Book Review of Susan Greenfield's 'Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark On Our Brains'

TL;DR

This review discusses Susan Greenfield's book on how digital technologies may be transforming the human brain, highlighting the debate and implications for future research and policy.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of Greenfield's arguments on digital impact on the brain and examines the controversy and debates surrounding her claims.

Findings

Greenfield's book sparks debate on digital influence on the brain.

Critiques highlight flaws but do not dismiss the importance of the discussion.

The book serves as a valuable starting point for policy and research discussions.

Abstract

This is a review of Susan Greenfield's 2015 book 'Mind Change: How Digital Technologies Are Leaving Their Mark On Our Brains'. Greenfield is a neuroscientist and a member of the UK House of Lords, who argues that digital technologies are changing the human environment "in an unprecedented way," and that by adapting to this environment, "the brain may also be changing in an unprecedented way." The book and its author have created a surprising amount of controversy. I discuss both Greenfield's book and a prominent critique by Bell et al. (2015). The exchange points to some flaws in Greenfield's argument and represents an interesting debate about the public role of scientists, but it does not undermine the value of the book as a springboard for discussions about possible policies and future research.