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"screens have not changed since then" What? They've changed massively. The displays are different sizes, they're made of different materials, they're more port

"screens have not changed since then" What? They've changed massively. The displays are different sizes, they're made of different materials, they're more portable, they're more interactive, the colors are brighter, the resolution is better. Our current generation of screens are ubiquitous in a way that TV was not, and they are qualitatively different. Surely the effect on our brains could be different. Not saying that this particular study is great but I don't understand how anyone can dismiss this line of thinking as nothing more than the same moral panic Socrates once had about books, or whatever. Have you not noticed changes in your own attention span, memory, and thought processes since the advent of smartphones and tablets?

superkuh 4y ago
>Have you not noticed changes in your own attention span, memory, and thought processes since the advent of smartphones and tablets? I have never owned a smart phone or tablet. I use a dumb phone (Nokia 6030) and desktop (or laptop) computers. Smartphones and tablets are terrible computers, not because they have magic screen powers to influence your brain but because they have limited volume for heat dissipation/energy storage, limited network capability due to radio power constraints and random round trip time, terrible IO, locked down software, and generally are ankle bracelet like tracking devices with no way to remove the battery.
- raverbashing 4y ago
  So you never owned a smartphone or tablet but think they're "terrible computers"? That sounds like an uninformed opinion. Power dissipation sucks on PCs because they're PCs using x86 basically.
  - red-iron-pine 4y ago
    And, like, they make ARM / RISC laptops. Lotta articles about them recently, too.
- CadmiumYellow 4y ago
  It honestly does feel like they have magic screen powers to influence your brain. You'd likely understand what I'm talking about if you'd ever owned one. The interactivity, the high quality and brightly colored displays, the touch feedback and notifications...these devices are like brain candy. They're extremely pleasurable to use and if you get used to using them often it's very hard to pull yourself away from them.
  - version_five 4y ago
    It honestly does feel like they have magic screen powers to influence your brain. You'd likely understand what I'm talking about if you'd ever owned one. Also anecdotally, my (infant) son is absolutely mesmerized by the sight of a phone screen. I don't let him see it generally, but if he casually spots a screen, it's like it's the only thing in the world.
    - CadmiumYellow 4y ago
      That's so freaky to think about! I don't have kids but I've noticed a lot of the same things in myself. If I turn the display grayscale it's like it instantly loses 80% of its allure, which has me convinced that the bright colors are a huge part of why these devices are so mesmerizing to our lizard brains. I'd imagine that that has an extra strong pull for little kids who are already drawn to bright colors!
    - Fatnino 4y ago
      It was exactly like this for me as a kid in the 80s. Any time there was a screen it would grab my attention. Of course we are talking about tube TV, something others in this thread are dismissing as not the same thing as smartphones. I think the real reason is because it actually was the most interesting thing in the doctors waiting room. Does anyone really expect a dog-eared puzzle missing 40% of its pieces to hold a kids attention better than sesame street?
  - noodles_nomore 4y ago
    What you're describing is a dopamine rush. I get the same thing when I watch videos of games I was addicted to once. It's not the device itself that causes it. As a counter-experience: I'm over thirty and only got a modern smartphone a few years ago. The thing is awful. The touch interface is finicky, even after long use. Holding the thing for an extended amount of time is uncomfortable, even after long use. UI design seems universally terrible. All the apps I tried were disorganized and didn't quite serve the purpose I had expected, but they did always give me way too many unlabeled buttons and random pop-ups to tap, and asked for my money/attention every few minutes. The Android OS is obscurantic and loves to give you completely meaningless things to tap: "Tap here to optimize your device", like fucking what? I downloaded a game that appealed to me with loot boxes and sexy characters, but after an initial "wow, phone hardware has come a long way," the novelty wore off very quickly. Frankly, I now loathe the thing. The amount of frustration I've had with it, and the idea that it will just become ever more mandatory as every asshole company and government office loves the idea of shoving you through exactly, for their purposes, calibrated UI that you can't control or argue with -- it outweighs any positive experience I've had from it by a large factor. I don't feel any magic feel-good screen powers, only irritation.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago
  So you have little experience with what you're talking about, but it doesn't stop you from claiming things about their effects with a high degree of confidence?
mc32 4y ago
Moreover parents (the vast majority) use these screen as babysitters —TV did some of that some of the time, but mostly not. But with mobile devices they are ubiquitous in cars, restaurants, airplanes and the home. It’s a long stretch to say they are equivalent for sure. If nothing else they deserve to be studied for effects rather than dismiss it as “yet another moral panick”
- cynthedesign 4y ago
  Near the end of the article, or my attention span, they mention that they urgently need to contrast the actual screen time from societal factors that influence the parents to use the screen as babysitter. I think there are a bunch of studies about the amount of babble conversation, "I spy" or other awareness games, etc. from primary caregiver is paramount and the moms [etc.] out on walks generally have their baby just zoning out while they surf fast fashion with one hand on the stroller.
H1Supreme 4y ago
An anecdotal comment on screens: When I got my first flat-screen HD TV, and watched actual HD content on it, I had a visceral reaction to the higher resolution. I could remember seeing the lines/pores on people's faces, and it was honestly jarring. I almost plugged my old tube TV back in.
- ultrarunner 4y ago
  I've done some work with the Amish, and the mind-blown can't-look-away effect of a low quality digital picture frame on fully grown adults raised some red flags for me. Brains are very good at adapting to their surroundings. I'm not convinced of the legitimacy of a moral panic, but something about screens is very unnatural.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]

superkuh 4y ago

>Have you not noticed changes in your own attention span, memory, and thought processes since the advent of smartphones and tablets? I have never owned a smart phone or tablet. I use a dumb phone (Nokia 6030) and desktop (or laptop) computers. Smartphones and tablets are terrible computers, not because they have magic screen powers to influence your brain but because they have limited volume for heat dissipation/energy storage, limited network capability due to radio power constraints and random round trip time, terrible IO, locked down software, and generally are ankle bracelet like tracking devices with no way to remove the battery.

raverbashing 4y ago
So you never owned a smartphone or tablet but think they're "terrible computers"? That sounds like an uninformed opinion. Power dissipation sucks on PCs because they're PCs using x86 basically.
- red-iron-pine 4y ago
  And, like, they make ARM / RISC laptops. Lotta articles about them recently, too.
CadmiumYellow 4y ago
It honestly does feel like they have magic screen powers to influence your brain. You'd likely understand what I'm talking about if you'd ever owned one. The interactivity, the high quality and brightly colored displays, the touch feedback and notifications...these devices are like brain candy. They're extremely pleasurable to use and if you get used to using them often it's very hard to pull yourself away from them.
- version_five 4y ago
  It honestly does feel like they have magic screen powers to influence your brain. You'd likely understand what I'm talking about if you'd ever owned one. Also anecdotally, my (infant) son is absolutely mesmerized by the sight of a phone screen. I don't let him see it generally, but if he casually spots a screen, it's like it's the only thing in the world.
  - CadmiumYellow 4y ago
    That's so freaky to think about! I don't have kids but I've noticed a lot of the same things in myself. If I turn the display grayscale it's like it instantly loses 80% of its allure, which has me convinced that the bright colors are a huge part of why these devices are so mesmerizing to our lizard brains. I'd imagine that that has an extra strong pull for little kids who are already drawn to bright colors!
  - Fatnino 4y ago
    It was exactly like this for me as a kid in the 80s. Any time there was a screen it would grab my attention. Of course we are talking about tube TV, something others in this thread are dismissing as not the same thing as smartphones. I think the real reason is because it actually was the most interesting thing in the doctors waiting room. Does anyone really expect a dog-eared puzzle missing 40% of its pieces to hold a kids attention better than sesame street?
- noodles_nomore 4y ago
  What you're describing is a dopamine rush. I get the same thing when I watch videos of games I was addicted to once. It's not the device itself that causes it. As a counter-experience: I'm over thirty and only got a modern smartphone a few years ago. The thing is awful. The touch interface is finicky, even after long use. Holding the thing for an extended amount of time is uncomfortable, even after long use. UI design seems universally terrible. All the apps I tried were disorganized and didn't quite serve the purpose I had expected, but they did always give me way too many unlabeled buttons and random pop-ups to tap, and asked for my money/attention every few minutes. The Android OS is obscurantic and loves to give you completely meaningless things to tap: "Tap here to optimize your device", like fucking what? I downloaded a game that appealed to me with loot boxes and sexy characters, but after an initial "wow, phone hardware has come a long way," the novelty wore off very quickly. Frankly, I now loathe the thing. The amount of frustration I've had with it, and the idea that it will just become ever more mandatory as every asshole company and government office loves the idea of shoving you through exactly, for their purposes, calibrated UI that you can't control or argue with -- it outweighs any positive experience I've had from it by a large factor. I don't feel any magic feel-good screen powers, only irritation.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 4y ago
So you have little experience with what you're talking about, but it doesn't stop you from claiming things about their effects with a high degree of confidence?

mc32 4y ago

Moreover parents (the vast majority) use these screen as babysitters —TV did some of that some of the time, but mostly not. But with mobile devices they are ubiquitous in cars, restaurants, airplanes and the home. It’s a long stretch to say they are equivalent for sure. If nothing else they deserve to be studied for effects rather than dismiss it as “yet another moral panick”

cynthedesign 4y ago
Near the end of the article, or my attention span, they mention that they urgently need to contrast the actual screen time from societal factors that influence the parents to use the screen as babysitter. I think there are a bunch of studies about the amount of babble conversation, "I spy" or other awareness games, etc. from primary caregiver is paramount and the moms [etc.] out on walks generally have their baby just zoning out while they surf fast fashion with one hand on the stroller.

H1Supreme 4y ago

An anecdotal comment on screens: When I got my first flat-screen HD TV, and watched actual HD content on it, I had a visceral reaction to the higher resolution. I could remember seeing the lines/pores on people's faces, and it was honestly jarring. I almost plugged my old tube TV back in.

ultrarunner 4y ago
I've done some work with the Amish, and the mind-blown can't-look-away effect of a low quality digital picture frame on fully grown adults raised some red flags for me. Brains are very good at adapting to their surroundings. I'm not convinced of the legitimacy of a moral panic, but something about screens is very unnatural.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]