I think that most people would agree with me that the less we put our brains to use, the quicker they loser their sharpness and capacity to function at the highest degree possible. This lack of use could take many forms, but in this digital age it is becoming more and more prevalent as technology affords us the option of not using our brains. Perhaps the example that most people would be able to relate to is calculators. While they are not a new invention by any means, their use has increased along with their capacity to perform a wider array of functions. If you asked a group of teenagers today how to do long division, I would bet that most would have a difficult time with the task and would probably ask for the assistance of a calculator. Figuring the problem out with a pencil and paper would be a foreign task for them and one that would prove extremely difficult. In this case, calculators have become a crutch that we rely on to solve our mathematical problems. Not everyone relies solely on calculators to help them, but I guarantee that most people do. I remember back in high school (not horribly long ago) where calculators were already in heavy use, I had one math class that forbid the use of calculators because the teacher felt it was imperative that we be able to think through the answer on our own and figure it out with a pencil and paper. To this day, I am thankful that he did that because I can still do long division with a pencil and paper and figure out most problems in my head (expect for algebra and calculus which I have long forgotten about). Calculators, however, are merely the tip of the digital iceberg if you will.
Today we live in a world dominated by GPS devices and phones that can practically do everything for you except wipe your rear end. GPS has taken navigation to the next level by allowing us to rely solely on a given device to get us to a particular destination. It used to be that we had to break out a map, figure out which roads provided the most direct route, and translate what was on the map into the real world in front of us as we headed towards our destination. Now, all we have to do is look and listen. The GPS for the most part dictates to us which turns to make on which roads and notifies us when we have arrived at our location. Don't get me wrong, I have used a GPS a few times, but I personally find it frustrating as the timing can be off a little bit, making me miss turns, and then having to turn around. Currently, I have not used a GPS device in years and can navigate just fine without one. What I do use however is a digital map on my phone, practically the same as a paper map, to see where my destination is and then I figure out how to get there on my own. My phone has the potential to provide directions for me, but I rarely use it as I like the adventure of plotting my own course and then getting somewhere on my own accord. The principles are the same from using a digital map to a paper map, you figure out what road you need to turn on and then figure out the roads preceding it so you know when your turn is coming up. I am also lucky in the fact that once I have driven to a destination once, I can usually remember how to get there again. But enough about me, what about these GPS's. Essentially, they are the same as calculators; a crutch. (NYTimes article here.)
There was one notable study done on cab drivers in London. One part of the study in particular followed new cab drivers and studied their brain activity as they got to know the roads of the city, the best way to get somewhere, and where they would be most likely to encounter traffic. These cab drivers used only maps, not GPS, and the area of their brain associated with maps and directions, the hippocampus, actually increased in size the more it was utilized. This goes to show that the more we use our brains to figure out on our own how to get somewhere, the stronger they get. The hippocampus, while not solely tied to maps and directions, is more directly tied to spatial relations, or how we relate to the world in front of us (landmarks, streets, positions of buildings) and how we navigate through that world. Needless to say, the more we use our brains for certain activities, the stronger they will become in those areas. It goes beyond calculators and GPS devices. Today, we can have our phones or computers remind us of every event in our day, where we need to go, what we need to do, or even recite grocery lists for us. We don't have to physically remember to do anything anymore (if we didn't want to). All we have to do is program our phones or computers to tell us when or how to do something, and we follow suit. I don't know what is next, but if we continue to rely more and more on computers and digital devices to perform functions for us that would have normally been performed by our brains, then where will we end up. Our brains will decrease in size if we don't utilize them, the same as they grow when we use them more. I am not saying that technology shouldn't be utilized, I am simply saying that we should not forget about our own brains and the power they have to solve problems, help us navigate through the world, and simply remember tasks that need to be performed. Let us ensure that our brains remain strong and our mental strength doesn't deteriorate due to overuse of digital phones and computers.
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