Steve Johnson claims that the access to the Worldwide Web and our complex and fast paced society is making us more intelligent. The way we acquire, process and understand information on the Internet today is evolving the human brain.
Does this mean we are getting smarter?
For most of us there is no difference between intelligent and smart, but in truth there is a difference. Mark Lowenthal argues that intelligence is something we are born with, a measurement of our ability to learn. It is inherent and has its source in our genetics. Smart on the other hand is learned, something earned. When we study, we learn more about a specific subject and become smarter in that area. Smart is developed as we go through life by learning’s and experiences. …show more content…
The Internet has become part of daily life and we depend on it for information. This dependency has hindered our ability to comprehend, our lust for inquisitive and critical thinking, ability to deliberate, form unique ideas and analyze topics. Nicholas Carr, believes that our dependency on researching other’s opinions on the internet is standing on the way of our own creative thinking, ability to form a personalized opinion and higher order of thinking “We are evolving from cultivators of personal knowledge into hunters and gathers in the electronic forest “ (Carr).
Daily exposure to the Internet, with it’s many distractions and volume of information necessitates shorter attention span to enable the brain to absorb and retain the information it is being exposed to and can lead to further complications. “Long-term memory has an almost unlimited capacity, working memory can hold only a relatively small amount of information at a time and that short-term storage is fragile: A break in our attention can sweep its contents from our mind”
Does this mean we are getting smarter?
For most of us there is no difference between intelligent and smart, but in truth there is a difference. Mark Lowenthal argues that intelligence is something we are born with, a measurement of our ability to learn. It is inherent and has its source in our genetics. Smart on the other hand is learned, something earned. When we study, we learn more about a specific subject and become smarter in that area. Smart is developed as we go through life by learning’s and experiences. …show more content…
The Internet has become part of daily life and we depend on it for information. This dependency has hindered our ability to comprehend, our lust for inquisitive and critical thinking, ability to deliberate, form unique ideas and analyze topics. Nicholas Carr, believes that our dependency on researching other’s opinions on the internet is standing on the way of our own creative thinking, ability to form a personalized opinion and higher order of thinking “We are evolving from cultivators of personal knowledge into hunters and gathers in the electronic forest “ (Carr).
Daily exposure to the Internet, with it’s many distractions and volume of information necessitates shorter attention span to enable the brain to absorb and retain the information it is being exposed to and can lead to further complications. “Long-term memory has an almost unlimited capacity, working memory can hold only a relatively small amount of information at a time and that short-term storage is fragile: A break in our attention can sweep its contents from our mind”