Internet a threat to our brains, top scientist says

Society has been urged to wake up to the potentially harmful effects on the brain of the internet, networking sites and computer games.

Leading neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield, one of Britain's most prominent female scientists, claimed the issue was "almost as important as climate change".

"I think the quality of our existence is threatened," Lady Greenfield said. "We need discussions about this, we need debate, we need more of an effort put in.

"We need to recognise this as an issue rather than sweeping it under the carpet.

"We should acknowledge that this is bringing an unprecedented change in our lives and we have to work out whether it is for good or bad."

In January Lady Greenfield, who is well known for her outspoken views, controversially lost her job as director of the Royal Institution.

She was speaking last night at the British Festival of Science at Aston University in Birmingham.

She said some "very good things" were emerging from information technology, but added: "By the same token we have got to be very careful about what price we are paying."

Possible benefits of the technology included a higher IQ, better memory and faster processing of information.

On the other side of the equation, social networking sites might reduce empathy, said Lady Greenfield.

Using search engines to find facts might hinder the ability to learn, while computer games could "make us more reckless in our day-to-day lives".

"Rather than sleepwalking into this we should be the masters and not the slaves of technology and harnessing it in ways that we could do exciting and fulfilling things with," she added.