Data Innovation Center

25/05/2025

02/05/2025

"I Agree" is an art installation created by Dima Yarovinsky. It highlights how online users often consent to lengthy and complex terms of service agreements without reading them.

Yarovinsky aimed to visually demonstrate the overwhelming scale of these documents, which most people routinely accept with a simple click.

For the project, he selected the terms of service from major digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Google, and Twitter. He printed each full agreement using a standard legal contract font on long rolls of colored A4 paper. These scrolls were suspended vertically from gallery walls, with the paper cascading down to the floor and sometimes piling up.

Each scroll was labeled with the platform it came from, the total word count, and the estimated time it would take an average person to read it fully.

11/04/2025

19/03/2025

15/03/2025

A new study shows cutting phone use for just 3 days changes brain activity — similar to breaking an addiction.

Could you do it?

Researchers at Heidelberg University and the University of Cologne conducted a study that shows that just 72 hours without a smartphone can significantly alter brain activity.

The study, involving 25 young adults, used MRI scans to observe changes in neural patterns after restricting phone use to only essential communications. When participants were shown images of smartphones, their brain activity resembled patterns seen in substance addiction, particularly in areas linked to dopamine and serotonin—neurotransmitters responsible for reward and compulsive behavior.

This suggests that frequent phone use might trigger addiction-like responses in the brain.

Interestingly, while the brain scans showed strong neurological shifts, psychological tests did not indicate significant mood changes or cravings. Some participants did report feeling better, though this wasn’t consistent across the group.

The findings highlight how deeply intertwined phone use is with our mental processes, particularly in the context of social interaction. As scientists continue to explore how digital devices shape our brains, this study raises important questions about the long-term impact of excessive smartphone use and the potential benefits of occasional detox periods.

learn more https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563225000573

19/11/2024

22/05/2024

17/05/2024