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Our round-up of the latest juicy tit-bits from the world of psychology.

12 August 2011

By Christian Jarrett

  • The Greenfield saga continues. Recall that Baroness Susan Greenfield recently restated to New Scientist her fears that technology is harming children’s brains, and that Professor Dorothy Bishop subsequently wrote an open letter objecting to Greenfield’s claims, especially to the suggestion that technological changes are responsible for the rise in autism. [update: Bishop has just published an email exchange she’s had with an academic who defends Greenfield and is critical of her (Bishop’s) open letter].

  • Something we missed last week was Martin Robbins’ spoof blog post “Facebook will destroy your children’s brains“.

  • Susan Greenfield has since clarified her position in an interview with the Guardian: “I point to the increase in autism and I point to internet use. That’s all.”

  • This style of argument has now been immortalised as a Greenfieldism, as celebrated by this new website.

  • Unabashed, Greenfield has defended her techno-warnings this very morning, in a new article for The Independent [update: Neuroskeptic has attempted to engage in the debate that Greenfield has called for].

  • Thankfully a useful article at the Atlantic Wire highlights some actual research studies showing possible benefits and harms associated with Facebook use (written by Rebecca Greenfield: no relation to Susan we assume).

In other news: