Are we raising a generation with popcorn brains?
In the information technology, and short-attention-span age, the now digital world - children are so consumed by, has accomplished that their focus on any given subject matter is less than 5 minutes. In fact, research has shown, that kids who are on their iPhones or tablets for 5 hours a day, have difficulties to remember a person’s name they were introduces to.
Neuroplasticity is the brains’ ability of cortical remapping through growth and dissection of new experiences. These changes range from individual neurons making new connections, to systematic adjustments. What does that mean? It means that this generation will be permanently, adversely affected by poor memory, attention deficit, poor sleep cycles, and bad social and communication skills. What is coming to fruition here is a cohort of young adults with popcorn brains.
Over-usage of technology has damaged the brain systems that connect emotional processing, attention, and decision-making. Research studies have revealed that kids pick up their smartphone 150 times a day. They are addicted! From scientific research we know, adolescents who overuse technology develop similar brain chemistry and neural patterning to those who are addicted to substances. When a person is already predisposed to one addiction, they are more prone to also fall into alcohol and recreational drug abuse.
What is my solution? Please read to your kids and do read often, out loud - multiple times throughout the day. Encourage them to read on their own – the more books the better.
Do not get me wrong, I am not against progress, nor technology. I utilize a smartphone myself, and I search the Internet for information (however, taking in such information always with a grain of salt, as not everything on there is true and correct!).
All I am suggesting is there needs to be more balance and maybe even slight parental guidance. We should not allow our next generation to live a life of ‘fake’ FOMO (the fear of missing out), by snooping into digital streams of celebrities, friends and foes, a 150 times a day (!), becoming addicted to scrolling up and scrolling down, while remapping their brains to utter ineptitude.
Please follow my hashtag #ReadToKids on social media.
Another blog post that might be of interest to you: Teenagers who read get ahead in life
47% of teenagers constantly check their phones and confess feelings of addiction to their electronic devices.