The Effect Of The Internet On The Human Brain

There is so much information that one can find on the internet. Information that can provide the user with a new favorite recipe or the information as to who is, today, the wealthiest person in America. The possibilities of attainable information are endless. There is so much information that most humans can not comprehend the amount that is really available. However, with the touch of a few buttons, that information can be provided for the human brain to absorb. The internet search engines that are used everyday have become what can be considered an “external brain” for humans. In The Atlantic article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, Nicholas Carr makes several points as to why the internet is making humans less intelligent. However, there are …show more content…
This is nothing new, however, to the world of Psychology. Those who study the workings of the human brain have argued for centuries about the affects new “technology” has on its subject. When written language was developed many argued that because information was written, humans would not retain true wisdom. However, those of that time, “couldn’t foresee the many ways that writing and reading would serve to spread information, spur fresh ideas, and expand human knowledge (Carr, Nicholas). When the printing press was invented in the 15th century, again, arguments ensued. However, many “were unable to imagine the myriad of blessings that the printed word would deliver” (Carr, Nicholas). It is possible that in the years to come with the use and further development of the internet, the sceptics will look back and realize that humans adapt to their surroundings and their sources of knowledge. Humans seek out, use, and retain knowledge. That knowledge may or may not be what it is today, the hope is that it is not. The hope is that it is better, like that of written knowledge and printed knowledge. The hope is that the internet will prove to be more helpful than harmful to the human