The Age Of The Internet
The Internet could be impacting the way our brains think more than thought possible in the 21st century. When I say the Age of the Internet, I am not merely talking about the effects of the Internet. With the Internet, came many new technological improvements. Technology plays a major role in our lives way more than ever before. We are constantly staring at screens, always in touch with one another, and rely on it heavily in our daily lives. Almost all of us carry a piece of it in our pocket and use it like we use oxygen. If not, then we're staring at a screen. Our generation is among the first to have a major role in whom the Age of the Internet actually affects. We have grown up, literally, in front of a screen. Most of us can't even remember a time when the Internet did not exist. Because our generation will some day lead the world, will this have an effect on the way it will be run? Some of the world's leading professionals in this field provide some insight on the (possible) outcomes, such as provided by “In Defense of Distraction” by Sam Anderson in New York Magazine; “Our Cluttered Minds” by Jonah Lehrer in The New York Times; “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime” and “Attached to Technology and Paying a Price” by Matt Richtel in The New York Times; and (the main article) “Impact of the Internet of Thinking by Alan Greenblatt in CQ Researcher. All these articles comment on how the Age of the Internet could have a more profound effect on the way our brains work, as our brains are not "wired" to handle this.
The article, "Impact of the Internet on Thinking" by Alan Greenblatt in CQ Researcher greatly contributes to this idea. It combines all the articles stated above. It starts out by explaining how a man is explaining how just a few years ago, his job did not require him to carry a BlackBerry phone. In contrast, today he is required to have one to be in constant contact with the world. Becoming used to it, he does not mind carrying around the phone all the time, because if he doesn't, he feels disconnected. This is one of the many things that worries researchers. The question is then asked. Is new technology really changing the way we think? Journalist Nicholas Carr, author of 2008 Atlantic article "Is Google Making Us Stupid" states that even though the Internet is best as a medium for communicating and exchanging information, it can have ill-profound effects on our brains because the Internet "speaks to the parts of our brain that are attracted to movement, visual imagery, and novelty - primitive parts of the brain that do not lend themselves to deep thought and contemplation." On the contrary, some people believe new technology has made us smarter. Jonah Lehrer writes in "Our Cluttered Minds" in New York Magazine that he believes that people need to put down their devices to relax their brain for a bit, but the Internet does not make us stupid. It comes with far more beneficial results and makes up for whatever harm it does to our brain. In fact, The Pew Internet & American Life Project asked hundreds of technology experts Nicholas Carr's question. The majority disagreed.
Another question being asked is: Does the Web shorten attention spans? Our generation, a generation completely used to technology and the web, relies heavily on attention spans. The majority of us are now in college and this can affect the way we learn detrimentally if this is to be true. Nicholas Negroponte, founder of MIT's Media Lab states that his ability to read any long passage has vanished because he is always distracted by e-mail, or click-through links in the passages themselves. Does this apply to everyone? In this article, it states that in a 2003 San Jose State University study, most participants were in fact reading more online, but had a hard time giving it their full-on attention. However, some experts disagree. Thompson, the professor of popular culture says that there are plenty of focusing going on. He compares this view to a child playing a video game. Video games are technology and there is plenty of focusing in these video games.
The idea that new technology is changing the way we think is not only a modern view. Still focusing on the CQ Researcher article, about half way through the article, Powers writes in Hamlet's BlackBerry that "Even in ancient Greece, people worried about what the latest technology was doing to their minds." The article points out that many of the greatest philosophers in the past worried about the new invention of writing. They believed it would damage memory and society. What they failed to realize was what the benefits could be. We now know these benefits to be of the upmost importance, as we rely on many written things today, such as books. Could this be the same role we face today? Many of today's leading experts are worried about how this new technology could hurt the way we think. However, there seems to be far too many beneficial qualities to this new era of technology that makes this rapid growth seem somewhat unstoppable.
Even though the benefits are outstanding, there are inevitable consequences to this new technology. As mentioned in the article "Attached to Technology and Paying a Price" by Matt Richtel in The New York Times, some scientists believe that multi-tasking affects our ability to focus. Scientists say that having multiple windows open, listening to music, checking your e-mail, and other incoming sorts of information can change how we think and possibly behave. "The stimulation provokes excitement - a dopamine squirt - that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored." (Attached 1) Could this lead to possible addiction as mentioned in "Impact of the Internet on Thinking" in CQ Researcher? Matt Richtel mentions that In today's world, people consume three times as much information as they did back in 1960. Whether we like it or not, this has to play some role in how the "wiring" of our brain works in modern times relative to 1960.
In another article by Matt Richtel, "Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime" in The New York Times, it is mentioned that scientists at the University of California have performed experiments and concluded that "downtime" for the brain lets the brain go over experiences and turn them into long-term memories. However, with new technology, our brains are constantly simulated, states Loren Frank, assistant professor of physiology at the university, and this prevents the learning process. They suggest that taking a walk in nature rather than a busy city, that leaves you processing too much information, can improve the function of your brain and provide useful downtime.
Obviously, it is unquestionable that this new era of technology, or the Age of the Internet, does impact the way we think. There is a substantial amount of evidence showing that it could be detrimental and on the other hand, evidence showing that it is beneficial. Whatever the real problem presents itself as, we still live day to day relying on these technological advances. This will play a role in our way of learning like Francis Bacon said in The Advancement of Learning, “Knowledge is the only thing of which we never can tire or have enough. Ideas outlast artifacts and continue to germinate across the centuries.” Humans love knowledge and that is what led us to the Age of the Internet. Maybe this new era will be full of ideas and will be beneficial to knowledge. The views of the uncertain ways our brains have and might be affected lies on both sides, the good and bad. Only time will determine because this fast track technology train cannot be stopped and it seems inevitable that humans must adapt.