Texting has opened new frontiers in pranking your ex and personal embarrassment. Or it’s the end of communication and Western civilization as we know it, depending on who you ask. But, it turns out, it’s also something of a workout for your brain.
Last year, researchers at the Mayo Clinic hooked people up to an EEG and asked them to text, in order to learn what effect, if any, texting had on the brain. They weren’t expecting to uncover a new type of brain activity, most likely, but that’s exactly what they found. The question, of course, is what it might be about sending eggplant emojis and jokes about Deez Nuts to your friends that might be a unique brain activity.
The answer seems to lie in the fact that texting requires your brain to do several tasks at once. You’re engaged with dexterity while typing, using your language skills to compose sentences, and your emotional intelligence to gauge how your text will be received — all at the same time. Plus there’s the anxiety that somebody might actually call you instead of just texting. So, the next time you text, take comfort in the fact that you’re doing something unique with your mind.
(via Mayo Clinic)