Is the Internet making us go crazy?

Studies suggest that Internet use can result in structural changes in our brains. Should we be concerned?

A recent article by Sync’s Andrew Kameka discussed whether excessive Internet use may be indicative of mental health issues. Now, a story by Tony Dokoupil over at The Daily Beast takes things a step further and asserts that use of the Internet may actually be the cause of the issues, not simply an effect.

Tony’s article – titled Is the Web Driving Us Mad? – refers to a number of studies, all of which reach a similar conclusion: namely, that the Internet is making us as nutty as squirrel poop. Okay, they don’t actually say that – but what they do say is that use of the Internet can result in structural changes to our brains. You can read about those studies in more detail at The Daily Beast, but here’s an extract:

The brains of Internet addicts, it turns out, look like the brains of drug and alcohol addicts. In a study published in January, Chinese researchers found “abnormal white matter”—essentially extra nerve cells built for speed—in the areas charged with attention, control, and executive function. A parallel study found similar changes in the brains of videogame addicts. And both studies come on the heels of other Chinese results that link Internet addiction to “structural abnormalities in gray matter,” namely shrinkage of 10 to 20 percent in the area of the brain responsible for processing of speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory, and other information. And worse, the shrinkage never stopped: the more time online, the more the brain showed signs of “atrophy.”

While brain scans don’t reveal which came first, the abuse or the brain changes, many clinicians feel their own observations confirmed. “There’s little doubt we’re becoming more impulsive,” says Stanford’s Aboujaoude, and one reason for this is technology use. He points to the rise in OCD and ADHD diagnosis, the latter of which has risen 66 percent in the last decade. “There is a cause and effect.”

Tony finished by saying:

And all of us, since the relationship with the Internet began, have tended to accept it as is, without much conscious thought about how we want it to be or what we want to avoid. Those days of complacency should end. The Internet is still ours to shape. Our minds are in the balance.

Okay, but just how bad are things really? Is your brain likely to turn into an atrophied mush unless you immediately and substantially reduce your Internet use? Probably not. It seems that every time a new technology or trend comes along, people claim it’s damaging or morally corrupting and/or studies are released which claim that it’s bad for your health.

Back in the seventies and eighties, people claimed that the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons promoted or caused murders, suicides, witchcraft, pornography, gang-related activity and Satanism. Heavy metal music, Harry Potter books and Scooby-Doo all had similar risks. Basement-dwelling video gamers would eventually become psychopathic murders, as would people who watched too many violent movies. Facebook was making us lonely. Google was making us stupid. The radiation from TVs, cell phones, smart meters and wireless networks were cooking our insides like microwave dinners. Smartphones were making our faces jowly and saggy.

Now, I have no doubt that the researchers are absolutely correct in claiming that the use of technology can lead to structural and functional changes in our brains, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve changed over the millennia and our brains are likely no longer wired in the same way they were when we lived in caves and spent our days hunting and gathering. The skills we need to survive today are very different to those we needed in the past and, like other critters, we adapt to our environment.

Yes, some people use the Internet too much, but so what? Some people use their TVs too much or eat too much, but it doesn’t mean that those things are inherently bad. As with all things in life, it’s a matter of finding a happy and healthy balance.

What do you think about these studies? Leave a comment and share your thoughts