Rewiring the Brain

Do you worry that screen-based devices – computers, video games and smartphones - are rewiring your brain? Perhaps you should; because they certainly are. But will the changes mean generations plagued with attention disorders and poor social skills or will it boost creativity?

Narrated by Gillian Anderson. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.

From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.

This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.

[tristenperez]

The ending is ironic!!! I found the irony!

[bretjay]

It seems the "two minute animations" is the new normal for the educators in the present situation.

[woodyspeckle]

you are delivering education in 2mins animation!

[billcalypso]

Short articles and videos are the problem, not technology itself.

[martinwood]

Was that really Gillian Anderson's voice? I'm assuming it's THE Gillian Anderson (from The X Files) as the picture resembles her. I know she spent some of her early childhood in Crouch End and Haringey, and can flip to an English accent. Still a surprise though.

[Donteatacowman]

Eh... It's not like devices are created in a vacuum. Our brains change in response to our environment, but we also change our environment in response to our brains. Being able to type quickly is a skill used in almost any profession now, but in the 1700s, it didn't exist. That doesn't mean that we're no longer capable of using giant typesetting on printing presses. It means that we've adapted our skills to be appropriate for the tools around us.

[antoniocastobeltranjimenez]

Drawings are great, is it possible to get them somehow?

[bobdabuildar]

Tells us that it is bad for the brain to look at a screen


*oploads it on YouTube*

[spacecorpse]

tbh i learnt more in this two mintue animation than all the hours of me sitting in class wow the untied states education system really fucking sucks

[StillAliveAndKicking_]

IQ after rising consistently in the last century, is now falling.

[kattenthesaurus]

what r good social skilLs? "who's bad?" N brain is not but the part of us possible of awareness off us. n them a different other than ourselves as not part of us. n that suggested gonna sound like some not know it don't take responsability over its effect on determing whst social skilLs determined is classed as what

[Californiansurfer]

Tigerbelly Bobby lee good example of social media addiction.

[vrnprakash]

That is what I was thing, there is too much of information, too short attention span and need much to be interested.