Can Drugs Enhance Brain Fitness?
In a report conducted by a UK organization called Foresight, predictions were made about the future of brain enhancing drugs. There is a growing trend among adults to take cognitive-enhancing drugs like Provigil, Ritalin, Inderal and Adderall. Adderall is typically prescribed for individuals with ADHD – attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
And according to Tech Crunch, maybe Silicon Valley executives take Provigil. And it’s not just the executives who are taking these drugs. According to a poll performed by Nature, 20% of scientists who responded to the survey admitted to taking one of the previously mentioned cognitive-enhancement drugs. Although these drugs are increasing in popularity, scientists are split on whether it is a good or bad idea to take them.
In our culture, people gradually become more and more competitive. We live in a society that is going, going and going. We never stop. And these types of drugs seem to be the perfect solution to this environment. According to the Foresight report, brain enhancing drugs may someday become as common as coffee. And with a Starbucks on practically every corner, it’s not so hard to believe how quickly a craze like this can catch on.
One issue that does need to be addressed is what kind of effects will occur in healthy people who do not need these drugs to treat social and behavioral disorders. It seems that not enough time has passed since cognitive-enhancing drugs started being used by healthy people in order to provide clear answers to this question. So, does that mean it is unsafe for them to take it at this point? Fair question.
Scientists who are proponents of brain enhancing drugs want people to not be so afraid of these drugs. They say that they do have positive effects. They believe that these drugs should not be treated in the same realm as steroids – performance-enhancing drugs.
It’s hard not to look at it in the same light. Brain enhancing drugs will give people who can afford the drug an edge. This in turn will cause other people to feel pressured to get a hold of the drugs. For example, students would probably be majorly affected by this. In order to maintain a high GPA and to compete with their peers, they would need to stay one step ahead of the game, or at least stay close to the pack that is consuming brain enhancing drugs.
If these drugs do start to become part of everyday society, like coffee, several other questions will arise. Will these cognitive-enhancing drugs become much like steroids and give people an unfair advantage at work, during an interview or at a math competition? Will these drugs be helpful in certain professions? For example, these drugs keep people alert and awake for long periods of time. Will these drugs come in handy for a pilot or a doctor? Or will utterly negative side effects become apparent after more studies can be conducted?
All in all, it is too soon to say without a shadow of a doubt that these drugs are good or bad. Either way, people need to use common sense and do some research before trying these drugs out.
Photo by Shutr
