Study: Google & Web Search Make You Smarter
Oct 14, 2008 at 7:40pm ET by Matt McGee
Proving what many of us in the search industry have long suspected, a report today on CNN says searching the web makes you smarter.
Dr. Gary Small, a professor at UCLA, studied the brain activity of two groups of elder adults — one with “Web savvy” and one without. The study used MRI technology to measure brain activity when the groups were asked to engage with a page from a book and an Internet search page.
The results?
When using a web search engine, the web savvy group showed more than twice the brain activity than the technologically challenged group, and that activity happened in the areas of the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.
Says Dr. Small:
“There’s so much interest in exercising our minds as we age. One result of this study is that these technologies are not all bad. They may be good in keeping our brains active.”
Unfortunately for the major search engines, Dr. Small didn’t say if one search engine is better for the brain than another.
Share, Bookmark & Discuss This Article
More:
Keep Updated: News Via Email | News Via RSS Feed | News Via Twitter
See more stories like this in the Members Library! Check out the Search & Society: General sections of the Members Library where this story is filed. Members also get access to exclusive video content, a members-only weekly & monthly newsletter, plus more. Check out all the benefits!
TOP STORIES
SEARCH NEWS BRIEFS
FEATURES & ANALYSIS
RECENT COMMENTS
- pete142 said " Very good bartender analogy gives the main point of the article instant clarity. Well done! I am env"
- webmarketingadvisor said " It would be interesting to know how the decisions about the logos are made - I've been keeping a blo"
- solarian said " Your article would be more consistent if you provide some links to not optimized for search engines "
FREE DAILY SEARCH NEWS RECAP!
Stay on top of all the search news with our daily summary, the SearchCap newsletter. View a sample ›
STAY CURRENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Search Engine Land produces SMX, the Search Marketing Expo conference series. SMX events deliver the most comprehensive educational and networking experiences - whether you're just starting in search marketing or you're a seasoned expert.
SMX Web Site » | SMX Difference » | SMX News »
Join us at an upcoming SMX event:
- SMX West - March 2-4, 2010
- SMX Munich - March 23-24, 2010
- SMX Toronto - April 8-9, 2010
- SMX Sydney - April 22-23, 2010
- SMX Advanced London - May 17-18, 2010
- SMX Advanced Seattle - June 8-9, 2010
- SMX East - October 4-6, 2010
- SMX Stockholm - October, 2010
Learn more about search marketing with our free online webcasts and webinars from our sister site, Search Marketing Now. Upcoming online events include:
- PPC Advertising & Geo-Targeting - November 12, 2009
- Making Online Marketing Relevant and Responsive: Tactics and A Tool for Success - November 17, 2009
- Ask the Search Engines: War Stories from the World Tour - December 1, 2009
TRACK US SOCIALLY
- Wall Street Journal Recommended Reading
- Ad Age Power 150 Blog
- Technorati Top 100 Blog
- Techmeme Leaderboard Source
- Best Search Engine Community/Forum
Featured sites from our Blogroll
- Greg Boser – Search Marketing Consultant
- Google LatLong
- Master of 500 Hats
- Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search
- Link Building Best Practices – A Weekly Q&A With Eric Ward
Get Your Search Engine Land
Premium Membership!
Become a premium member today and receive:
- Express commenting privileges & photo.
- Exclusive videos & newsletters.
- Discounts to our SMX conferences.
- Access to "How To" & Other Archives.
© 2009 Third Door Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Google, Yahoo & Microsoft logos trademark respective companies and used with permission.
