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If
you’re watching TV or on your phone while reading this, your brain might be
shrinking, according to a new study published on Thursday.
The study, produced by researchers at the
University of Sussex suggests that men and women who multi tasked using
technology had less ‘grey matter’ in the part of the brain that controls
individual processes.
According
to the study produced by the Sackler Centre for Consciousness, people
frequently switching between devices could seriously damage the anterior
cingulate cortex (ACC) which is responsible for cognitive and emotional control
functions.
The
research, which tested 75 people using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed
that people who multitasked with electronic devices were more at risk of
emotional instability, as grey matter would depreciate in areas of the brain
that controlled emotional impulses, reasoning and empathy.
The
volunteers were also asked questions about how they used their devices, and the
environments in which they used them in.
"Our
study was the first to reveal links between media multi-tasking and brain
structure." said Kepkee Loh, a neuroscientist based
at the university, though she added that "the
exact mechanisms of these changes are still unclear,".
She
also said that using more than one device at the same time, on a regular basis,
could cause permanent structural changes to the brain, and that people with a
smaller ACC were more ‘susceptible
to multitasking situations due to weaker ability in cognitive control or
socio-emotional regulation’.
While
the study adds to a growing body of research linking the use of technology to
negative emotional reactions, other studies have shown that technology could be
good for the brain, as it could make it work faster and more effectively.
Other studies have linked
the use of technology to anxiety and depression, although there remains little
consensus on the issue by the scientific community.
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