Coming up on tonight’s episode of 60 Minutes, Adam Hegarty examines growing concerns around digital dementia and the impact of screen time on brain health.
The episode then shifts to Amelia Adams’ rare Canberra interview with China’s ambassador to Australia as global tensions continue to rise.
BRAIN DRAIN
Anyone who loves whiling away the hours surfing the internet, scrolling through social media or playing computer games on their mobile phones and tablets needs to pause and take serious note.
Instead of providing entertainment, or even a way to simply pass the time, there now seems to be proof that screen time is making people less intelligent.
As Adam Hegarty reports, the evidence is frightening, especially when it comes to teenagers’ use of smart phones and other devices.
Medical scans show significant shrinking of their brains, similar to what researchers find in elderly people with Alzheimer’s disease.
And so worrying is the increasing prevalence of this condition, it has been given a name: Digital dementia.
Reported by Adam Hegarty, produced by Laura Sparkes.
THEIR MAN IN CANBERRA
With the Middle East on fire, the entire world is in crisis. Every country is feeling the heat of economic and military uncertainty.
Superpower China finds itself in a particularly delicate situation. It’s one of Iran’s strategic partners, yet knows that actively supporting the Tehran regime is a fraught proposition.
On the upside for China though, the war could be an opportunity too good to ignore; the chance, while attention is focused elsewhere, for Beijing to take Taiwan and rule the Indo-Pacific.
With much to discuss, China’s man in Canberra, Ambassador Xiao Qian invited Amelia Adams to the embassy for a rare, and at times robust, interview.
Reported by Amelia Adams, produced by Anne Worthington and Sheree Gibson.
After seeing this episode im seriously thinking of unplugging from fbook altogether (the only social platform i use). Lately I often find myself scrolling thru reels and time just gets away without realising. I like messenger thou so will keep using that. Social media is a serious time waster and designed to suck u in. Making the world dumb and we r becoming incapable of having a conversation face to face. Might as well be robots.
I recently did a trip round Tassie staying at various camping grounds. It was so nice to see the kids making friends, riding their bikes round with each other, talking, laughing, even girls making friendship bracelets and selling them to campers. Not a screen in sight. Brought back great memories. We used our imagination and made our own fun back then. Today…Big Brother!! No thanks 👎👎👎👎
Hi