A Digital Disorder?

Human beings are, and have been going through various evolutionary processes ever since the appearance of their ancestors the Homo erectus. Various processes like encephalization and bipedalism have changed our lifestyle and the way we live. Yet, the greatest advantage for the average human in their repertoire is literacy. We are the only species that are literate in terms of producing literature and practicing a written language. We have been sharing the written word for centuries, going back to the coastal Library of Alexandria to the Gutenberg printing press that produced the first printed Bible. Reading has been, and always will be continually affecting the way we think.

With the increasing use of technology and the rise of digital media, the way we consume and process information has changed drastically. The shift from traditional reading and writing methods to digital forms has raised concerns about the impact on our cognitive abilities. The ability to focus and concentrate for long periods of time, a skill that is crucial for deep reading, is being challenged by the constant distractions and interruptions of digital media.

Research studies have shown that people who read digitally are less likely to remember details and are less able to comprehend complex ideas compared to those who read in print. This is because digital reading requires more active cognitive processing, as the reader must constantly switch between different types of information and media. This can lead to a shallower level of understanding and a decreased ability to retain and recall information.

Moreover, the constant bombardment of information and the ease of access to it, encourages skimming and scrolling rather than deep reading, which has a detrimental effect on our cognitive abilities, and on our ability to think critically and analytically. This is particularly concerning for children and young adults, whose brains are still developing and shaping.

I, for one can usually feel a change when I try to immerse into that favourite book of mine, I don’t feel that same immersive feeling of sitting down and just reading the beautiful narrative that the book holds. After the first few pages, my mind starts to drift off and eventually I lose track of what I am reading. I am one of the many examples of this generation of teenagers who instead of reading books, has been growing up looking at videos and reading blogs. Our minds are becoming used to looking at short, digital content instead of bound paperbacks and long, fantastic tales. For many of us, the net has become the universal medium through which we obtain information. Now you might ask, “But, isn’t using the web for information and limiting its use correct?” Even in that context, every page on the net is so heavily saturated with hyperlinks that not clicking them would be impossible.

Nicholas Carr, author of ‘The Shallows and The Glass Cage: Automation and Us’ is one of the blogging community’s most experienced writers. “I can feel it, too” writes Carr. “Over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory. My mind isn’t going — so far as I can tell — but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, and begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.”

While it is important to acknowledge that digital reading and writing have undeniable benefits, such as increased access to information and the ability to share and collaborate with others in real-time. However, it's also crucial that we are aware of the potential negative effects and take steps to balance the use of digital media with traditional reading and writing methods. This could include setting aside time for deep reading and disconnecting from technology for certain periods of time, as well as encouraging critical thinking and analysis in our digital consumption habits.

Thus, in our near complete transition to digital culture, we have been changing in ways we had never imagined. This is much cause for excitement and caution. So, the question really is: How is digitalised reading and writing changing the way we think? What research scientists all over the world are worried about is whether digitalised reading and writing will impede the growth of youth’s brains? Scientists from Europe, Israel, and the United States are coming up with worrying results on children and adults and how digitalised reading is affecting them. The ability to read and to be able to absorb what you are reading is one of the most important capabilities present in our large repertoire, one of the main defining characteristics of civilisation.

We would be fools to let go of it.