Every day, the average person consumes around 7.5 hours of media and 74 gigabytesA unit of storage capacity. Researchers calculate this statistic by assigning rough values in these terms to words as well as computer data. of data. Researchers estimate we make around 35,000 decisions each day. Never have our brains been put to such constant work.

Academics are starting to grapple with the consequences of this barrage of information. Much of the research suggests our brains are overwhelmed by the volume of stuff we are trying to absorb.

It may seem as though we can pay attention to many things, but neuroscientistNeuroscience is the study of the brain and nervous system. There is a lot of overlap between neuroscience and psychology, but neuroscientists tend to focus more on the way that nerves function. Earl Miller argues: "When people think they're multitasking, they're actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly," he says. We are failing to properly focus.

One study showed that trainee pilots asked to focus on many tasks at once frequently failed to notice the alarm warning of a crisis during a flight simulation.

"Information overload" and "decision fatigue" have effects on our brains. When your attention is disrupted your functional IQA means of measuring human intelligence. A person's IQ is usually ascertained by making them sit a standardised test. Some have criticised these tests as a means of evaluating intelligence, claiming that they ignore much of what it means to be intelligent. drops. Multitasking stimulates the production of the stress hormoneChemicals carried in the bloodstream that alter the way your body's systems act.  cortisol and the fight or flight hormone adrenaline.

Some experts think that technology can be part of the solution. Emily Willingham, author of the recent book The Tailored Brain, argues that gadgets can be made to act as "buddies" for our brain, storing information and dealing with small problems.

Willingham says that the more of our mental workload we give to computers the more we are free to focus on the things that matter. She even suggests that the capacity of technology to "free up cognitive spaceAbsorbing information, concentrating and making decisions all use up your biological resources: just like a muscle, the brain has limits to how much it can take on. " has led to a rise in intelligence.

Other experts advocate a return to simpler ways. Arthur C Brooks, an expert in the social science of happiness, says that the secret to wellbeing lies in advice "your grandmother might've told you". The things that research has shown to reliably improve happiness include:

Invest in relationships: Spend your time and money on experiences rather than material things.

Stay active: Exercise is strongly linked with good mental health, and keeping your brain active also helps.

Be kind: It's for your own benefit as well as others - the brain sends rewards for generous and agreeable interactions.

Bask in nature: Being in a forest is proven to dramatically reduce stress.

One thing these tips have in common is a turn away from our gadgets.

Yes: The deluge of information in modern life just causes needless noise and unnecessary choices. The only cure is to put down our phones and get back to basics.

No: Technology is the solution, not the problem: the more life admin our gadgets can take on, the more we will be freed from the tyranny of choice.

Or... The problem is not the technology itself, but the way tech companies exploit techniques for monopolising our attention. We need a new internet that ensures we use the power of computers to liberate rather than enslave us.