The amount of time we spend on them because the more we use those apps the more information on us they can collect which they can monetize by advertising youre a scientist heading back from the gritty university frankford explains what effects this has on our brains. This is where distraction happens when i concentrate on one task these brain regions are active. All sensory stimuli are filtered out by this region the socalled. Blocking access but when theres a stimulus thats very different to other stimuli it gets through and distracts. This is what smartphone and App Developers capitalize on they want to create products that permanently grab our attention with push notifications vibrations audio signals and so forth. New stimuli mean different brain regions are activated and sort of pull power from my ability to concentrate. Suddenly i am no longer focused on my one task because my brain is having to process multiple stimuli and that means i cant devote all my mental resources to fulfilling my original task. According to a recent study using smartphones can make us feel more restless normally the more someone performs a certain task the better they can do it and as a result their brain signals become calmer but the opposite is the case for smartphone users the more they use their devices the more erratic their brain activity becomes one possible explanation for this is that smartphone users tend to have several apps or browser windows open at once which can lead to over. Stimulation of the brain. Our brains arent meant for multitasking it when i switch tasks quickly i tend to overlook things and my error rate goes up and while switching tasks my brain also needs a moment to readjust which is another moment when were error prone finishes. The problem isnt technology itself but how we use it. When we constantly use such devices we get used to being in a state of distraction over time this will lead to it becoming harder for us to focus on and prioritize tasks and that will make us feel stressed and we become more forgetful as well because we cant focus our attention on one thing that also not on a t. D. But its use for ventile appointment the calendar wont let you forget navigation apps always know the best route facebook suggests events you might like a recent study indicates people may become mentally lazy the more they rely on best model phones especially those who are more intuitive than analytical they use google instead of their memory some scientists refer to this as the google effect we no longer memorize things because we can find them on google. So. Far. So far researchers have not found any concrete evidence that smartphones altered the way out brains function there are signs they could be impeding our memory and sense of direction. This tendency decision brains tend to adapt to how we use them this applies especially to our memory today we no longer need to memorize as much as in the past and using sat navs means we dont have to rely on our sense of direction in the same way we did say 30 years ago and this all affects our brains. In practice smartphones and apps mean we no longer have to remember jewels addresses and such because out of vices do that for us this means were storing less information but were also practicing the act of memorizing lists also has consequences. If i stop committing things to memory i will lose the ability to do so and that means no longer being able to process that information humans do more than just gather relevant information on the internet the difference between us and machines is still that we also have the ability to understand and process stored information to. Our brains are especially good at retaining information particularly well when we can reference where we found it thats easier to do with analog sources than digital ones for example when we read a book we can often remember roughly on which page we came across a certain piece of information but thats not necessarily the case with scrolling through it digital text this impacts our ability to memorize information. By computer computers need to compress data because their Storage Capacity is limited with humans the opposite is true the more contextual information we have about something the easier it is for us to recall it. Some tech experts like nicholas even. I think were gradually losing our ability to read and remember long texts its unclear whether thats the case but it is clear that the more information we have memorized the more new information we can add and store away effectively unlike Artificial Intelligence systems we humans are also able to make decisions with very little information. Computer xaviers require lots of data to compare things and detect patterns humans dont like we can use one single piece of information to develop an abstract model and apply this to new situations. But. When it comes to creativity ive still got an add on ai theres a study we like those that shows how much smartphones influence us 3 groups were asked to perform a mentally challenging task group one was told to lay their phones on the table face down group 2 was told to leave them in their pockets group 3 left in another room all phones where in silent mode. Which group fair the worst. Exactly the one with their smartphones on the table just wanting to look at the phone is enough to diminish mental capacity and its built into the design. Mechanisms designed to get us. Tech Companies Take advantage of our need. To make their products successful push notifications and social media ensure that we spend as much time as possible with their products because the more we use them the better for the product. Telephones and apps were designed to grab our attention and get us addicted in some way that sense we cant get away and we get used to them. Even. But they do this randomly. This is the same mechanism used for gambling and our brain. Every time we get a message or a reaction to one of our posts on social media our brain releasing some little dopamine thats the neurotransmitter that makes our whole feel good as a result we make a habit of reaching for our farm. What we know is that when i get positive reinforcement on social media that affects the regions of my brain that send our ward impulses. Whether im using drugs achieving something or winning the lottery its always the same regions of my brain that light up when im feeling good and these regions are also activated by these apps and likes. To point to become addicted to them. It seems that varies depending on the person here are the signals to watch out for phantom vibrations people who experience this think they hear the phone vibrating even though it isnt. Another warning signal is the fear of missing out or foma. And nomophobia is the fear of not having your mobile device and being unreachable. I have to admit i know all 3 phenomena even phantom rings. Does that make me an addict. Matter of opinion but i know its a good idea to put the phone away now and then i leave my phone at home when i walk with my dog. Doing nothing without interruptions or distractions is beneficial to the brain. Giving the brain small breaks of daily life where you consciously give yourself the opportunity to process what you have lived and seen by the good news is that the brain basically does it by itself it only needs you to not bombarded with new stimuli every minute for. Daydreaming activates a part of the brain that researchers call Default Mode Network previously acquired information is stored even reconnected. On how to get a break. Smartphone free space. Apps that. You really need to. Set offline times when you. And scream to grayscale instead of that makes it less attractive. Regular exercise helps to reduce stress hormones. And people in real life is very. We have learned that virtual interactions cannot take the place of real social contacts across. An equally important sufficient slate this is what the brain needs to store knowledge and clear out junk diaster so to speak so that we can get through the next day able to concentrate without stress. Theres no clear whether smartphones are making. Digital dimentia. When smartphones remember things for us we have room for other stuff. Smart phones are helpful gadgets Everyone Needs to decide for themselves how much they use them just like with t. V. Or video games. Whether you have thick join our discussion on facebook and our new you tube you will also find explainers there information on the latest tech topics gadgets and Everything Else you need to know thank you and next week. Sometimes books are more exciting than real life. Referring to. What if theres no escape. List. Sherman my street. You know that 77 percent. Are younger than 6 of. Me and me and you. And you know what its time. For the 77 percent. This is where. The 77 percent this weekend on d w. So for many people too little space the rent is too high and the time it takes you to get from one place to another is too long kevin can dad ski is moving from the big city to a small town from quake in berlin to quaint gurlitz in the eastern most tip of germany temporarily he says theres too many retired seniors and too little to do that and far too much support for the right wing extremist have tea party doesnt necessarily make gurlitz the city of kevins dream