Baroness Greenfield is at it again. The internet is very bad for children’s brains, it seems. Starter for 10: which UK newspaper had this as a headline?
Facebook and Twitter are creating a vain generation of self-obsessed people with child-like need for feedback, warns top scientist
Yup. The Daily Mail. Stephen Downes points to a great interview from Frank Swain, a new subscription for me.
Frank Swain’s reaction is laudably diplomatic:
I would say that Greenfield’s views here are … complicated. There’s no doubting the passion her feels about this topic, and a a good deal of her interactions come across as a desire to raise awareness. But raise awareness of what, exactly?
The ever wonderful Mind Hacks points to a less polite pastiche over at Lay Scientist.
“I think it’s really important that people aren’t frightened by scare stories about new technology, and I’ve been a big supporter of brain-training software in the past,” the scientist said, “but people’s brains are literally melting inside their heads from all the MyFace waves being absorbed.”
While I don’t think anyone deserves to be ridiculed, as Ben Goldacre pointed out last year, there are genuine causes for concern.