Feeling Tied to Technology? Neuroscientist Offers Tips to Focus and Recharge Your Brain – whotv.com

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IOWA -- A lot of people are essentially glued to technology, but could all of these devices be harming people's brains?

Maria Shriver talked to neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley about his research after realizing how much time he was spending using different technological devices.

"Were you ever called out in your personal relationships like, 'hello, you're not listening, you're distracted?'" Shriver asked, to which Gazzaley replied, "Yes!"

He said, "We forage for information the way other animals forage for food for survival, so we have this draw, this almost veracious appetite for information."

Gazzaley decided to turn his personal struggle distractions into his work, and found all this technology is actually hurting our brains. Multiple studies show tech distractions are a major cause of anxiety, memory and sleep problems, poorer relations with family and friends, and even lower performance at school and work.

Gazzaley also said he believes this could fall into the category of a public health crisis and should be taken seriously. His bookThe Distracted Mind provides good steps to take to cope with technology and be happier and healthier. The first step? Simply, be aware.

"I'm now aware that when I'm having a conversation with my loved one and I'm on my phone, this quality is diminished. Or when I'm trying to do an email and I'm also on a conference call, they're both diminished," he said.

"The belief is that actually women were better at multi-tasking than men," said Shriver. "It's badge of honor about how I can multi-task. You're telling me it's not good for me and, in fact, I'm not doing it at an optimal level?"

Gazzaley replied, "Really what you're doing is you're switching the brain networks associated with each of them as you move from one to the other. With each switch between the networks, there's a little bit of loss of the quality of that information that you're holding. That's the degradation that we see in performance."

This leads to the second step: set boundaries with technology.

"I will say, 'okay. from 9:00 to 11:00, I'm gonna multi-task away. I'm gonna be on e-mail. I'm gonna have music on. I'm gonna check Facebook every once in a while.' Because the things I'm doing are just low level. They're boring. But from 11:00 to noon, I'm gonna focus on that article I'm writing. And I'm gonna do one thing. I'm just gonna give it singular attention because I know that that's how you get the highest quality."

The third step is to remember to take small breaks, which can range from quick cardio workout to breaks for socializing, and even five minute walks outside to let your brain recharge and become less vulnerable to distractions.

"Those breaks really give a period of restoration. They can also help with the burden of anxiety and boredom," said Gazzaley.

While technology may be part of the problem, it can also be part of the solution. At his lab at the University of California San Francisco, Gazzaley is developing the Body Brain Trainer, an experimental video game that works players physically and mentally to boost attention skills.

"This couldimprove your attention system so that you're more capable of focusing on something when that is your goal," he said.

It's a piece of technology that could help strengthen brains and allow people to cope with a wave of distractions.

Experts say it's also important to talk to children about the distractions electronic devices can cause, as children'sbrains are still developing and are most vulnerable to distractions.

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Feeling Tied to Technology? Neuroscientist Offers Tips to Focus and Recharge Your Brain - whotv.com