Why a diet of emails, texts and status updates could be bad for our mental health

Modern technology could be damaging our minds by bombarding us with too much information, according to new research. The development of smart phones means that we are becoming more adept at multi-tasking our way through life, as we switch between texts, emails and tweets. But evidence suggests that the constant demand to deal with multiple sources of information is weakening our ability to screen out irrelevant data and prioritise what is important.

Research suggests that new gadgets are reducing our attention spans and making us slaves to modern technology. Researchers at Stanford University in California have already discovered that persistent multi-tasking can impede long-term memory. But now a team from University of California (San Francisco) has concluded that multi-tasking can also hamper short-term memory performance, especially among older adults.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, scientists found that multi-taskers performed worse in tests where they had to jump from one task to another - suggesting that they were easily distracted by irrelevant information.

There are also concerns of possible technology addiction - with frequent users unable to stop checking their messages or sending out updates at every opportunity. The lethal combination has forced some scientists to call for a 'technology diet' in a bid to prevent information overload. APA says: Don’t become a slave to technology, it can sometimes let you down and cause considerable frustration. Pick up the phone occasionally or better still meet the person and chat face-to-face.

APA