'Sup? Lst wknd wz gr8. Cw2cu agn . . . ttyl!"

A message from outer space or a text about a fun weekend and the promise to touch base soon?

If you're a digital immigrant -- only 27 per cent of Canadians who Statistics Canada says don't text, tweet and Google away their hours -- chances are it sounds like a foreign language spoken by a generation you can't fathom.

But according to prominent American neuroscientist Dr. Gary Small, this lack of understanding is more than just a generation gap. In fact, spurred by the technological web of mobile phones, computers, the Internet and video games, we are in the midst of what he calls "a brain gap," in which the younger generation doesn't just look and sound different, their brains are rapidly evolving to such an extent, they actually function differently, too.

"Because of the current technological revolution," warns Small, author of iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind (HarperCollins, 2009), "our brains are evolving right now -- at a speed like never before."

THE DIGITAL BRAIN

And it's starting at a very early age. While every human is born with the same circuitry, give or take some genetic variations, "studies show that our environment moulds the shape and function of our brains as well, and it can do so to the point of no return," he says. In fact, by adolescence, 60 per cent of the brain's synapses, or connection sites between cells, have been pruned to suit dominant learning experiences. In other words, for "digital natives" who have grown up with constant, daily exposure, technology stimulates brain cells and neurotransmitter release, sparking the evolution of new neural pathways -- and weakening old ones.

The result? For digital immigrants and natives alike, the most profound impact has come from continuous partial attention or "keeping tabs on everything while never truly focusing on anything," Small says.

Don't confuse that with multi-tasking. Rather than trying to improve efficiency while juggling phone calls, report-writing and organizing a babysitter, Small says splitting your attention among e-mail, smartphones, texting and the Internet is more about making connections with others than getting the job done. In fact, according to a StatsCan research paper on how the Internet affects Canadian life and civic participation, Canadian "communities are no longer linked to neighbourhoods, and people mobilize social capital through a variety of specialized sources rather than relying on a single close-knit group of neighbours and relatives. Rather than being a separate 'second life,' the Internet is firmly and increasingly interwoven with the fabric of Canadian society and is becoming more so over time."

More connected, perhaps, but Small says we're also more stressed, and we "no longer have time to reflect, contemplate or make thoughtful decisions. Instead, (we) exist in a state of crisis -- on alert for a new contact or bit of exciting news or information. Once people get used to this state ... it feeds their egos and sense of self-worth, and it becomes irresistible.

Facebook and Twitter are two examples. Almost 70 per cent of Canadians connect with "friends" and "friends of friends" they may never meet via Facebook, compared to an average of 47 per cent in seven other countries. We're also more expert at disseminating our micro-thoughts across micro-blogs such as Twitter than any other nation, according to the Fleishman-Hillard 2010 Digital Influence Index.

And our people skills are suffering as a result. A 2001 Stanford University study examining the Internet's effect on socialization found that for every hour we spend on computers, we cut traditional face-to-face time by nearly half an hour. "With the weakening of the brain's neural circuitry controlling human contact," Small explains, "our social interactions may become awkward, and we tend to misinterpret, and even miss subtle, non-verbal messages."

Even so, our evolving brains do have an upside. Along with the average IQ steadily increasing, according to a 2000 University of Cambridge study, "we can learn to react more quickly to visual stimuli and improve many forms of attention, particularly the ability to notice images in our peripheral vision. We develop a better ability to sift through large amounts of information rapidly and decide what's important and what isn't. Rather than catching 'digital ADD,' " Small says, "many of us are developing neural circuitry that is customized to rapid and incisive spurts of directed concentration."

PROFILE OF A DIGITAL NATIVE

- Ninety per cent of young adults use the Internet, compared to just one-third of the over-65 crowd, says a 2006 Pew Internet survey.

- Digital natives don't read as much as their parents: a 2007 Harvard University study found that literary reading amongst 18- to 34-year-olds has dropped by 28 per cent since 1982, while just 16 per cent regularly read newspapers.

- Nearly 55 per cent of Canadians get their media information from the Internet, compared to 27 per cent who prefer TV, according to the Fleishman-Hillard 2010 Digital Influence Index.

- The study also found that 42 per cent of Canadians don't read printed magazines; another 28 per cent don't get a print version of newspapers.

- "Digital natives tend to have shorter attention spans" and find conventional television sluggish, says Small. If watching TV, one-third simultaneously use another media, such as the Internet or iPods, says a 2005 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

- When confronted with subtle facial expression, digital natives who play violent video games also have trouble assessing them quickly and accurately, says a 2007 State University of New York study.

PROFILE OF A DIGITAL IMMIGRANT

- Digital immigrants use technology, but because they didn't grow up with its ubiquitous presence and sensory overload, their brains have developed to "learn more methodically and tend to execute tasks more precisely," says Small.

- On the other hand, a Brandeis University study reported that while technology newcomers are often stressed by multi-tasking, natives can handle three or four tasks at a time, albeit inefficiently.

- Although the brains of digital immigrants don't develop as natives do because of their low-tech upbringing, a 2006 report from the University of Michigan discovered that older brains can develop by using additional frontal brain regions to adapt to quickly changing environments.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR IBRAIN

IF YOU'RE A DIGITAL NATIVE ...

- Strengthen your memory by increasing face-to-face contact. A 2008 study by the University of Michigan of 3,610 people found that the more time you spend chatting with the friends in person, the better your memory.

- Face-to-face contact will also improve your social skills and decrease the negative psychological consequences of chronic Internet use, such as loneliness, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

- Turn off your iPhone and have a family meal. "It not only strengthens our neural circuitry for human contact, but also helps ease the stress we experience in our daily lives," says Small.

- Learn to meditate. It will help slow the pace of your thinking and help your brain focus on one task at a time. "By slowing down your pace, you may increase your accuracy and efficiency," says Small.

IF YOU'RE A DIGITAL IMMIGRANT

- Keep it balanced. Digital immigrants are just as likely as natives to become immersed in technology, so use your superior social skills and logical mind to set boundaries on your technological use. Set aside specific times to check e-mail throughout your day, turn off your PDA when you get home and switch off the home computer after dinner.

- Play games. In immigrant brains, "games, puzzles and exercises can improve cognitive abilities as well as the efficiency of the neural circuitry controlling them," says Small.

- Beware of Internet addiction. "Identify your personal triggers to obsessive behaviours, such as boredom, anxiety, loneliness and other feelings or situations," says Small.

- Restrict how many technologies you multi-task with. According to Small, adult technology users are increasingly complaining of distractibility, impulsiveness and hyperactivity -- symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). "Some professionals argue that ADHD is not truly a diagnostic disorder, but rather the brain's adaptation to its perpetual exposure to multiple bits of information delivered through today's fast-paced technology," he says. "Eventually, these adaptations may redefine mainstream culture."