In Article 5, “I Can’t Think!”, it is made clear that the more we use technology, the more difficult of a time we have when it comes time to make a decision. In the process of making that decision, we tend to add even more stress to ourselves because we are having such a difficult time deciding. We begin to make “stupid mistakes and bad choices because the brain region responsible for smart decision making [Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) has essentially left the premises.” As we begin to get more and more stressed and frustrated, our decision making continues on a rapid downfall. This is cognitive and information overload.
For today’s generations, it is much easier to look up any information you need. The internet has progressed immensely, as has all other forms of technology. Our smart phones nowadays, are capable of holding hundreds of thousands of apps which pertain to just about anything and everything. With social networking at an all time high and any information being easily located in the palm of our hands, the flow of facts and opinions never stops. There’s no wonder our brains are becoming exhausted and are on overload!
From personal experiences, I’ve always had a difficult time focusing on an assignment. When I was younger, the issue was people talking around me. Nowadays, it’s technology being in the same room as me that is distracting! Laptops, iPads, iPhones, iPods; they all distract me! As much as I love technology and how advanced it has become, it clearly has affected my attention span and decision-making skills. More recently, I’ve noticed how much more difficult it is for me to make a decision and feel confident with it. I tend to go back and forth and dwell on the issue for days, even weeks! At that rate, barely anything gets done. Something must change.
This article is something that I can definitely relate to, as I am sure my fellow peers can as well. It helped point out the exact region in our brain that all of the information technology provides affects and I learned just how overwhelmed our brains can become and in what way it handles the situation. Technology is always an extremely interesting topic with how fast its progression is and continues to be.