Journal article
The “online brain”: how the Internet may be changing our cognition
J Firth, J Torous, B Stubbs, JA Firth, GZ Steiner, L Smith, M Alvarez-Jimenez, J Gleeson, D Vancampfort, CJ Armitage, J Sarris
World Psychiatry | Published : 2019
DOI: 10.1002/wps.20617
Abstract
The impact of the Internet across multiple aspects of modern society is clear. However, the influence that it may have on our brain structure and functioning remains a central topic of investigation. Here we draw on recent psychological, psychiatric and neuroimaging findings to examine several key hypotheses on how the Internet may be changing our cognition. Specifically, we explore how unique features of the online world may be influencing: a) attentional capacities, as the constantly evolving stream of online information encourages our divided attention across multiple media sources, at the expense of sustained concentration; b) memory processes, as this vast and ubiquitous source of onlin..
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Awarded by Manchester Biomedical Research Centre
Funding Acknowledgements
J. Firth is supported by a Blackmores Institute Fellowship. J. Sarris is supported by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Research Fellowship (APP1125000). B. Stubbs is supported by the Health Education England and the National Institute for Health Research Integrated Clinical Academic Programme Clinical Lectureship (ICA-CL-2017-03-001). G.Z.Steiner is supported by an NHMRC-Australian Research Council (ARC) Dementia Research Development Fellowship (APP1102532). M. Alvarez-Jimenez is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (APP1082934). C.J. Armitage is supported by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Manchester Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the above-mentioned entities.