Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.
– George Siemens
From the Psychological perspective I would say that technology is creating, strengthening and altering our neural pathways which could be deemed as “rewiring”. In the short time I have been teaching (2010 – present) I have noticed a stark change in how my students learn and interact with technology. Students no longer look to the text for answers, they want to google the answers. They’ve also become completely addicted to their phones. This change in how they interact with information, seek answers and formulate answers seems like it has to have changed, at least in some way, how brain processes and transfers information.
I listened to an excellent Ted Talk about how apps vie for our attention and control us (see video below) To me, it seems like this push for our attention has to have altered the way our brain prioritizes what is important and deserves our attention, too. So I think there might be some actual changes and re-wiring occurring due to technology.
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