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In this modern era, with advanced technology such as the internet, smartphones, the world's knowledge is right on our doorsteps. We now have access to unlimited and unsolicited information due to these tools. Even though these gadgets facilitate our daily lives, questions of their effects on the human cognition have emerged. Is the internet making us stupid? The internet is making us useless because it's altering our perception.
First, the internet is tampering with our memory. Many may argue that we should be able to remember more due to this vast environment of unlimited information, but is it possible? According to a study: we are more likely to remember information if we believe that we may not have access to it later.
The fact is we are always showered with loads of information on a daily. We are so eager to check all that our brain can't establish which ones are relevant. The overload of information causes our short term memory.
“While our long-term memory has a nearly unlimited capacity, the short-term memory has more limited storage, and that storage is very fragile. 'A break in our attention can sweep its contents from our mind'.
The worldwide web is killing our critical thinking. Even though in our eyes, the internet restrains us from making biased opinions its also restraining us from developing a deeper understanding of things. As human beings, we are endowed with intelligence, and the capacity to evaluate and form our judgment but having access to all of this load of information can alter our perspectives.
Based on a study conducted on high school students, researchers found that even though students are aware of their knowledge, they do not use it when accessing information from the internet. In Nicholas Carr's book, The Shallows, he explains how different tools change our perception of the world and the actual way we think not just what we think about. The web subverts our critical thinking and feeds us endless information that damage or restrain our expertise.
Finally, The internet is tampering with our concentration. How many time does one check their phone in a day? As reported by an article it is estimated that people check their phones at least ''52 times per day'' if not more. Our phones capture our attention with new alerts and notification from Facebook, IG, and Tweeter that are most of the time irrelevant. Focusing on more important things such as our studies, relationships, and just being in the present moment becomes a burden since we are continually distracted. In Accordance with his article 'Is Google Making Us Stupid,' Nicolas Carr stated:'' What the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation'.
In conclusion, the internet is making us useless because it's altering our cognition. The interference with our memory, our critical thinking, and our concentration should keep us away from these modern tools. Even though they feed our primitive instinct which is to seek information they shouldn't take over what makes us humans. Our cognition is the whole essence of our being.
Work Cited
Is Google Making Us Stupid and Why. (2024, Feb 07). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/is-google-making-us-stupid-and-why-essay
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