Phones are getting smarter. Why aren’t we? In the years leading up to the cellphone we used to remember over a dozen numbers. Spouse, friends, kids, work etc. Today? Not so much. We did math in our heads and navigated with maps. In other words we did a lot more problem solving ourselves. In our own brain. Today the phone does our thinking and we use it for entertainment or routine transactions. It does more of the finding and problem solving for us. Neuro-plasticity means that the brain lays down more neural pathways to support what ever you use it for. Learning to play a violin or a new language. Similarly if you just feed the brain funny videos or memes then that’s where the new cranial muscle goes. Digital dumbing down is real.