine. The internet and the technology we possess are great resources; they can be very helpful if you know how to use them properly. I think that they make life a bit easier in some cases.

Everything that we do, think, and feel affects our brains. Sometimes, the effects of our actions may negatively impact our neurological centre, and other times a positive impact can be made. Any changes that are applied to the brain due to internet usage seem to be positive or benign ones according to the article, but even if negative effects were occurring, would we really stop using it? The internet, in my opinion, has advanced so many businesses, institutions, like schools and hospitals, and individuals that it would be devastating to end its use just because it may slightly alter the way our brains operate. I think that placing restrictions on the amount of time spent doing certain activities on the internet is important so that we do not lose our abilities to operate away from an online setting. However, every individual I know is already doing this, and therefore I deem the internet a welcome mind altering tool.

As the article mentioned, this is only the latest fear society has created. After most great advances, and in todays times, every new technology a fear is brought about. For example the article said that people worried when books first became popularily avaliable, and in Ancient Greece, Socrates worried about the effect of writing, thinking it would erode the ability to remember. And today the debate about phones, and even microwaves, having effects on our health is present.
With little evidence to suggests what harm the internet and computers have on our health, I dont believe is its harmful. Instead it is the choices you make that can be harmful. I have no doubt that the internet plays a role in some individuals lack of social skills with the amount of social networking sites available. However, it is their choice to site behind a computer screen and have relationships/friendships with others instead of going out an meeting face to face. While they make this choice, others use the internet as an aid, a way to stay connect to people when they cant meet up with them or to plan events/meetings with their friends. The health issues some individuals are worried about, come from peoples choices of how to use the internet, not the internet itself. The internet is just a resource we have to use and how you use it is up to you.

I agree that ultimately how the internet and technology affects you is completely based on you. Your choices play a large role in how your life plays out. Everyone has a choice and if you choose to spend all day on the computer, what happens to you as a result is entirely on you. As was mentioned the internet is very important in our society, because it can do so much for us. And as you pointed out Cassidy even if it did have a larger negative effect on us, we probably wouldn’t stop using it. Sometimes humans seem to favour things that can be harmful to us. And yeah we also seem to shy away from change and anything that’s different. So with most advancements some kind of fear or protest is expressed but eventually people start to accept it.