Unplug occasionally!

“The world is too much with us,” says Wordsworth;“late and soon, getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”‍

In a series of articles, ‘Your Brain on Computers‘, the New York Times examines how the constant flood of data is changing how people think and behave. They reference various studies, including these from the August 24 article, “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime”:

• University of California, San Francisco:
  Scientists found that when rats experience something new, like exploring an unfamiliar area, their brains show new activity patterns. But only when the rats take a break from their exploration do they process those patterns to create persistent memories.
• The researchers suspect the same applies to humans.

“Almost certainly, downtime lets the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent long-term memories,”
— Loren Frank, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, UCSF.

• He adds that when the brain is constantly stimulated, “you prevent this learning process.”
• University of Michigan:
  A study found that people learned significantly better after a walk in nature than after a walk in a dense urban environment, suggesting that processing a barrage of information leaves people fatigued.
• Even though people feel entertained or even relaxed while multitasking—like watching a video while waiting for a bus—they may actually be overtaxing their brains.

“People think they’re refreshing themselves, but they’re fatiguing themselves,”
— Marc Berman, Neuroscientist, University of Michigan.

The need to take a break, clear your head, go for a walk, or revisit a problem later isn’t just about being tired or needing to refocus. It’s about how our brains work—how we learn, remember, and apply information.

So unplug once in a while. Do something where a holistic sensory experience replaces intellectual data. Put the iPad away and go for a swim—on your own, or with the kids.

As a result, you’ll make better use of the iPad when you pick it up again. (Quite apart from being happier, healthier, better liked, and longer-lived!)

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