Future Minds

How Is the Computer Altering Your Mind?

Scientists once thought that the brain no longer changed once it matured. Now they know better. “The human brain is probably the most complex structure in the universe, but it has one very simple feature. It is not fixed. It is malleable.” Your brain is “plastic” and changes in response to experience. The proliferation of technology is modifying the human brain in countless ways, with profound implications.

Cyberculture is changing how you concentrate, disrupting your deep thoughts and extended focus in favor of quick and shallow links. Such changes matter because only intense, focused thinking produces major creative breakthroughs. Computers change how you read. While printed text favors methodical reading and reflecting to find meaningful ideas, content on the computer screen lends itself to fragmented reading that seeks superficial bits of data. Reading computerized text strips facts of their context. Similarly, contacting people online allows personal choice and control to flourish, but it reduces “serendipitous encounters” and weakens empathic connections.

“Comparing the differences between generations is fraught with...