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Does virtual reality really change how the brain works? Is it necessary to avoid “clip thinking”? How to learn to select the information that we receive on the Internet? Psychologies and the lecture hall “Direct Speech” asked neurolinguist Tatiana Chernigovskaya to answer a few questions on the eve of her lecture in St. Petersburg.
A joint project of the journal Psychologies and the lecture hall “Direct Speech”.
Psychologies: As soon as we wake up in the morning, we pick up the phone – and a huge stream of the most diverse information falls upon us – from the Internet, social networks. How does this affect brain function?
Tatiana Chernigovskaya: It affects badly, as it reduces the activity of the brain, which is necessary for meaningful decision-making. In addition, a phenomenon called the “Google effect” has appeared – we sat on a needle of very fast obtaining information at any moment. This leads to the fact that our memory deteriorates. Working memory becomes very short. It turns out a paradoxical situation: there is a lot of information, but we do not have time to perceive and analyze it. And its value disappears – it is what it is, what it is not.
Read more:
- Memory in the age of the Internet: “I remember” or “I know where to look”?
How not to get lost in this information flow, learn how to filter the data that we receive hourly from the Internet?
T. Ch .: Do not use information from unreliable sources such as Wikipedia. Deal with professionals who will tell you where to look for reliable information. I tell students: “Google is if you forgot your dinner recipe, but if you need serious information, then you need to go to trusted sites.”
Young parents are surprised at how easily and quickly their children – literally from the first years of life – master technology. Does this mean that the new generation is born with different cognitive abilities?
T. Ch .: No, it’s not. But the child’s brain very quickly absorbs and remembers any information. Since most parents give their children gadgets very early, it’s no surprise that they master them in a matter of days!
Read more:
- How the brain makes us what we are
Many teens report having a hard time focusing on anything for long periods of time, including long text. Is it possible to say that such “clip thinking” reflects a new round of human development?
T. Ch .: There is no need to rush into fantastic explanations: if there is a new round in the development of mankind, then down. The world we live in is not the same as in all previous millennia. The number of those who find it difficult to write and read is in the millions! We need to read more serious books that make us human. Listen to serious music, have serious conversations with smart people. Otherwise, the round of development, as you say, will lead us to the Stone Age.
The lecture will take place in the branch of the lecture hall “Direct speech” in St. Petersburg in the hall of the hotel “Indigo”. Read more on .