Citation

Bavelier D, Green CS, Dye MW. Neuron 2010; 67(5): 692-701.

Affiliation

Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. daphne@bcs.rochester.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Cell Press)

DOI

10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.035

PMID

20826302

PMCID

PMC3170902

Abstract

Children encounter technology constantly at home and in school. Television, DVDs, video games, the Internet, and smart phones all play a formative role in children's development. The term "technology" subsumes a large variety of somewhat independent items, and it is no surprise that current research indicates causes for both optimism and concern depending upon the content of the technology, the context in which the technology immerses the user, and the user's developmental stage. Furthermore, because the field is still in its infancy, results can be surprising: video games designed to be reasonably mindless result in widespread enhancements of various abilities, acting, we will argue, as exemplary learning tools. Counterintuitive outcomes like these, besides being practically relevant, challenge and eventually lead to refinement of theories concerning fundamental principles of brain plasticity and learning.

Language: en