Do you keep track of the time your children spend in front of the computer? Be warned. Spending so much time in front of the computer could be doing more harm than good to their brains, that’s according to renowned neuroscientist Susan Greenfield. She especially pointed out social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Bebo as culprits for damaging the young people’s minds.

These sites shorten attention span, encourage instant gratification, and make them more self-centered. As children spend more and more time in front of the computer, scientists and neurologist fear that online interaction will eventually replace real, face to face interaction, which could be damaging in the long run.

Social network sites can shorten attention span because the young brain gets used to the instant and rapid interchange that usually happens there. And if they venture into the real world where responses are not as fast, some people might think misconstrue it as an attention-deficit disorder. The immediate reward that goes with playing computer games also promotes instant gratification. The traditional values like perseverance, hard work and patience lose their importance in the face of instant gratification. Children can also grow more self-centered as they fail to recognize and feel empathy with other people. It might even come to a point where they no longer know where they “finish and the outside world begins.”

We all agree that all these new technologies are good; however, if it comes to a point where they already affect the mind negatively, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate.