Technology has given us the luxury and ease of travelling faster, safer as well as making the most informed decisions. But is this much information good for our brain? The worry regarding how much of our health is being affected by the latest technology has been something many researchers have looked into. UCLA health details how previously, researchers had looked into how TVs had affected our brain activity. They tracked the TV habits of 599 volunteers and found that those who watched the most hours over 11 years. What they found was that these people, after years of watching the television for extended periods of time had smaller entorhinal cortex. This part of the brain is important for memory, finding your way around, and understanding time. So how does this connect to GPS? This navigation tool that gives us turn-by-turn directions is incredibly easy. It gives us the arrival time, warns you about traffic, and suggests new routes. But some studies are finding that this convenience might have a downside. When we use GPS all the time, we don't just forget how to read a map. Research suggests that a specific part of the brain that helps us with navigation might get weaker, too. What Is The GPS-Brain Connection? This brings us to a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is located deep inside your head. It's a very old and important structure that helps with memory and navigating. The hippocampus is also key for making plans and decisions. When people have Alzheimer's disease or other memory problems, this area of the brain often shrinks. Things like aging, depression, and stress can also cause it to get smaller. Now, new research suggests that letting GPS do all the work means we're not exercising this important brain area. Does Using GPS Make Us Slow? Several studies show a clear link between GPS use and brain activity. A study in the journal Nature Communications found that when people followed spoken GPS directions, their hippocampus was much less active than when they navigated on their own.Another study found that people who used GPS all the time had a significant drop in their ability to remember locations.On the other hand, a study of London taxi drivers showed the opposite. As their knowledge of the city's streets grew, their hippocampi actually got larger over time.The main takeaway is that you can improve your brain health by actively navigating. Experts even suggest adding physical activity to the mix, like a sport called orienteering where you use a map and compass to find your way. This can help keep your brain healthy and adaptable. How Did We Navigate Before Maps? When you actively explore, you strengthen your hippocampus. As we get older, our navigation skills and hippocampus can decline, so keeping this part of the brain active is very important. According to a 2021 study published in the Scientific Reports, we use 2 main types of navigation methods. Egocentric Navigation This is like following a list of instructions. You know the directions in relation to yourself ("turn left at the big tree"). This is what most GPS apps do. It's passive, meaning you just follow the steps without making your own decisions. Allocentric Navigation This is like using a mental map. You understand how different landmarks relate to each other, so you can find your way from any point. This is an active process that builds a true cognitive map in your hippocampus. GPS apps that give you turn-by-turn directions use the first method. They tell you exactly what to do, which means you don't have to make any decisions. This makes you a "passenger in your own body" instead of an active explorer. Can We Learn to Navigate Better? The study in this text suggests a new approach to GPS that helps us stay engaged. Instead of turn-by-turn directions, they used a virtual audio beacon. This is a continuous sound that always comes from the direction of your destination. This is what they did: The Test They had a group of people do a scavenger hunt on a large campus. Some used traditional verbal turn-by-turn directions, and others used the new audio beacon system. Participants were a mix of "experts" (employees who knew the campus) and "naïve" (new interns who didn't). The Results The group that used the audio beacon, especially the new interns, did much better at remembering the locations. They were more accurate when pointing to landmarks and better at drawing the locations on a map. This suggests that the audio beacon system helps people build a better mental map of their surroundings. Why it Works The audio beacon acts like a compass, guiding you toward the destination but letting you choose your own path. This makes you an active navigator again, which is what helps your brain build and strengthen its cognitive map.