The internet is highly seductive! We start off looking for one piece of information, and suddenly find ourselves transmitted by colorful and blinking hyperlinks to people, places, articles and things that we hadn’t even planned on finding out about! We live attached to our mobile devices and it is changing our brains!
Neurologists have known all along that the human brain rewires itself depending on how it is used, an ability they call “plasticity.” This neural rewiring happens after just one hour per day surfing the net according to an experiment by UCLA Psychology Professor Gary Small, MD.
The biggest challenge to going anywhere on the net are the multiple layers of access that are suddenly available to you. One minute we are looking for airfare than the next moment our Facebook page is open after we receive an email that someone has written on our wall. By having our minds distracted with the net, we are less inclined to pay attention to the subtle clues around us.
Research by The Brain and Creativity Institute suggests that distractions created by the use of mobile Internet devices make it less likely that we will fully grasp the psychological states of those around us. This results in us paying less attention to things happening around and in us!
One of the best ways to make sure that the net is not zapping your intuition is by taking internet breaks. Giving yourself a regular time period to go without being plugged in might be challenging at first. Let’s face it most of us check out Facebook and other social media sites all during the day.
Powerful significant moments in your life will zip by if when we do not allow ourselves to be fully present in our lives. Have you ever been out and your friend is constantly checking their cell phone? First of all this behavior is rude and secondly it sends the subtle message that the individual is not focused on being present with you.
Science fiction writer and blogger Cory Doctorow says that whenever we turn on our computer, we are plunged into a ecosystem of interruption technologies. Making it impossible for us to stay focused on any one thing for too long. By concentrating less we are often make rapid fire decisions, instead of allowing us to connect with our own inner voice. Taking a moment to step away from the net and asking yourself questions such as–is this right or wrong for me–gives your brain a chance to expand and gives you access to vital information.
Giving up the net isn’t an option for most of us. We are deeply ingrained in a culture and lifestyle that operates at this level in every moment. Choosing to make dedicated time to expand our higher consciousness as a way to open ourselves up to enlightened way of thinking to help us make better decisions and life choices.