Mind made of words (Image: public domain)
Some people say that technologies like the internet are changing the way we think. This claim is now supported by evidence from neuroscience: a unique pattern of neural oscillations -- better known as 'brain waves' -- appears when people are text messaging.
Researchers led by neurologist William Tatum at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, examined brain waves in electroencephalography (EEG) readings from 129 patients over 16 months. Their new study, published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior, involved asking people to carry-out a variety of sensory-motor and cognitive tasks associated with communication.
The researchers recorded EEGs as patients wrote text messages or performed finger and thumb movements without a smartphone. They were also monitored while making telephone calls and doing activities that require concentration, such as mental calculations and speech or language tasks.
Only text messaging produced a new brain wave. This unique 'texting rhythm' was detected in 27 people (21%).
The unique 'texting rhythm' brain waves (blue box) in EEG readings from a 22-year-old woman (top... [+]
Because the texting rhythm was observed when people used phones (and in a couple of cases, an iPad), the Mayo researchers suggest that the new brain wave is specific to personal electronic devices, possibly because we need to concentrate more in order to operate handheld devices with smaller screens.
According to Professor William Tatum, the texting rhythm reflects the brain activity needed to process non-verbal information, which is connected to neural networks that are boosted by attention and emotion.
The study highlights an important implication: texting while driving, which is against the law in most US states because it takes your mind off the road. As Tatum says, "There is now a biological reason why people shouldn't text and drive -- texting can change brain waves."
