Is Social Media is Ruining Our Minds?

According to a UCLA study, just five hours of Internet surfing can alter the way your brain processes information. Let’s face it, most people spend more than five hours connected to the Internet – especially with the prevalence of smartphones and other devices that allow you to surf the Web anywhere. This drive-thru, get it fast world is having an impact on the most important computer of all – the human brain. The average attention span was 12 minutes a decade ago. Now, it’s about five minutes. It’s a wonder that you even have time to process 140 characters. While there are plenty of benefits to social media, some of the habits developed from checking email and updating your social status don’t translate very well into real life. A survey on comprehension found that those who stick to old-fashioned text retain more information than those who browse through text with links, videos, and other distractions. When you’re interrupted in a task, it takes the brain time to get refocus on the task at hand. This translates into less productivity. On the plus side, those who use the Internet on a regular basis tend to be better at problem-solving and decision-making. Like anything worth having in life, maybe it’s more about moderation. Take a look at the facts on this infographic and see what your friends on Facebook think.

 

 

This infographic was created by Assisted Living Today, where you can find assisted living resources and the cost of assisted living.