Twitter Gets the Thumbs Down for Working Memory

Many Twitter users will have heard that Scottish psychologist Dr. Tracy Alloway has found that using Twitter does nothing to enhance your working memory. Does this mean that all Twitter users are dumb?

Somehow I don’t think so. The suggestion is though that if you want to keep your working memory in tip top shape you could be spending your time on other sites or on other activities instead. Unless you go nowhere else and do nothing else other than twitter I don’t think you need be too worried. But what is this working memory anyway and why did Twitter feature so poorly?

Working memory describes the parts and processes in our brain that temporarily manipulate and store information. There is strong evidence to suggest that actively using working memory can greatly reduce the risks of dementia. It seems that this working memory can also be trained and strengthened.

Unfortunately the very nature of micro blogging does not encourage the use of working memory. Like texting, it is the brevity of Twitter that does nothing for the brain. Dr. Alloway claims that: “On Twitter you receive an endless stream of information, but it’s also very succinct. You don’t have to process that information. Your attention span is being reduced and you’re not engaging your brain and improving nerve connections.” YouTube has the same effect. Most clips are so short that the brain doesn’t get a chance to think and use the information going in.
Facebook came out with a much healthier verdict from the research. This is because it offers more activities that engage the brain.

I wonder though how much research has been done on where Twitter users actually link to. What are we doing with that ‘stream of information’? I would think that so long as you are doing more than just tweeting 24/7 your mind is going to be actively doing something else at some stage. In fact many people simply use Twitter as a means to find or offer that information. Many are also using Twitter as a quick tool so they can be doing other activities, which may or may not be stimulating the working memory.

It would seem though that if you are spending your time doing nothing other than watching YouTube and twittering you need to find a balance. Online games are one way to actively encourage working memory. The more complex the better it seems. Puzzles like sudoku, brain teasers, and even interactive war games all stimulate the brain. If you can’t bear to be pulled away from Twitter for too long but want to boost that brainpower why not try a site like Luminosity.com. They have some quick games that at 10 minutes a day should make up for anything you may have lost being a Twitter fan. Twitter may have failed the working memory test, but all in all I don’t think Tweeters really have too much to worry about.

2 Responses to “Twitter Gets the Thumbs Down for Working Memory”

1. Tweets that mention Twitter Gets the Thumbs Down for Working Memory -- Topsy.com says:

   October 23, 2009 at 9:52 am

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2. uberVU - social comments says:

   October 24, 2009 at 8:13 am

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