THE BCI AND NEURO DATA CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL SPACE

Spatial boundaries define the natural, social, cultural and ethical, invisible barrier around the body. This invisible barrier is what theorists call proxemics, or the distance people keep between each other. In normal conditions, personal space varies, not only from person to person but also according to culture. There are four categories of proxemic distance that people subconsciously play out. The intimate space for our closest relationships is 0-18 inches apart, the personal space for family and friends is 18 inches to 4 feet of distance, the social space for casual and professional relationships is 4-10 feet, and the public space for strangers is over 10 feet. The point here is that where you place yourself when you talk to someone is instinctive but indicative of intimacy. Although you don’t measure the distance literally, you are still calculating it mentally.

I started looking at studies in neuroscience, behavioural psychology and data science to see what conclusions experts made about changes to our brain from daily use of apps, smart phones and gaming.  It turns out, extended integration with a computer interface does change us physiologically, with documented signs of decreased empathy and decreased grey matter in our brains. 

Many interfaces have dopamine feedback loops designed into their architecture, to manipulate the reward centre in our brains to hold our attention. There is also an emergence of digital addictions that are stigmatised because they are not mainstream in academic teaching in psychology yet. Depression was another major behavioural marker, that could be a result of extended computer interaction. There are also positive scenarios that the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is applied to. Brain controlled devices for the disabled can improve someone’s quality of life. For people that suffer from neurological disorders like epilepsy a surgically implanted BCI can help alter brain signals to control seizures.

There are some amazing applications of brain-to-computer interaction, for example, brain-controlled assisted devices for the disabled, or (BCI) implants that can monitor neurological disorders such as epilepsy.  On the other hand, the effect on our neuro health could be substantial, which is why there should be a distinction between what is neuro friendly and neuro negative.  We have the illusion that our mind has control, we are in control.