I don't doubt the assertions of that article one bit.
The only thing I wonder is if the findings and how our brains are being rewired is a factor of western culture or specifically being "American".
We've been in instant gratification mode since well before computers, the internet or cell phones in this country.
"We" were already predisposed to be hypnotized by the trappings of technology.

/Not that I think it's really a bad thing...I want to be bionic someday

I don't like the idea that my ability to focus on something for a long time might be compromised by my use of computers (my cell phone doesn't get used for anything but phone calls, I have no ipod or anything like that). I think, compared to many, including the family in this article, my use of technology is more tame. But even so, I still feel that pull to check my e-mail, or see who has responded to a post here. I hate to think that those impulses could grow to the point where I'm not entirely "present" for others in my life.

I hear ya, but I think it has a lot to do with personality as well.
Perhaps people with naturally addictive personalities or less mature would be more inclined to allow technology to become a detriment to their lives.

\
/Not that I think it's really a bad thing...I want to be bionic someday

I could easily be identified as an alcoholic and a problem gambler.

I just read an article in today's NY Times about the increased use of technology in our daily lives, and the effects it has on our brains:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/techn ... odayspaper

I found it very interesting. It is long, and if the findings of the studies in the article are correct, many of you might have a tough time keeping focused on an article that long.

Among other things, the article talks about how the use of technology actually rewires our brains and makes people "addicted" to electronic media. It finds that people who frequently "multitask" actually lose their ability to focus on one thing for an extended period of time, and that they become less able to filter out unnecessary information and prioritize.

All this didn't come as a big surprise to me, as I work with American teenagers on a daily basis and can see that they just don't have the attention span that I did when I was their age. But still, I did find the report illuminating not only to better understand others, but also to highlight the effects technology has on me and my brain.

Worth a read, if you don't have any pressing facebook updates to post.

Researchers worry that constant digital stimulation like this creates attention problems for children with brains that are still developing, who already struggle to set priorities and resist impulses.

Mr. Nass at Stanford thinks the ultimate risk of heavy technology use is that it diminishes empathy by limiting how much people engage with one another, even in the same room.

“The way we become more human is by paying attention to each other,” he said. “It shows how much you care.”

That empathy, Mr. Nass said, is essential to the human condition. “We are at an inflection point,” he said. “A significant fraction of people’s experiences are now fragmented.”

I don't doubt the assertions of that article one bit.
The only thing I wonder is if the findings and how our brains are being rewired is a factor of western culture or specifically being "American".
We've been in instant gratification mode since well before computers, the internet or cell phones in this country.
"We" were already predisposed to be hypnotized by the trappings of technology.

/Not that I think it's really a bad thing...I want to be bionic someday

I don't like the idea that my ability to focus on something for a long time might be compromised by my use of computers (my cell phone doesn't get used for anything but phone calls, I have no ipod or anything like that). I think, compared to many, including the family in this article, my use of technology is more tame. But even so, I still feel that pull to check my e-mail, or see who has responded to a post here. I hate to think that those impulses could grow to the point where I'm not entirely "present" for others in my life.

I think the mental stimulation technology provides makes our brains stronger in many respects. I never had time to read, but with my BaN eReader app I can download books and read them I have downtime at work! And after playing Left 4 Dead 2 for about 200 hours I am ready for any zombie apocalypse that crosses my path!

As much as I love technology, I still wish human's would not have industrialized. All we really need on this planet is food. If we were to simply be an agriculture based society, we would not be destroying the world at such a rapid rate, and we would probably be far better suited for survival. The problem is most of us think of "above" other animals, plants, and lifeforms. It's this notion that led us to believe its ok to rape, pillage, and plunder the very planet that gave birth to our very existense. Nature is that hand that feeds, so why are we biting it?

That being said, after I'm done on the interwebs I'm going to go ride my skateboard, made by machines, and then probably play my PS3. haha. We live in such a weird period of time on this planet.