HIGH WIRED: DOES ADDICTIVE INTERNET USE RESTRUCTURE THE BRAIN?

By Dave Mosher; June 17, 2011; http://www.scientificamerican.com

Level of Difficulty: **

PREREADING QUESTIONS

These questions should be posed orally before students have any idea what the text is about.

1.       What determines evolution in mammals?

2.       Can you provide examples of physical changes that have taken place for these reasons?

3.       Can you think of any physical changes that may occur in the future?

4.       Do you think there may be physical changes in various areas of the brain due to changing demands of everyday life?

5.       Read the title of the text. How do you think the brain is restructured as a result of excessive internet use?
      WATCH, LISTEN AND CONSIDER
      Internet addiction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WrmQ2SHaxM
      Internet addiction disorder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4dygrLOZWE

QUESTIONS

1.       There is disagreement among scientists concerning online addiction (if indeed it is an addiction) mainly due to:

2.       There are two opposing views concerning how to describe overuse of the internet. They are:

3.       The reason why the internet, food shopping and sex are not considered addictions by some is that:

4.       Why do you think Asian countries are not really concerned about these differences of opinion?

5.       Does it come as a surprise that China is the epicenter of internet addiction? Which country would you have expected to have topped the list? Can you think of any other countries where internet addiction may be a problem for similar reasons? Discuss.

6.       What are the three reasons for internet addiction in China?

7.       What are the immediate effects of internet addiction?

8.       What characteristic(s) did the subjects picked for the research into the effects of excessive internet use share? Use your commonsense while answering.

9.       What functions are performed by the grey matter of the brain?

10.   What change had taken place in the grey matter of the brains of online addicts?

11.   What are the possible negative effects of this change?

12.   The example of the taxi drivers is provided as an example to support the fact that:

13.   What negative change had occurred in the white matter of the brains of the internet addicts in the study?

14.   How could this change effect online addicts?

15.   What, according to researchers, is the most important conclusion reached in this study?

WRITING TASK

Go back to the text and make notes on it on a separate piece of paper using The Cornell Method. Then put away the text and write a summary of the text. Before doing so discuss organization with you teacher. Remember: a good summary is concise and to the point meaning that it includes the important facts and leaves out unnecessary details. Being long winded is a definite no-no.

HIGH WIRED: DOES ADDICTIVE INTERNET USE RESTRUCTURE THE BRAIN?

By Dave Mosher; June 17, 2011; http://www.scientificamerican.com

ANSWER KEY

PREREADING QUESTIONS

It is recommended that you ask these questions orally before the students have an inkling of what the text is about. Not knowing where the discussion is headed and finally seeing what it is all about in questions 4 and 5 will constitute a wonderful surprise factor and encourage them to focus. Suggested answers are as follows but you could think of others too:

1.       Requirements imposed by habitat, living conditions, necessity and the like

2.       Dolphins and seals: legs and arms became fins; Neanderthals: more pectoral muscles due their life style; birds: fur in early flying dinosaurs became feathers; humans: started standing upright (homo erectus)

3.       Even less muscle mass, a three digit thumb due to texting; use your imagination

4.       Open ended

5.       Open ended

QUESTIONS

1.       A lack of scientific evidence

2.       It is an addiction; excessive even obsessive internet use that interferes with the rhythm of daily life

3.       They are behavioral addictions

4.       They have a big problem with excessive internet use

5.       Open ended. If they admit surprise, they’ll probably say the US. South Korea, Japan

6.       Pressure to perform at work and school, cheap internet cafes that allow anyone to check out of reality, the internet is their greatest and only escape.

7.       Depression, poor school performance, increased irritability, more impulsiveness to go online OR:

8.     They were online addicts (The logical answer!)

9.       Processing speech, memory, motor control, emotion, sensory and other information

10.   It had shrunk by 10-20%

11.   Reduced inhibition of inappropriate behavior and diminished goal orientation

12.   The brain has the ability to reshape itself with experience

13.   White matter density in the left posterior limb had dropped.

14.   It may impair decision making abilities, it may make internet addicts to temporarily share and retrieve information OR it may impair cognitive and executive functions.

15.   I.A.D. ( Internet Addiction Disorder)is a true disorder with effects on the brain

WRITING TASK

After guiding students in their note taking and discussing what to include in the summary and what to leave out, focus on organization. There are two plans that immediately spring to mind and they are as follows:

First Version:

Addiction defined, two kinds: chemical, behavioral; internet use an example of the latter; common in China because…; research to verify effects; the effects on grey matter (briefly); the effects on white matter (briefly); conclusion: IAD is a true disorder.

Second version:

IAD a true disorder; research to prove it; effects on grey matter (briefly); effects on white matter (briefly); we know this from daily life after all: taxi drivers so no surprise; internet addiction a growing problem(Asia) for various reasons; so good to be aware of effects on the brain.