The fact that this has changed from strictly anecdotal behavioral evidence to showing up on MRIs is frightening. We’ve been hearing for a few years now how technology is essentially dopamine-reward delivery, but having actual concrete proof that our brains are changing…yarg. At least no one can argue with it anymore, I suppose.

When I was student teaching in 2007, one of my students got teased by the other kids for being “addicted” to his phone – he literally couldn’t let a message ping through without answering it. At the time, his behavior was not the norm. Now, five years later, he is not considered weird at all. Very scary to think about where we could end up at this rate.