Life is full of cause and effect. No doubt everything we do changes the tool for adaptation to the environment: our brains. Neuroplasticity is understood; she's not the first person to come of with the idea that what we feed our brain today, is what it becomes tommorrow.
We have a brain diet that has changed at a rapid pace, overall for society in the last few decades. Of course it has an effect. However with the news here recently that a sperm donor that had Aspergers, fathered 20 children with Autism spectrum disorders, it's likely that general traits of Aspergers have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, before anyone ever thought of TV, the internet, or texting.
The question becomes though, do the changes in our brain diet, make Aspergers more of an impairment? Brain diet changes all brains, so it is changing the brains of people with traits of Autism as well, depending on their individual brain diets.
Potential positive and negative effects, that only longitudinal studies will determine, with proper control groups. It's a new area of study; and a difficult one to measure exactly what the effects of our new brain diet will be, on a long term basis.
If I had to guess though, from what I understand about psychology, physiology, and anthropology: reduced empathy, reduced physical social skills, reduced verbal ability, reduced focus, reduced attention. Does it sound like Aspergers yet, maybe, but it's not necessarily the aspergers that some are born with. It's just normal human behavior influenced by the way we live our lives and what we feed our brains.
Add in some chronic stress, and resulting repetitive behaviors that come with chronic stress in any normal human being, and presto, one could get a diagnosis of aspergers, simply because it is measured in part by subjective observation of a psychologist. Not, likely, but possible.
Many people are living in a vicarious world. There has been that opportunity, as long as we have had consciousness and imagination, but now those vicarious worlds are presented to us on a silver platter.
I never realized how much a part of my life, TV was, until I lost the ability to watch it. That in itself is quite an illusion to grow up with, and become immersed with as part of one's life. It's also a source of some interesting dreams, and strange expectations during the course of a lifetime.
Much of it is speculation at this point, but I can't help but to think of indigenoous people in underdeveloped countries, and the amish, that often become overwhelmed when presented with cvilization.
In some cases autism rates that are higher than those in the countries the indigenous people move too, such as Somalian Bantu immigrants. It's not vaccines anymore; some suggest vitamin D.
Culture plays a large part in our behavior and changes in the way we see the world. Coming from an underveloped world to a developed one is a major change, for someone that hasn't adapted their entire life to those changes in small increments. Not surprising to me that the results of this change and accompanying stress doesn't produce changes that are entirely positive.
Lady Greenfield is warning people that what is required now for many people to live is dangerous; it's going to be a hard sale to produce change, unless there is sudden evidence of serious consequences.
Many of us have adapted gradually to the changes; and are still alive; that's all that counts to most people. I doubt electronic media technology is going to be a habit than many could break, even if they wanted to. Our brains expect the diet they have been fed for decades now. For the most part, it's been one of stimulation by lights, sound, and information.
Imagination, physical connection with others, relaxed conversation, deep thought, and the simple serenity of homeostatsis that most animals enjoy when they are not fighting or flighting for survival, is not what it was in the past.
I lived in that place and observed the people there, they look fairly similar, but they are definitely not the same. Some of the hybrids still live among us. People that missed the media revolution, and never became a full partner in it.
And still others like the Amish and those in undeveloped areas that dismiss much of it, some that aren't even aware of it. AS traits are still there, just not influenced by the same lights, sounds, information, and general level of stimulation; and in my opinion, for some, likely not as impairing.
There are too many people I knew in the past with the traits of Aspegers that found a way in life, without much concern, other than being odd. From what I could see mostly happy, people focused on their areas of interest, without serious concern of the taunts of those that saw them as odd.
For one that takes in detail easier than others, there is more out there than ever before. Some adapt easier to change than others. And some notice change more than others. In general I think that those with AS traits fall in the second category.
It's much more though than electronic technology, though I think. Overpopulation, in itself, creates many problems among primates. We may wear clothes, but we are still subject to many of the same physiological and mental changes that influence other primates, when faced with population pressures and limited resources.
That and so many other factors in modern civilization, makes it almost impossible to isolate electronic media technology as a definitive cause of any disorder.
Somewhat interesting in a blog, but not a popular place for politicians to go.
15 Aug 2011, 3:29 pm
