Customer Reviews

iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind

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iBrain, written by Dr. Gary Small - a neuroscientist and director of the Memory & Aging Research Center at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior - paints a picture of the complex human brain in words that are easy for those without a science background to understand. iBrain's main focus is to educate and caution readers about damage that frequent technology use can have on interpersonal skills - an area that Dr. Small posits is a strength that "digital immigrants" (those over age 30) have over "digital natives" (those under 30 who have been exposed to technology their entire lives.)

The book starts by explaining how the human brain develops at different stages of life - malleable in both children and adults, and at it's prime in middle age. Dr. Small cites several studies in both children and adults that tie frequent technology use to conditions such as ADD, ADHD, Autism, depression, anxiety, and even sociopathic behavior. Dr. Small cautions that the damage of frequent technology use is especially prevalent for children under eight years old. The news is not entirely dismal, however; he also cites studies that show strengths in cognitive abilities that can be attributed to searching the Internet and using similar technologies.

A recurring theme in iBrain is the issue of multitasking. Dr. Small attempts to prove that multitasking is not beneficial to productivity or attention levels. He explains that a condition called "continuous partial attention" is plaguing those that use the Internet frequently. This condition is described as "keeping tabs on everything but not really focusing on anything." This phenomena can also lead to "techno brain burnout," something that Dr. Small believes is threatening to become an epidemic if people don't become more aware of how frequent technology use can effect them.

After stating his case that technology use, particularly at addictive levels, is changing the way humans interact and empathize with each other, Dr. Small provides some self-help resources. He includes several short tests to determine strengths and weaknesses in brain function and interpersonal abilities along with exercises for improvement in these areas. He also provides helpful tips for technologies (such as e-mail and instant messaging) designed to help users be more considerate to others' feelings as well as reduce multitasking challenges. Appendices include text messaging shortcuts, common emoticons, resources for addiction, and technology toolkit resources varying from brain exercises to online file storage.

The book is helpful for both digital immigrants and digital natives, though it seems to paint digital natives in a negative light at times. Dr. Small does state that the collaborative nature of the Internet and its effect on specific parts of the brain has boosted opportunities for creative expression, something seen as a benefit to society. Most of the claims made in this book are based on small or limited studies and Dr. Small admits that research on this subject is only beginning. iBrain does a thorough job of outlining potential problems and provides many solutions to help prevent us from becoming antisocial, unfeeling humans riddled with anxiety and the inability to focus on tasks at hand.

Say you want an evolution?

iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind by Gary Small, M.D. and Gigi Vorgan

Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan's iBrain is a fascinating book that details how technology is changing our brains. Their main thesis is that our brains and the brains of our children are much more plastic and changeable than we have been led to believe. They differentiate between digital immigrants: people who had to learn technology such as computers and cell phones as adults, and digital natives: people who have known technology since birth. The good news for middle-aged digital immigrants is that we have the advantage over older ones and the younger natives, because our brains are plastic enough to respond to and learn new technologies than older brains, but we retain the social skills that native sometimes lack.

My son has a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, so I panicked for a moment. Did I let him watch television too much when he was younger. Play on the computer? No and no-he wasn't interested thankfully. But he is now, and I was surprised to learn that digital natives suffer some of the same symptoms as autistic individuals: lack of eye contact; a just-the-facts approach to communication, and a lack of give-and-take in conversation. So now that he's a PSP fanatic, is my son's Asperger's getting worse? I don't think so. He has enough else going on. According to iBrain, that seems to be the key. All electronics and no face time, makes for digital natives that have poor social skills, so it is very important to reinforce human connection away from electronic devices. The warning against multitasking and how is can contribute to anxiety and attention deficit disorder symptoms seem particularly relevant today when so many of us have trouble paying attention.

The book provides many resources for understanding the best uses of technology determining whether or not technology is interfering with our lives. The questionnaires designed to locate the difficulties technology are followed by tangible exercises for improving our real world connections. The authors even include a glossary of technological terms, an especially-helpful list of emoticons and texting abbreviations, and a list of professional organizations that help with cyber addictions.

The message of iBrain is not that technology is good or bad, but that it is both. Electronic devices can change the structure of our brains and leave us disconnected and lonely, but they can also help us accomplish much in terms of work, economics and social connection. For the sake of our brains, however, we must walk the fine line of being able to use and learn how to use new technologies, without losing our essential humanity.

I was curious when I first opened the book. I have just started an education within digital media and the subject was head on.

The book shows how our mind tries to coop up with the impressions we're feeding it with. If we're feeding it with a 24-7 computer screen and "multitasking" in the digtial field, we'll develop skills in the regions of our brain that are busy while doing this. But we don't have time for other practices so for example our face to face interaction will get understimulated. Especially if you're in an age when your brain grows alot, there is both good and bad with major iBrain impact that could effect you permanent.

I liked the book, but it felt kind of "pop-science" sometimes. I don't think many would agree that the human brain could evolve so much over just one generation (digitalnatives generation) that the book shows. But it was really intresting reading and gave me alot of stuff to work with when it comes to planning a workday in front of the computer without getting tired and zombielike 7 hrs later.

Read and discuss! But don't expect it to be course litterature in medicin.

I have read Small's book "iBrain" over the last couple of days and am very unimpressed.

I suppose by Small's description of Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives, I am an early immigrant or perhaps a "pioneer" --- I went online in my early 20s connecting to the first online communities (dial-up bulletin boards in the early 80s). My brain was still a little plastic then, I suppose, so I'm like someone who immigrates as a young adult.

It seems to me Dr. Small set about to write a book that would appeal to the fears of the digital immigrants, the fears of all parents, and the disparaging emotions of those who just generally feel that the world is going to the dogs.

Dr. Small's writing is full of emotionally laden language. Teenagers don't just look at computer screens, they "stare". Their music doesn't play, it "blares". Each chapter is prefaced by a short horror story about a cyberaddicted person. Do-it-yourself "assessment tests" at the back of the book ask questions that would lead most honest people to worry about themselves -- and even more likely, to fill in the answers for their spouse or child in a negative way.

Small conflates TV with computer use in much of his writing; despite their similar screens they are completely different. He reports early in the book that "a recent Kaiser study found that young people eight to eighteen years of age expose their brains to eight and a half hours of digital and video sensory stimulation each day." Note his choice of words: "expose their brains to...". Not "experience" or "use", but "expose their brains"; like exposure to radiation. His choice of words already betrays his judgment and seeks to set the reader's bias. But the study notes that only one hour of this is using the computer! Four hours is video and TV, nearly two hours is music. Less than an hour is video games. Through the book, however, Small would have the reader worry about computer use causing not only brain changes, but autism symptoms and other antisocial personality disorders. Is this likely to be the computer use, or the TV watching?

Now of course it is clear that new technology is seductive and can be addictive. It is just common sense that playing computer games that repeatedly give you a simulation of blowing someone's head off is going to affect your emotional health. In that, some games ARE worse than TV because usually once you've watched the movie once or twice you are done with it, whereas you play the game over and over for hours. On the other hand, if you watch four or more hours of schlok TV every day, you are going to be brain damaged.

But don't blame it on the Internet. Sure, some kids or adults are going to spend too much time on the Internet, or develop addictions to porn or Facebook or Ebay. Just like some kids who smoked pot really did go on to get addicted to heroin.

In summary, I think Small throws in a few interesting tidbits about brain function, but his conclusions are suspect and his tone highly judgmental. Yes, computer use is causing changes in brain wiring, just like the printing press, telephone, radio and TV, and even automobiles. And there are always people who aren't well adjusted. Why jump to the conclusion that computers are a cause rather than a refuge? Well, everybody has to make a buck -- but I'm sorry to have contributed to his income.

iBrain by Gary Small, M.D. and Gigi Vorgan

1st Edition, New York, N.Y. 2008

Collins Living, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN-13:978-0-06-134033-8

$24.95

iBrain is a fascinating foray into the world of neuroscience. While it does deal with some very technical subjects, the authors manage to do so in a very "user friendly" and entertaining manner. For instance, throughout the book, young people born into the "Digital Age" who have grown up with and are comfortable with technology are called "Digital Natives" while those of us who have had to learn to adapt to the digital age are referred to as "Digital Immigrants".

The basic message of the book is that while Digital Natives have gained amazing multitasking skills by the constant and adept use of technology, they have lost and/or suffered a lack of face to face people skills. They don't tend to look people in the eye as much and often miss subtle body language cues. Digital Immigrants on the other hand have the people skills, but lack the digital savvy and multitasking abilities of the Digital Natives. The authors point out that there is not just a "generation gap" between the Immigrants and the Natives, but in fact a "brain gap". The Digital Native's brain is actually evolving differently than their parents' brains did. For instance, parts of the brain that control empathy are not developing due to a lack of face to face interactions. But, average IQ scores are steadily increasing.

How many of us have Digital Natives in our homes? You know the ones, they look like our children but they have cell phones permanently attached to their hands and can't stop texting even at the dinner table; or they download music while playing an online game and watching the new YouTube videos whenever there's a break in the action. Studies have shown that video gaming can actually suppress frontal lobe activity. That's the part of the brain that controls learning, memory, emotion and even impulse control. And that's not all, this constant multitasking leads to shorter attention spans and difficulty with traditional learning, ie., school and classroom learning.

There are so many things about technology that can rewire your brain, including "technobrain burnout". That's pretty self explanatory. I think we've all had that feeling of being completely washed out after a long session on the computer. But, a chronic state of technobrain burnout can actually reshape your brain structure.

This book is completely filled with amazing information about the brain and how it is being changed by technology, for good and ill. I absolutely devoured it. I couldn't even resist getting out my highlighter and postit flags. In addition to the technical information, Dr. Small and Ms. Vorgan give practical advice on how to combat many of the problems we now face in this digital age, including technology addictions. As they point out, anyone can become addicted; and there are now twelve step programs to help people overcome these addictions.

I found iBrain to be highly informative, interesting and entertaining. While one would not suspect a book so filled with neuroscience to be such a comfortable read, I would recommend it to anyone interested in the changes this digital age has brought to us and especially our children. This is a must read whether you are a" Digital Immigrant" or "Digital Native. There's so much to learn.


Other books by this husband and wife team include The Memory Bible, The Memory Prescription, and The Longevity Bible.


Here's a taste of some of the other facts you'll find in this book:

A baby's brain can consume over 60% of the baby's entire caloric intake. Most of the brain's synapses are formed in the first six months.

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends no TV or video for children under two.

Scientists have pinpointed the area of the teenage brain that controls the tendency to selfishness and lack of empathy. Too much digital exposure can keep this from developing into a normal adult brain pattern

Thousands of car accidents in the US have been caused by teenagers texting while driving.

Overall leisure reading by has decreased - Digital Natives say books make them feel isolated; they can't stay connected with their online friends

Chronic video game players can develop "video game brain" which turns off the frontal lobes even after the person stops playing.




Laparoscopic surgeons who played video games at least three hours each a week made approximately 40% fewer errors than those who didn't play

Video gaming can improve peripheral vision, pattern recognition; develop more systematic thinking and better executive skills

22% of American have never used the Internet or email and are not online

Stanford University reports that 14% of those who use computers will neglect school, work, family, food, and sleep to stay online.

The American Medical Association is considering whether video gaming and internet addictions should be considered official diagnostic categories.

China has approximately 2,000,000 web addicted young people. They have a boot camp that has successfully treated thousands.

In 2006, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (owner of FOX Networks) bought MySpace for $580 million

Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billiion.

This is a fascinating, research based book for the first 100 pages before suddenly transforming into an "Idiot's Guide To..." type book for the last half. There are literally two different books under the cover here which led to me skimming the second half due to my own need to not know anymore about emoticons and how to effectively search the internet.
The author raises some very interesting points about how he and others believe there is an evolutionary change occurring in the brains of the young brought on by over-stimulation and exposure to massive amounts of fast paced information and technology. While I do not know if I agree with all of his findings (not that I have any proof to the contrary), but I have witnessed many times in my high school classroom the growing lack of empathy he says is becoming more and more prevalent in the young. He refers to this inability to read social cues in others as almost an Asperger's like condition. It is a fascinating thing to see (although probably more so from the outside looking in, than from the stand point of the teacher trying to maintain control...) the way a substantial number of kids cannot read emotions in their fellow classmates and adults. This incapacity ends up creating situations where they say vicious or inappropriate things that I do not think they would say if they knew how their words sounded or how inappropriate their statements were in the given situation.
I also found a new phrase that pretty much summed up a lot of my life in the book: Continuous Partial Attention. Coined by software executive Linda Stone to describe "the state where you are continually staying busy, keeping tabs on everything, while never really focusing on anything" (Page 18). Continuous Partial Attention Disorder is my new explanation for the years 1993-2004 if anyone asks what I was up to or accomplished.

Our brains are an amazing force of nature, but until recently we haven't had a good understanding of how the way we live our lives affects the actual structure and function of our brains.

In "iBrain...Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind," Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vogan explore the fascinating subject of how modern digital technology affects our brains, especially the use of the computer and video games.

This book is important for many reasons, not only does it show how the structure and function of the brain is affected by the use of technology but it goes on to explain the health effects of the misuse of technology, and even the social, political, and economic impact of our high-tech culture.

As the book points out, the average young person is now exposed to eight hours a day of technology which can contribute to, "hyperactivity, inattention, depression, and multitasking mania," to name just a few.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons, especially because it just doesn't keep repeating the same themes without adding any new information, it truly does keep expanding on the subject material and encourages you look at how you and your family use technology. As the authors explain, we don't need to stop using the computer and other technological devices, "Instead we all should help our brains adapt and succeed in the ever accelerating technological environment."

The book is easy to read and is not just full of tech doom and gloom. It includes many suggestions on how we can help our brains by using both technology based programs and face to face social interaction. As the point is made, that as we become more "driven to distraction" by technology we don't want to become socially isolated from each other. This would not only be harmful to our brains but to society and our human nature as well.

I recently read an article about a restaurant that doesn't have any waiters, instead it uses a video screen built into the table in which you order your food (then the screen bothers you the whole time you eat asking if you want to play games). If this is where our society is heading than I classify iBrain as essential reading. It may just help us save our humanity.

purchased the book after reading an intro on "SciAm Mind", having found the premise to agree with my own opinions of the changes in brain development that must be taking place. I was looking forward to a thought provoking read backed by scientific fact. Finished the first 20% in the past hour and wonder if it is worth continuing.

I was expecting more in depth scientific data/studies to be presented. So far, a short reference to an FMRI study on brain activation while doing a google search contrasting the computer savvy and computer ignorant. Big surprise, there is a difference which eventually diminishes as the ignorant learns. Has nothing to do with a fundamental change in our brain development due to digital input/interaction, My first thought was "It is just learning". I would postulate a similar study conducted of a person learning to drive a car, bounce a basketball, learning to walk would produce similar results. Yes I know you can not drive a car in an MRI machine.

I had issues when presented with a few high level paragraphs talking about Natural Selection and Evolution leading into an equating of thought process change due to digital input as Evolution. What kind of scientific conclusion is that? Will the neurology of the next generation born be fundamentally different to what has gone before? Are genetic modifications occurring? Another point - The gap between the "Digital Immigrants" and "Digital Natives" (really good terms by the way), will be gone in one generation. Sorry, assumes that the current state of digital communication is at the pinnacle. My yet to be born grandchildren will laugh at the experience of my children (natives) just as my children laugh at me now.

I was interested in the supposition that personal interaction decreased as digital interaction increased, but found not facts to back up the statement. I wonder about how the abbreviation of language might affect future communications, I worry that the quantity of communication has lowered the quality of communication (someone could post a direct communique from God with the true meaning of life on facebook right now and perhaps get a dozen "I like it"' replies in between 2 dozen farmville fruits for sale). On and on.. the topic is deserving of more research and perhaps this book will lead to more work in the field.

I really was hoping to be challenged and enlightened by this book. I am not. Perhaps I am not the intended audience.

IBrain, by Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan, is a book that many readers will want to like; it deals with a question that has long troubled users, first of television, then of the Internet: Is regular viewing or heavy usage more than just a problem of allocating personal time? Obviously, such usage shapes an individual's social interactions, but does it actually change the individual in a physical sense? Might it even cause brain damage?

We wind up with several thumbs up on this work. The authors speak with some authority on the brain and learning, and the studies which they refer to, however clumsily, are probably those which will eventually lead us to a better understanding of the impact of computer technology on the human brain. We also, however, must turn a number of thumbs down (because we are not one audience we are allowed more than the usual number of thumbs). The very interesting observations on the brain and the psychology of learning are larded with sweeping statements and common-sense observations that render any suggestion that the authors ever envisioned any particular audience as itself visionary. But for all its faults, the work treats a serious issue seriously.

For a full review see Interface volume 9 Issue 1.

While the authors are brain scientists, brains are fascinating, and I'm an older software engineer with a teenage stepdaughter - this book is a huge disappointment. The book pretty much says young folks are Digital Natives and Boomers are Digital Immigrants, and proceeds to generalize about both. But while I'm familiar with the sterotypes, I don't see a compelling correspondence of these generalizations with me or with the Digital Native I know best. And some statements just don't make sense, like the newness of multitasking - we listened to music and watched TV while studying way back when - easy to do even without computers! And I just stopped reading when they starting giving me email etiquitte.

This book might be useful for people who are older and unfamiliar with computers and are baffled by their children, but I suspect even for them it's just a there-there comfort rather than in any way useful or informative.