Is the Internet part of our Evolution?

UCLA, all the way over in California, have been researching. They have tested peoples reactions, understandings and general interpretations and have come to the conclusion that the Internet is actually helping us evolve. How? Carry on reading and I'll tell you!

According to research, people who come into contact with technology a lot, and have done for a long time have a different way of thinking to those who aren't and never have been all that 'Into' our sexy gadgets. By thinking different, I mean the way they react to such things as human contact, or decision making.

Those who spend a lot of time online, and have done for a while now, are more likely to process information they are given faster as well as understanding whether it is useful or not. This is because of how used to flicking through web pages they are. They have adapted to taking the useful information out of sections of text and discarding the useless. This heps speed up thinking times, as well as the time it takes to make a difficult decision.

However, these people are also less likely to understand natural information such as facial expressions and body language. This is because the time they spend online decreases the time they spend socialising, which means they are unaware of how people are feeling emotionally.

Gary Small, who is a specialist in the function of the brain said:

"The brain is very specialized in its circuitry and if you repeat mental tasks over and over it will strengthen certain neural circuits and ignore others." says Small. "We are changing the environment. The average young person now spends nine hours a day exposing their brain to technology. Evolution is advancement from moment to moment and what we are seeing is technology affecting our evolution..."

"...We're seeing an evolutionary change. The people in the next generation who are really going to have the edge are the ones who master the technological skills and also face-to-face skills. They will know when the best response to an email or Instant Message is to talk rather than sit and continue to email" said Small.

I guess I can only ask one question:

"Can the Internet rly help us fink better? cos if so, den I fink it's gr8!"