attention, learning abilities
Internet-savvy versus internet-naive adults .
Functional neuroimaging allows scientists to observe regional neural activity during various mental tasks. Our group was the first to explore neural activity using functional MRI while research volunteers performed simulated internet searching. 3 Previous studies suggested that mentally challenging tasks, such as searching online, may benefit brain health and even delay cognitive decline. 35 , 36 We focused on internet searching because it is so common among people of all ages. 37
We assessed patterns of brain neural activation in 24 cognitively normal middle-aged and older adults (ages 55 to 76 years): 12 of them had minimal internet search experience (net-naive group), and 12 had extensive experience (net-savvy group). In addition to the internet-search task, we used a control task of reading text on a computer screen formatted to simulate a printed book layout.
We found that text reading activated brain regions controlling language, reading, memory, and visual abilities (left inferior frontal, temporal, posterior cingulate, parietal, and occipital regions), and the magnitude and extent of activation were similar in the net-naive and net-savvy groups. During internet searching, net-naive subjects displayed activation patterns similar to those observed while reading text. However, net-savvy subjects demonstrated significant activity in neural signal intensity in additional regions controlling decision-making, complex reasoning, and vision (frontal pole, anterior temporal region, anterior and posterior cingulate, and hippocampus). During the internet-search task, the net-savvy group displayed a more than twofold increase in the extent of activation in the major regional clusters compared with the net-naive group (21 782 versus 8646 total activated voxels).
These findings suggest that searching online may be a form of brain neural exercise. Other research indicates that after several months, daily computer-game playing leads to reduced cortical neural activity. 38 Our other research indicates that memory training, along with healthy lifestyle behaviors (eg, physical exercise, healthy diet), leads to reduced dorsal prefrontal cortical metabolism after 2 weeks. 36 Such findings suggest that task repetition over time leads to lower neural activity during the task, which could reflect greater cognitive efficiency after mental training.
One model that could explain such findings is that novel and stimulating mental experiences, such as searching on the internet, initially lead to minimal activation before the internet user discovers strategies for solving the unfamiliar mental challenge. After such insights, a broader neural network is engaged. After repeated sessions, the initially novel mental task becomes routine and repetitive, no longer posing a mental challenge. The lower activity observed may thus reflect a more efficient neural response. These results also suggest that previous internet-search experience may alter the brain’s responsiveness in neural circuits controlling decision-making and complex reasoning. The net-savvy volunteers showed increased activation during the internet-search task, which suggests that internet searching may remain a novel and mentally stimulating process even after continued practice.
We also used functional MRI to record brain neural activity during simulated internet-search tasks in 12 net-naive and 12 net-savvy subjects before and after internet training. 39 Based on our previous findings, we hypothesized that net-naive volunteers would recruit a larger frontal lobe network after internet training and that net-savvy volunteers would show either no increase or a decrease in activation after training because of greater cognitive efficiency due to training.
The training consisted of brief instructions on how to search online along with practice sessions (1 hour per day for a week). To increase motivation, participants were told that they would be quizzed on their knowledge of assigned search topics after the experiment.
During their first session, net-naive subjects recruited a neural network that included the superior, middle, and inferior frontal gyri, as well as the lateral occipital cortex and occipital pole. During the second session (after internet training), additional regions in the middle and inferior frontal gyri were recruited only in the net-naive group. By contrast, during their first scan session, the net-savvy subjects recruited a cortical network that, though overlapping with that of the net-naive subjects, showed more extensive regions of activation ( Figures 1 and 2 ). This cortical network included regions that control mental activities supporting tasks required for internet searches, including decision-making, working memory, and the ability to suppress nonrelevant information. Moreover, net-savvy participants showed a pattern of activation that was reduced after the training. This reduction is consistent with our hypothesis that the brain becomes more efficient and possibly habituates to the internet task over time. Overall, these findings suggest that internet searching for relatively short periods of time can change brain-activity patterns in middle-aged and older adults.
Other groups have explored the effects of internet-search training on brain structure and function. Dong and associates 40 studied the influence of short-term internet-search training on white-matter microstructure via diffusion tensor imaging. After 6 training days, they found that the 59 participants (mean age 21 years) showed increased fractional anisotropy (diffusion tensor imaging scans) in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus and within that region, decreased radial diffusivity. These findings suggest that short-term internet-search training may increase white-matter integrity in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus, which could result from increased myelination.
Shapira and colleagues 41 assessed the psychological effects of learning computer and internet-search methods. They offered a course to 22 older adults (mean age 80 years), who were compared with 26 participants engaged in other activities. The investigators reported significant improvements in the intervention group in measures of life satisfaction, depression, loneliness, and self-control after 4 months, whereas the control group showed declines in each of these measures. These findings suggest that computer and internet training contribute to older adults’ well-being and sense of empowerment.
White and associates 42 performed a randomized controlled trial assessing the psychosocial impact of internet access to older adults during a 5-month period. The intervention group (n=29) received 9 hours of training (6 sessions over 2 weeks) and experienced less loneliness, less depression, and more positive attitudes toward computers than controls (n=19) who were not regular internet users.
Memory ability .
Findings showing that mental stimulation and cognitive training improve memory in older adults 43 , 44 have led to the development of several memory apps and computer games. Miller and associates 45 explored whether computerized brain-training exercises (Dakim Brain Fitness) improved cognitive performance in older adults without dementia (mean age of 82 years). Subjects were randomized into an intervention group (n=36) that used a computer program 5 days a week for 20 to 25 minutes each day, or a wait-list control group (n=33). Neuropsychological testing at baseline, 2 months, and 6 months showed that the intervention group improved significantly in delayed memory, and the control group did not. Moreover, participants who played the computer program for at least 40 sessions over 6 months improved in immediate memory, delayed memory, and language. These findings point to the potential benefit of cognitive training using a computerized, self-paced program.
In a meta-analysis of computerized cognitive training, investigators found an overall moderate effect on cognition in mild cognitive impairment across 17 trials. 46 Small to moderate effects were reported for global cognition, attention, working memory, and learning abilities.
Multitasking has been defined as performing two simultaneous tasks, which is only possible when the tasks are automatic, but it can also refer to rapid switching between tasks. Research has shown that such task switching increases error rates. 47 Multitasking is common thanks to widespread technology use, and multiple studies point to its negative impact on cognitive performance. 48 However, certain computer games may enhance multitasking, one of the cognitive domains that declines in a linear fashion across the lifespan. 48
Anguera and colleagues 49 trained volunteers (ages 60 to 85 years) over 4 weeks using a videogame called NeuroRacer, in which players control a car on a winding road while responding to signs that randomly appear. Out of 46 participants, 16 were trained in multitasking (both driving and sign reading), 15 in single-tasking mode (active controls; either sign reading or driving), and 15 received no training (no-contact controls). Only the multitasking training group showed significant improvements in performance scores, which not only exceeded that of untrained individuals in their twenties but was maintained for 6 months without additional training. Moreover, the multitasking training improved other cognitive skills, including working memory and divided and sustained attention.
Fluid intelligence refers to the capacity to reason and think flexibly and requires working memory, the ability to retain information over a brief period of time. Investigators have found that training in working memory may improve fluid intelligence. 50 , 51 Jaeggi and associates 52 used a training program (n-back task) to investigate the effects of working-memory training on fluid intelligence. Healthy subjects (n=70) were randomized into working-memory training groups that were further randomized according to number of training sessions (8, 12, 17, or 19 days), or a control group that received no training. All subjects received pre- and post-testing on a measure of fluid intelligence at the same time intervals. The four groups not only showed significant improvements in working memory, but also on tests of fluid intelligence. Moreover, results demonstrated that the longer the training period, the greater the improvement in fluid intelligence. These results indicated successful transfer of improved working memory to improved fluid intelligence measures with a dose-dependent training effect.
Videogames have been popular for decades, and many gamers who began playing in the 1980s have continued to play through adulthood. Despite potential negative health effects of excessive playing (eg, attention deficits, social withdrawal, increased risk of obesity), recent research suggests potential benefits, such as improved visual attention processing, spatial visualization, reaction time, and mental rotation. Green and Bavelier 53 have shown that playing action videogames more than 4 days per week (at least 1 hour each day) for 6 months enhances visual attention (ie, the ability to recognize and process visual information), spatial attention over the visual field, and task-switching abilities.
Rosser and colleagues 54 examined a potential link between action videogaming and laparoscopic surgical skills and suturing. Surgeons who played videogames more than 3 hours each week made 37% fewer surgical errors, were 27% faster in response times, and scored 42% better in measures of laparoscopic and suturing skills than surgeons who do not play videogames. Moreover, the most experienced players in specific videogames (Super Monkey Ball 2, Star Wars Racer Revenge, and Silent Scope) made 47% fewer errors and performed 39% faster. These findings suggest that playing action videogames can improve cognitive and motor skills that improve surgical skills and lower error rates in the operating room.
Technological advances have brought about novel approaches for delivering mental health support and interventions in the form of apps for smartphones or tablets, as well as through telepsychiatry. Internet-based mental health interventions offer the advantages of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and anonymity. Between 2009 and 2015, the National Institute of Mental Health awarded more than 400 grants totaling $445 million for technology-enhanced mental-health interventions to further investigate roles for technology in preventing and treating mental disorders. 55
Investigators have studied the efficacy of various online mental health interventions. For example, Peter and colleagues 56 found that an online, 4-week intervention using cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia reduced depression and insomnia ratings at levels comparable to traditional face-to-face interventions. Segal and associates 57 evaluated the effectiveness of treating residual depressive symptoms with a web-based program that delivers mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. They found that use of this program in addition to usual depression care significantly improved depression and functional outcomes compared with usual depression care alone.
Several digital mental health applications have been developed or are in development, such as self-management apps that provide user feedback (eg, medication reminders, stress management tips, heart rate, and breathing patterns). Other programs provide skills training using educational videos on anxiety management or the importance of social support. Some applications have the capacity to collect data using smartphone sensors that record movement patterns, social interactions (eg, number of texts and phone calls), and other behaviors throughout the day.
Despite some promising early research, systematic studies demonstrating the efficacy of these emerging apps are limited. A recent review 58 indicated that only 3% of downloadable apps had research to justify their effectiveness claims, and most of that research was performed by the program developers. Another recent survey 59 of online-technology use to support mental health and well-being indicated that smartphone apps were the most commonly used technology: 78% of respondents used them either alone or in combination with other technologies. The apps that are being used provide guided activities, relaxation, and tracking; social media and discussion forums; and web-based programs to assist in the management of daily stress and anxiety.
Research on the brain-health consequences of digital technology is beginning to elucidate how these novel devices and programs can both help and harm brain function. Their frequent use heightens ADHD symptoms, interferes with emotional and social intelligence, can lead to addictive behaviors, increases social isolation, and interferes with brain development and sleep. However, specific programs, videogames, and other online tools may provide mental exercises that activate neural circuitry, improve cognitive functioning, reduce anxiety, increase restful sleep, and offer other brain-health benefits. Future research needs to elucidate underlying mechanisms and causal relationships between technology use and brain health, with a focus on both the positive and negative impact of digital technology use.
The University of California, Los Angeles, owns a US patent (6,274,119) entitled “Methods for Labeling β-Amyloid Plaques and Neurofibrillary Tangles,” which has been licensed to Ceremark Pharma, LLC. Dr Small is among the inventors and is a cofounder of Ceremark Pharma, LLC. Dr Small also reports having served as an advisor to and/or having received lecture fees from AARP, Acadia, Avanir, Genentech, Handok, Herbalife, Medscape, RB Health, Roche, Theravalues, and WebMD, and having received research funds from The Wonderful Company. Supported in part by the Parlow-Solomon Professorship on Aging
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Listen to the essay, as read by Antero Garcia, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education.
As a professor of education and a former public school teacher, I’ve seen digital tools change lives in schools.
I’ve documented the ways mobile technology like phones can transform student engagement in my own classroom.
I’ve explored how digital tools might network powerful civic learning and dialogue for classrooms across the country – elements of education that are crucial for sustaining our democracy today.
And, like everyone, I’ve witnessed digital technologies make schooling safer in the midst of a global pandemic. Zoom and Google Classroom, for instance, allowed many students to attend classrooms virtually during a period when it was not feasible to meet in person.
So I want to tell you that I think technologies are changing education for the better and that we need to invest more in them – but I just can’t.
Given the substantial amount of scholarly time I’ve invested in documenting the life-changing possibilities of digital technologies, it gives me no pleasure to suggest that these tools might be slowly poisoning us. Despite their purported and transformational value, I’ve been wondering if our investment in educational technology might in fact be making our schools worse.
Let me explain.
When I was a classroom teacher, I loved relying on the latest tools to create impressive and immersive experiences for my students. We would utilize technology to create class films, produce social media profiles for the Janie Crawfords, the Holden Caulfields, and other literary characters we studied, and find playful ways to digitally share our understanding of the ideas we studied in our classrooms.
As a teacher, technology was a way to build on students’ interests in pop culture and the world around them. This was exciting to me.
But I’ve continued to understand that the aspects of technology I loved weren’t actually about technology at all – they were about creating authentic learning experiences with young people. At the heart of these digital explorations were my relationships with students and the trust we built together.
“Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them.”
I do see promise in the suite of digital tools that are available in classrooms today. But my research focus on platforms – digital spaces like Amazon, Netflix, and Google that reshape how users interact in online environments – suggests that when we focus on the trees of individual tools, we ignore the larger forest of social and cognitive challenges.
Most people encounter platforms every day in their online social lives. From the few online retail stores where we buy groceries to the small handful of sites that stream our favorite shows and media content, platforms have narrowed how we use the internet today to a small collection of Silicon Valley behemoths. Our social media activities, too, are limited to one or two sites where we check on the updates, photos, and looped videos of friends and loved ones.
These platforms restrict our online and offline lives to a relatively small number of companies and spaces – we communicate with a finite set of tools and consume a set of media that is often algorithmically suggested. This centralization of internet – a trend decades in the making – makes me very uneasy.
From willfully hiding the negative effects of social media use for vulnerable populations to creating tools that reinforce racial bias, today’s platforms are causing harm and sowing disinformation for young people and adults alike. The deluge of difficult ethical and pedagogical questions around these tools are not being broached in any meaningful way in schools – even adults aren’t sure how to manage their online lives.
You might ask, “What does this have to do with education?” Platforms are also a large part of how modern schools operate. From classroom management software to attendance tracking to the online tools that allowed students to meet safely during the pandemic, platforms guide nearly every student interaction in schools today. But districts are utilizing these tools without considering the wider spectrum of changes that they have incurred alongside them.
Antero Garcia, associate professor of education (Image credit: Courtesy Antero Garcia)
For example, it might seem helpful for a school to use a management tool like Classroom Dojo (a digital platform that can offer parents ways to interact with and receive updates from their family’s teacher) or software that tracks student reading and development like Accelerated Reader for day-to-day needs. However, these tools limit what assessment looks like and penalize students based on flawed interpretations of learning.
Another problem with platforms is that they, by necessity, amass large swaths of data. Myriad forms of educational technology exist – from virtual reality headsets to e-readers to the small sensors on student ID cards that can track when students enter schools. And all of this student data is being funneled out of schools and into the virtual black boxes of company databases.
Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them. Young people are not viewed as complete human beings but as boxes checked for attendance, for meeting academic progress metrics, or for confirming their location within a school building. Nearly every action that students perform in schools – whether it’s logging onto devices, accessing buildings, or sharing content through their private online lives – is noticed and recorded. Children in schools have become disembodied from their minds and their hearts. Thus, one of the greatest and implicit lessons that kids learn in schools today is that they must sacrifice their privacy in order to participate in conventional, civic society.
The pandemic has only made the situation worse. At its beginnings, some schools relied on software to track students’ eye movements, ostensibly ensuring that kids were paying attention to the tasks at hand. Similarly, many schools required students to keep their cameras on during class time for similar purposes. These might be seen as in the best interests of students and their academic growth, but such practices are part of a larger (and usually more invisible) process of normalizing surveillance in the lives of youth today.
I am not suggesting that we completely reject all of the tools at our disposal – but I am urging for more caution. Even the seemingly benign resources we might use in our classrooms today come with tradeoffs. Every Wi-Fi-connected, “smart” device utilized in schools is an investment in time, money, and expertise in technology over teachers and the teaching profession.
Our focus on fixing or saving schools via digital tools assumes that the benefits and convenience that these invisible platforms offer are worth it.
But my ongoing exploration of how platforms reduce students to quantifiable data suggests that we are removing the innovation and imagination of students and teachers in the process.
Antero Garcia is associate professor of education in the Graduate School of Education .
In Their Own Words is a collaboration between the Stanford Public Humanities Initiative and Stanford University Communications.
If you’re a Stanford faculty member (in any discipline or school) who is interested in writing an essay for this series, please reach out to Natalie Jabbar at [email protected] .
The development of technology has drastically changed the world. As people are unable to calculate the rates of progress, it is impossible to determine what changes will be brought about with an even greater increase in technological advancements. Modern technology would seem futuristic to someone thirty or even twenty years ago. Primarily, the whole question of the change in technology is very questionable.
Previously, humans were not able to achieve this sort of breakthrough and then, within a very short amount of time, technology came to be. Many people question whether it was a natural evolution or humanity had some help from some other form of alien life. But no matter how it came to be, technology is presently taking over the lives of people and natural existence. There is no way to get rid of evolution and so, people must learn how to control it and predict what will come next.
The biggest question is that sometimes the problems overtake the benefits of technology. This closely relates to the social media and all the out coming issues. Primarily, there is the safety concern, as the information used in the social networks can be used by the advertisement websites. Even though there are safeguards that try to prevent personal information from being shared with other institutions and sites, there are still some was that information gets out.
“Facebook” has been one of the sited networks that is widely used by people, but has compromised some private information. Even though the damage has been done, the site has adjusted its policies to better suite users ( Network Security 2010). Another issue is that people who share information online cannot really control who can access their web page and browse their personal information.
Anyone can leave a comment and become involved in a group of friends. This leads to many concerns, but people are still not aware of the security issues. The unfortunate part is that people do not pay attention to the growing concern and continue using the social networks. It has become so popular that individuals feel to be required to upgrade their social status and produce information that can be acknowledged by others.
Another disadvantage is faced by educational institutions in the possibility of students using the online society without any control. The unauthorized use of online resources, plagiarism and communication with others will greatly increase the student’s chances to use it to their advantage, without relying on their own intelligence. Also a student may discuss the topics given with other students, as well as other people.
This would make the work less individual and the views expressed and information used will be representative of a collective of people instead of that particular student. As the opinion of the individual is the required aspect of work, social networks influence people in an undesired way.
Very often, people will succumb to the pressure and join the majority, as no one wants to be outside the circle and be seen as an outsider. Peer pressure is a very strong force, and it can be seen as the predominant power in the social media and internet networks.
In the twenty-first century, the use of technology has become an everyday occurrence. People are dependent on it in almost all aspects of life. In many instances it has put a major dent in the relationships between people and societies. Technology has distanced people from one another. The communication over large distances makes people closer and unites relatives who could not talk previously. The cheaper phone rates and use of video calling has made communication much more accessible (Green, 2002).
Another problem is the development of virtual reality technology which has reached heights that were not even imagined 20 years ago. There are ways to experience physical sensations, smells and other “real world” stimuli through the gaming experiences. The expressions of different forms of stimuli make cyber world more realistic than ever. This engulfs the person in a fake existence, making the real world unneeded and unwanted by the person.
The conscious mind forgets that a person is in the computer world. The simulation of feelings and thoughts becomes so real that a person believes into the reality of the computer program and spends numerous hours in the cyber world. There is a lot of evidence in the present times that supports this. The games and computer programs are so interactive and realistic that a person can spend a lot of time immersed into the game. There are numerous stories about people who live in a world of computers and virtual spaces.
An article titled “The Right to Privacy is Not a Right to Facebook”, talks about weather the information used on the network should be available to others. Even though there are several layers of security and people are warned about the harms of personal information leaking, organizations are the ones that are using the private information to own advantage. Another problem is that people get so focused on the distant communication through phones and computers that the need for face-to-face communication has become useless.
The development of social networks and the use of internet have made communication between people a form of social status. People focus on the way their facebook page looks, they pay great attention to the amount of pictures they post, number of responses that they receive to certain posts and comments about their status.
The need to go out and do things became not needed. The interaction between people has come down to words on web pages and comments in relation to behavior of others. It is also cheaper and more practical to live in the word of computers, where there is no need to go out, spend money in bars, different attractions and games that involve physical participation of the person and others.
Also, it is very time consuming, so people simply have no time to go out and enjoy nature and the company of others. The constant checking for the replies and posts of others, especially if there is an extreme amount of friends, takes up a lot of time (Restivo, 2005). Very often people add individuals to the category of “friends” through other people. They do not really know the person or are familiar with their individual personality. The only way they “know” them, is by pictures on their page and comments on their “wall”.
The third article talks about the control that is exhibited by the user. The social networks have put a major dent into the society. Self-efficacy and cognitive theory are made use of by understanding the concept of on-line security.
The private information and the communication itself has become a public occurrence where people put their lives out on the public viewing without any concern for security or privacy. Another major issue with technology—texting and emails in particular, is the lack of emotion in the communication. The only way to express emotion is to put pre-set “smiles” beside words or phrases or to use the capital letters or exclamation marks.
When people interact face-to-face, they see each other’s facial expressions, the look in the eyes and see their expression. They can hear the tone of voice and maybe hidden emotions that a person does not want the other to know but nonetheless has them. All of this is impossible to see and feel over the internet or texting. This makes people similar to robots, where the real emotions are not important anymore.
Even if a person is sad, they will put a “smile” beside the word and the other person will not even realize that maybe they must offer a helping hand or console their friend. People become emotionally isolated and strangers (Shilling, 2004). Social media in general, teaches individuals to behave a certain way and to follow the majority. People feel the need to become something they would not think of without the examples given through internet or other mediums.
Even though technology has helped people in a lot of ways, a person must realize its drawbacks and balance the use of technology with the physical interaction with others. The balance must be kept for technology to be helpful instead of detrimental. It is important to keep in mind that technology is not always error proof, thus reliability is a relative concept.
There are many examples that show how technology has proven to be a negative influence on society, but people still continue its use. Security of the personal information is one of the most important things that a person has, and identity theft or abuse of private information has become widespread. People must become aware of the growing problem and use as much care as possible to protect their well being and individuality.
Green, L. 2002. Communication, Technology and Society , SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Network Security . 2010. Web.
Restivo, S. 2005. Science, Technology, and Society: An Encyclopedia , Oxford University Press, New York, NY.
Shilling, C. 2004. The Body in Culture, Technology and Society , SAGE, Thousand Oaks, CA.
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The advent and evolution of technology have brought about profound changes in society, impacting almost every aspect of modern life. While technology has yielded numerous benefits, it has also introduced several challenges and concerns. This essay explores both the positive and negative effects of technology on various facets of human life.
On the positive side, technology has revolutionized communication, making it easier, faster, and more efficient. With the advent of the internet, social media, and mobile communication, people can connect with others across the globe instantly.
This has facilitated not just personal communication but also broadened the scope for global business and educational opportunities. Additionally, technology has significantly advanced healthcare, leading to improved diagnostics, treatments, and increased life expectancy. The accessibility of information and digital resources has also enhanced education and learning processes, making knowledge more accessible to a wider audience.
Another positive impact of technology is seen in the realm of productivity and efficiency. Automation and digital tools have streamlined various processes in industries, reducing manual labor and enhancing precision. This has led to increased productivity and innovation, contributing to economic growth and development. Moreover, technology has played a critical role in advancing research and development across various fields, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and innovations.
However, the negative effects of technology are equally significant. One of the primary concerns is the impact on mental health and well-being. The overuse of digital devices and social media has been linked to issues like anxiety, depression, and social isolation, especially among younger populations. Additionally, the digital divide and access to technology remain significant challenges, leading to disparities in information access and technological benefits.
Another downside of technology is the threat to privacy and security. With the increasing amount of personal data being shared online, individuals are more susceptible to privacy breaches, identity theft, and cybercrimes. Furthermore, the reliance on technology has led to concerns over job displacement due to automation, raising questions about the future of work and employment stability.
Environmental concerns are also associated with technology. The production and disposal of electronic devices contribute to environmental degradation and e-waste, posing challenges for sustainable development. Additionally, the energy consumption required to power digital infrastructures has implications for global energy resources and climate change.
In conclusion, technology has a dual impact on society, offering numerous benefits in terms of communication, healthcare, education, and productivity, while also presenting challenges related to mental health, privacy, job security, and environmental sustainability. Balancing these positive and negative aspects is crucial for harnessing the potential of technology in a way that benefits society as a whole.
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• There is an ongoing debate about whether social media and the use of digital devices are detrimental to mental health.
• Adolescents tend to be heavy users of these devices, and especially of social media.
• Rates of teenage depression began to rise around 2012, when adolescent use of social media became common (Fig. 1).
• Some evidence indicates that frequent users of social media have higher rates of depression and anxiety than do light users.
• But perhaps digital devices could provide a way of gathering data about mental health in a systematic way, and make interventions more timely.
Figure 1 | Depression on the rise. Rates of depression among teenagers in the United States have increased steadily since 2012. Rates are higher and are increasing more rapidly for girls than for boys. Some researchers think that social media is the cause of this increase, whereas others see social media as a way of tackling it. (Data taken from the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Table 11.2b; go.nature.com/3ayjaww )
A sudden increase in the rates of depression, anxiety and self-harm was seen in adolescents — particularly girls — in the United States and the United Kingdom around 2012 or 2013 (see go.nature.com/2up38hw ). Only one suspect was in the right place at the right time to account for this sudden change: social media. Its use by teenagers increased most quickly between 2009 and 2011, by which point two-thirds of 15–17-year-olds were using it on a daily basis 1 . Some researchers defend social media, arguing that there is only circumstantial evidence for its role in mental-health problems 2 , 3 . And, indeed, several studies 2 , 3 show that there is only a small correlation between time spent on screens and bad mental-health outcomes. However, I present three arguments against this defence.
First, the papers that report small or null effects usually focus on ‘screen time’, but it is not films or video chats with friends that damage mental health. When research papers allow us to zoom in on social media, rather than looking at screen time as a whole, the correlations with depression are larger, and they are larger still when we look specifically at girls ( go.nature.com/2u74der ). The sex difference is robust, and there are several likely causes for it. Girls use social media much more than do boys (who, in turn, spend more of their time gaming). And, for girls more than boys, social life and status tend to revolve around intimacy and inclusion versus exclusion 4 , making them more vulnerable to both the ‘fear of missing out’ and the relational aggression that social media facilitates.
Second, although correlational studies can provide only circumstantial evidence, most of the experiments published in recent years have found evidence of causation ( go.nature.com/2u74der ). In these studies, people are randomly assigned to groups that are asked to continue using social media or to reduce their use substantially. After a few weeks, people who reduce their use generally report an improvement in mood or a reduction in loneliness or symptoms of depression.
The best way forward
Third, many researchers seem to be thinking about social media as if it were sugar: safe in small to moderate quantities, and harmful only if teenagers consume large quantities. But, unlike sugar, social media does not act just on those who consume it. It has radically transformed the nature of peer relationships, family relationships and daily activities 5 . When most of the 11-year-olds in a class are on Instagram (as was the case in my son’s school), there can be pervasive effects on everyone. Children who opt out can find themselves isolated. A simple dose–response model cannot capture the full effects of social media, yet nearly all of the debate among researchers so far has been over the size of the dose–response effect. To cite just one suggestive finding of what lies beyond that model: network effects for depression and anxiety are large, and bad mental health spreads more contagiously between women than between men 6 .
In conclusion, digital media in general undoubtedly has many beneficial uses, including the treatment of mental illness. But if you focus on social media, you’ll find stronger evidence of harm, and less exculpatory evidence, especially for its millions of under-age users.
What should we do while researchers hash out the meaning of these conflicting findings? I would urge a focus on middle schools (roughly 11–13-year-olds in the United States), both for researchers and policymakers. Any US state could quickly conduct an informative experiment beginning this September: randomly assign a portion of school districts to ban smartphone access for students in middle school, while strongly encouraging parents to prevent their children from opening social-media accounts until they begin high school (at around 14). Within 2 years, we would know whether the policy reversed the otherwise steady rise of mental-health problems among middle-school students, and whether it also improved classroom dynamics (as rated by teachers) and test scores. Such system-wide and cross-school interventions would be an excellent way to study the emergent effects of social media on the social lives and mental health of today’s adolescents.
It is appealing to condemn social media out of hand on the basis of the — generally rather poor-quality and inconsistent — evidence suggesting that its use is associated with mental-health problems 7 . But focusing only on its potential harmful effects is comparable to proposing that the only question to ask about cars is whether people can die driving them. The harmful effects might be real, but they don’t tell the full story. The task of research should be to understand what patterns of digital-device and social-media use can lead to beneficial versus harmful effects 7 , and to inform evidence-based approaches to policy, education and regulation.
Long-standing problems have hampered our efforts to improve access to, and the quality of, mental-health services and support. Digital technology has the potential to address some of these challenges. For instance, consider the challenges associated with collecting data on human behaviour. Assessment in mental-health care and research relies almost exclusively on self-reporting, but the resulting data are subjective and burdensome to collect. As a result, assessments are conducted so infrequently that they do not provide insights into the temporal dynamics of symptoms, which can be crucial for both diagnosis and treatment planning.
By contrast, mobile phones and other Internet-connected devices provide an opportunity to continuously collect objective information on behaviour in the context of people’s real lives, generating a rich data set that can provide insight into the extent and timing of mental-health needs in individuals 8 , 9 . By building apps that can track our digital exhaust (the data generated by our everyday digital lives, including our social-media use), we can gain insights into aspects of behaviour that are well-established building blocks of mental health and illness, such as mood, social communication, sleep and physical activity.
Stress and the city
These data can, in turn, be used to empower individuals, by giving them actionable insights into patterns of behaviour that might otherwise have remained unseen. For example, subtle shifts in patterns of sleep or social communication can provide early warning signs of deteriorating mental health. Data on these patterns can be used to alert people to the need for self-management before the patterns — and the associated symptoms — become more severe. Individuals can also choose to share these data with health professionals or researchers. For instance, in the Our Data Helps initiative, individuals who have experienced a suicidal crisis, or the relatives of those who have died by suicide, can donate their digital data to research into suicide risk.
Because mobile devices are ever-present in people’s lives, they offer an opportunity to provide interventions that are timely, personalized and scalable. Currently, mental-health services are mainly provided through a century-old model in which they are made available at times chosen by the mental-health practitioner, rather than at the person’s time of greatest need. But Internet-connected devices are facilitating the development of a wave of ‘just-in-time’ interventions 10 for mental-health care and support.
A compelling example of these interventions involves short-term risk for suicide 9 , 11 — for which early detection could save many lives. Most of the effective approaches to suicide prevention work by interrupting suicidal actions and supporting alternative methods of coping at the moment of greatest risk. If these moments can be detected in an individual’s digital exhaust, a wide range of intervention options become available, from providing information about coping skills and social support, to the initiation of crisis responses. So far, just-in-time approaches have been applied mainly to behaviours such as eating or substance abuse 8 . But with the development of an appropriate research base, these approaches have the potential to provide a major advance in our ability to respond to, and prevent, mental-health crises.
These advantages are particularly relevant to teenagers. Because of their extensive use of digital devices, adolescents are especially vulnerable to the devices’ risks and burdens. And, given the increases in mental-health problems in this age group, teens would also benefit most from improvements in mental-health prevention and treatment. If we use the social and data-gathering functions of Internet-connected devices in the right ways, we might achieve breakthroughs in our ability to improve mental health and well-being.
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N.A. has an equity interest in Ksana Health, a company he co-founded and which has the sole commercial licence for certain versions of the Effortless Assessment of Risk States (EARS) mobile-phone application and some related EARS tools. This intellectual property was developed as part of his research at the University of Oregon’s Center for Digital Mental Health (CDMH).
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While technology has many positives, it can also lead to negative psychological and physical health effects. Learn about the adverse effects of technology here.
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