Psychologist: Facebook makes you brainy, Twitter makes you stupid
By Dave Parrack
Most of you reading this article will use at least one of the following on a regular basis: Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. You may also play video games or spend half your day sending text messages on your mobile phone. But do you know how that activity is affecting you and your brain? One psychologist claims to know the truth and it isn’t pretty for Twitter and YouTube users, or fans of texts.
As someone who spends a good portion of their life on the Web, both for work and for entertainment, I’m interested to know what this sort of lifestyle is doing for me as person. Is sitting at a computer for hours a day a healthy way to be, or is it instead affecting my physical and mental well being?
According to The Telegraph, psychologist Dr. Tracy Alloway claims to have extensively studied what is known as “working memory” and discovered the effects of different activities. Working memory is how we remember information and then use it and some believe it is much more important to humans than IQ is.
Alloway, from the University of Stirling in Scotland, claims that video games, especially ones involving planning and strategy are good for working memory. As are puzzles such as sudoku. Also good for our state of working memory is keeping up with friends on Facebook.
However, the instant nature of Twitter, YouTube, and texting is bad for working memory. Alloway explains why by suggesting that although these activities provide our brains with an endless stream of information, it’s too succinct for our brains to need to process it. In essence, it’s going in one ear (or eye) and straight out the other. Without passing Go.
I’m not too sure how much stock I’d put in this because surely it depends what information you are receiving from these sources. Maybe I have dumb friends on Facebook and their updates are more likely to induce a coma than increase my working memory. While on Twitter I may receive updates talking about the most serious and thought-provoking of subjects. In that case which is likely to enhance my intelligence?
That is a rhetorical question because I’m obviously too stupid to answer it for myself. Too much texting.
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September 8th, 2009
I was hoping that your article would debate the title… so I was very happy to see that second last paragraph! I agree with your argument.
I also think that twitter being “text posts” makes one read and therefore take in what’s being feed to you (that’s my experience anyway).
Terrific closing comment!!
September 8th, 2009
They both stupid too.
September 12th, 2009
Personally I people do a heck of a lot of stupid things on Facebook. All that viral crud like the 25 Random Things chain note back in February 2009, and then all the farmy nonsense viral apps starting around June 2009 or so. Farmville, need I say more? Ugh! It’s everywhere, and you can’t block the darn thing because the craze has been taking over other applications.