Mind Change

November 15, 2014
A comprehensive overview of the scientific research-albeit in its infancy-into the effects of cybertechnology on our brains.Considering the advances in neurology over the past decade or so, neuroscientist Greenfield (You and Me: The Neuroscience of Identity, 2011, etc.) raises questions with startling implications. How does our screen-oriented daily existence affect how we think, feel, live our lives and shape our identities? What are the consequences of connecting digitally rather than in person or collapsing the frameworks and timetables that have given skeletal stability to our daily lives? Much of the research that Greenfield explores is inconclusive (so far), but in her formal tone, she presents much to ponder. She synthesizes the substantial amount of work that has already been accomplished: how technology in general has been shown to improve working memory, slow cognitive decline through stimulation, and improve visual processing and motor response skills, but also how spending too much time in the digital zone leads to sleep problems, a gathering sense of isolation, "nature-deficit disorder," diminishing face-to-face social skills and a constant level of interruption, which interferes with deep thinking. Yet more important to Greenfield is how the brain "has evolved to respond with exquisite sensitivity to external influences-to the environment it inhabits." Identity, writes the author, "is a...spatio-temporal phenomenon, combining the hardwired, long-term, generalized neuronal network...with momentary consciousness, the fleeting generation of macro-scale coalitions of neurons (assemblies) in less than a second." Connecting these neurons into a unique configuration personalizes the brain and shapes the individual mind. Throughout, the author finds conspicuous problems with the screen life: inattentiveness, problems with reading, a disconnect between actions and consequences and, creepily, the lack of a "you": "your story, your internally driven scenario-above all, for your imagination." Challenging, stimulating perspective from an informed neuroscientist on a complex, fast-moving, hugely consequential field.

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December 1, 2014

Greenfield (neuroscientist; ID: The Quest for Meaning in the 21st Century; 2121: A Tale from the Next Century) contends that digital technologies are altering our brain patterns such that society may become increasingly narcissistic, shallow, and unsympathetic over time. As evidence, Greenfield provides a literature review on the subject, incorporating peer-reviewed studies, media stories, and anecdotes. Taking social media, video gaming, and Internet browsing in turn, the author describes how these technologies tend to impede concentration and the creation of personal identity. On the whole, because the impact of digital technologies is as yet under study, this book occupies a sometimes uncomfortable space between scholarship and conjecture. Indeed, this work tackles a topic so large as to lose a degree of nuance. For instance, Greenfield draws parallels between the "mindless" thinking of schizophrenics, obese persons, and heavy users of digital technology. Such broad--and emotionally fraught--claims likely merit more careful discussion. However, this book does provide a thought-provoking overview of the issues at hand and will, as hoped, spark further discussion on the impact of digital technology. VERDICT Recommended for undergraduate students and readers of popular science.--Talea Anderson, College Place, WA

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Neuroscientist Greenfield considers what modern digital technologies have wrought on our brains. Referencing dozens of studies about the Internet, e-books, and video games, she makes it clear that while society's stunning dependence on screen time has certainly transformed our lives, it might also be changing the way we think. Her gravest conclusion might simply be that there is so much we do not know concerning the potential downsides of our online habit. In writing about Facebook, she raises the specter of loneliness and the isolating impact of friending those one never knows. Her analysis of video gaming covers violence and, even more persuasively, how players foster mutual recklessness. While Greenfield is cautious about making definitive statements, she is determined to persuade readers to think about how all our texting, e-mailing, and social networking may be affecting our very brains. Although densely written at times, Mind Change is exceedingly well organized and hits the right balance between academic and provocative. There is no question about the need for us to think more deeply about this topic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)