Daily Googling Can Make You Smarter and Strengthen Your Brain Muscle

While I have always remained a proponent of this belief, even as my friends and clients laughed and ridiculed me for even suggesting that such a possibility could even exist, I am glad to report there is now scientific proof. Googling does make one smarter. New evidence has been reported that suggests that regular use of the Internet might make the user smarter than non-Internet users. I know, that sounds like a report commissioned by some organization or company that would benefit from more individual's surfing the Internet, such as web hosting companies, or internet browser creators, or even Google themselves. But that is not the case. The report was authored by an unbiased, nothing to gain individual.

Dr. Gary Small from UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior has dispelled the scuttlebutt that surfing the World Wide Web is nothing more than a time wasting, brain draining use of precious neurons, in his new recent report on internet usage and its affect on the brain. Dr. Small's findings reveals searching the Internet on a regular basis does for the brains of Senior Citizens what doing regular bench presses does for the athletes' muscles, it builds it up and makes it stronger.

Utilizing functional MRI scans which reveal real time brain activity in an individual; Dr. Small's 24 participant group was divided and observed. Half of the group surf the Internet on a daily basis. The other half had little or no experience with Internet usages and was not allowed access to it during the study. The brain activity of both groups was monitored while they read a book of the computer screen. Both groups produced similar brain activity during this exercise. Next both groups were given Internet search projects to complete.

Again, each group's brain activity was monitored during the activity. The group with past WWW surfing experience registered twice as much brain activity in their frontal, temporal, and cingulated areas, all which contribute to complex reasoning, then their inexperienced Internet surfing counterparts. It's somewhat difficult to believe there are still individuals in this country whom have little to no experience with the internet, but obviously there are still some people out there. They are most likely Senior Citizens.

Is their also an increase in neural activity? That question is yet to be answered, but Dr. Small is confident that those who do not use the internet regularly could build up their brain muscle by logging on and spending more time on the Internet. Just like more and more exercise will improve your body tone and strength, more and more web searching should improve the strength and condition of your brain. It is not a bad workout. I spend hours exercising my brain that way everyday. I can't wait to share this report with my scuffing friends.