How Has Your Brain Adapted to the Digital Age?

Key points

Phone culture is measurably rewiring how we think and process information.

People develop distinct cognitive "superpowers" as adaptations to digital environments.

Understanding your thinking style helps you leverage strengths instead of fighting them.

"You remember when people got lost and just... figured it out," my 13-year-old daughter recently said. She was right: And what's more, she tapped into something deeper about how phone culture may be changing fundamental qualities about how we think, feel, and operate in the world.

In my work as a speech pathologist and consultant, I've been witnessing these changes firsthand, not just in my own family, but across all ages who struggle with communication, learning, and attention challenges. What strikes me most is observing k