Chapter 7 – Memory & Learning – Digital Effects on Health & Learning
“Over-use of smartphones and game devices hampers the balanced development of the brain,” Byun Gi-won, a doctor at the Balance Brain Centre in Seoul, told the JoongAng Daily newspaper. “Heavy users are likely to develop the left side of their brains, leaving the right side untapped or underdeveloped,” he said. The right side of the brain is linked with concentration and its failure to develop will affect attention and memory span, which could in as many as 15 per cent of cases lead to the early onset of dementia.
Dr. Manfred Spitzer in a second book called Digitale Demenz [Digital Dementia], he’s telling them that teaching young kids finger-counting games is much better for them than letting them explore on a laptop. His work as a neuropsychiatrist has shown him that when young children spend too much time using a computer, their brain development suffers and that the deficits are irreversible and cannot be made up for later in life. South Korean doctors were the first to describe this phenomenon, and dubbed it digital dementia – whence the title of Spitzer’s book. Simplistically, the message can be summed up this way: the Internet makes you dumb.
According to his study, many young people today use more than one medium at a time: they place calls while playing computer games or writing e-mails. That means that some of them are packing 8.5 hours of media use per day into 6.5 hours. Multitasking like this comes at the cost of concentration – experiments by American researchers have established this.
Because everything a person does leaves traces in the brain. When development is optimum, memory links are formed and built on during the first months and years of life, and the structure adds up to a kind of basic foundation for everything else we learn. Scientists call this ability of the brain to adjust to new challenges “neuroplasticity.” Digital usage in early years interrupts with building memory links.
Children who use electronic styluses on a SMART board instead of learning how to write — the brain is kept in check. And because computers take over many classrooms and other functions that are actually good practice for kids, “it inevitably has a negative effect on learning,” Spitzer argues. “In reality, using digital media in kindergarten or primary school is actually a way of getting children addicted.” The process of learning involves the heart along with the brain and the hands. He believes it would be better if kids learned finger games to help them deal with numbers, instead of relying on computers.
Child initially learns attention by receving attention. If he does not receive attention form mom he will have inattention.
LED screen works on pixel – 4K pixel density exceeds that of retina & triggers discharges that are harmful. Retina is made to work harder than what it’s designed for. Normal reading off solid print is done by reflected light. Whereas reading or viewing of LED screen is done via pixel illumination. This gives less time for neurones to recover. Pixels also produce more blue light that has been found harmful to macula. Greater the pixel density greater the damage to macula of the retina. The on off illumination of the pixel intensifies retinal stimulation & does not allow neurones to come to basal level. This diminishes memory. Memory & recall are poorer with LED screen learning. The latter also prevents any kind of handwriting of notes which also contributes to memory loss. Even when you get articles online – to do a hard copy & study, will improve memory, connection, correlation & recall.
Oft asked question by teachers, parents & students – how do we improve memory
- Never take supposedly memory enhancing drugs or drinks – there’s no such
- Begin young – while 4 years give child 15 min pax of activity. If child gets used to short bursts ending in nothing his memory will be short
- When above 12 yrs – study at a stretch for 40 min without interruption
- No multitasking at that time – no smart phone, FB, sms, no ear plugs etc. Even background distraction of home TV will affect memory storage of what’s being studied
- Digital games in between will erase what you have stored. Digital games compete for immediate memory – this clogs working memory
- Don’t study after 11 pm – your recall will be poor
- Don’t be a night owl allow your brain to go thru natural software dream sleep
- Wake up morning study imprints better memory
- More exposure to LED screen & pixel glamour does not allow brain to rest to recuperate memory
10. Reading off digital screen will make memory less
11. Even online stuff will be better remembered if you read from hard copy & mark it yourself & make short notes
12. Taking notes on laptop produces poorer memory than handwriting