Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen. The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2017. 304 pages. $23.95 (audiobook), ISBN 978-0-26253-443-7.
In The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, authors Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen elucidate the effects of intrusion and distraction, primarily via modern technology, on the human brain. The authors posit that the humans are information-seeking animals with brains optimized to forage for novel information, and that the rapid advancement of modern technology has outpaced our ability to regulate our own information-seeking behavior, leading to reduced performance and distress. Gazzaley and Rosen support their claims by drawing on evidence from biological and psychological research, including some studies from their own research labs. Essentially, they claim, the survival of our ancestors depended not only on the ability to respond to external stimuli in a “bottom-up” way (i.e., moving towards food; reacting quickly and appropriately to life-threatening events), but the true success of our species is due to the evolution of the prefrontal cortex and “top-down” processes: setting goals; taking in information but also processing and synthesizing it; selectively focusing on goal-relevant information; and disregarding information irrelevant to goals. Modern technology (e.g., the internet, social media, and smartphones) has developed at such a rapid pace that humans have not had the opportunity to gradually co-evolve our cognitive control with it; although it contributes to life dissatisfaction, harms our health, and decreases our productivity, we seem unable to stop ourselves from giving in to the temptation of technological distraction. True to the title, the authors clearly lay out that we are, indeed, ancient brains living in a high-tech world.
The Distracted Mind contributes to our understanding of our own brain’s evolution, and the role modern technology plays in how we function. It reveals the obvious and subtle ways distractions (both technological and otherwise) initiate different processes in our brain, which influence how we respond to stimuli and where we direct our attention. Not all interruptions are created equal; technological distractions (i.e., email, cell phone alerts, digital notifications) are both highly rewarding and highly detrimental to our productivity. The authors’ research sources are primarily peer-reviewed studies from the fields of biology and psychology (although no bibliography was included in the audiobook), and they have certainly covered a broad range of literature that is highly relevant, if slightly dated (although the book itself was published in 2017, so this is to be expected). While the book does not seem to be groundbreaking in terms of novel research findings, it hooks the reader by synthesizing the many existing studies in cognitive control and the intersection of health and technology, producing a coherent narrative with evidence-based theories and recommendations. Indeed, in the prologue, the book claims to be the “first of its kind” (pp. xiii) to explore the challenges of the highly distracting, highly demanding, but also highly rewarding modern technological landscape. It’s difficult to verify the veracity of the “first of its kind” sort of claims, but Gazzaley and Rosen certainly do a thorough literature review on the detrimental effects of technology.
Gazzaley and Rosen do not simply decry technology, nor do they advocate that we attempt to return to the ways of life that existed before the internet. In fact, they state, we are largely incapable of doing so; for better or for worse, technology has changed the way we interact with one another, and the way our brains interact with the world around us. While most of the research studies presented in the book highlight the negative effects of social media, smartphone use, and multitasking or task-switching, it’s hard to fault the authors on this: the evidence seems to overwhelmingly show that these things have negative influences on the human brain and thus behavior. The authors do, however, include some positive findings. There is some evidence that so-called “brain games” and video game use can improve cognitive control (i.e., goal-setting, attentional focus, working memory) in children and adults, but are particularly beneficial for elderly adults. For depressed individuals, social media can provide a sense of
social connection and thus improve some symptoms. Overall, the reader gets the sense that while the authors may not be decrying modern technology itself, they are certainly decrying the self-destructive ways in which we use it. To this effect, the authors end the book with a substantial list of recommendations to regain cognitive control. The authors discuss strategies to reduce limiting influences on cognitive control, but this is primarily an area of ongoing research; rather, the bulk of their recommendations rely on behavior modification that will effectively reduce the opportunity for technological distractions to intrude on times of productivity or social connection.
The book seems to be written for someone with an academic background. Those with at least a foundational background in scientific knowledge, primarily biology or psychology, may still find the book palatable. A layperson with little to no real scientific understanding would likely struggle to stay engaged with The Distracted Mind, as it delves into brain anatomy and physiology and study designs in a way that seems to assume the reader has at least passing knowledge of brain structure/function, and how scientific research is conducted. This does make for some occasionally dry reading (or listening, in the case of the audiobook) as the authors (and thus the narrator) list the results of multiple related studies, leading to rather droll lists of statistics and percentages. Certain chapters felt more like academic review papers, which jarred with the popular press nature of the book itself: a bright cover (regardless of format) and quotes that declare it as must-read.
The Distracted Mind does exactly what it sets out to do: it describes the evolution of cognitive control in the human brain and lays out the effects the intersection of modern technology (i.e., the internet, social media, and smartphones) has on cognitive control processes. The evidence, and the literature, seem to support that modern technology is potentially harming our health, our productivity, and life satisfaction. The authors are kind enough to leave the reader with recommendations for regaining some sense of cognitive control. Readers without a scientific background find some explanations insufficient, although the authors try to lay out information for those without a science background as well. Readers with background in psychology or neurobiology will find it an easy read, if not necessarily enthralling throughout. Readers will walk away with an understanding of the effects of constant distraction, an inevitable result of the constant connectedness afforded by modern technology. Everyone stands to benefit from the authors’ recommendations for reducing technological interferences.
About the author: Nicole L. Scheuermann is a doctoral student in Biological Sciences and a CISLL affiliate.
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