The Internet: Tool of Intellectual Destruction or Acquisition?

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Google can take you to places like this
- get my point?

Last week, we read two interesting arguments that each expressed a differing point of view on how the internet is affecting as a society.  In his article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?," Nicholas Carr shares the idea that people are becoming accustomed to the brief and quickly obtainable information on the internet and, therefore, can no longer read and/or process long, in-depth articles, particularly those in print.  On the other hand, Clay Shirky provides a more optimist outlook on the internet and how it might affect our culture in his article, "Does the Internet Make You Smarter?"  He compares the digital revolution to such historical events as the creation of the Gutenberg press and illustrates how these "dangerous" inventions of the past actually led to more freedom and, potentially, enlightenment if we explore the possibilities of the internet.

Both articles are very well written and the authors make great points and back them up sufficiently.  Also, I liked that neither one of the authors wrote with "blinders."  For example, Carr admits how useful the internet can be to writers including himself.  Additionally, Shirky points out that while the internet has great potential for media and the sharing of information, it also opens the door for quite a bit of, well, honestly, crap (my wording, not his) to find its way into circulation.

Do you want to tell me that
all books make us smarter?

With all this being said, I would like to share my own opinion.  I believe that both articles are true - to an extent.  It is important to remember that every single person operates differently.  I don't want to go all education major on you and start discussing INTASC principles and all that but a major concept in teacher education is the idea of differential learning styles.  Basically, "different strokes for different folks" and all that.  Therefore the internet could very well make some people smarter and others stupider.    The fact of the matter is everything in this world has the potential to affect one's intelligence.  There are those out there who have this idea that books are the ultimate, true source of knowledge; however, these folks need to keep in mind that there are some books out there that are no better than the tawdry writings found on the internet.  Yes, books can make you stupid too (See also: Stephenie Meyer).  In-print materials weren't perfect right off the bat. We just need to play around and make the very best of what the internet presents.

I pose a question to Mr. Carr: Is the internet really making us dumber or just lazier?  Personally, I believe it is the latter.  Perhaps it is that certain individuals are inclined to understand brief and simple writings.  Just maybe, they only read the longer in-print media because they had to.  I also believe that the internet only affects us as much as we let it.  Yes, we have all this quick and easy material right in front of us; therefore, it is our job to keep in practice and read more complex or "sophisticated" materials so that we don't "evolve" out of it.  Use it or lose it, I guess.  Personally, I like to mix it up.  I'll use tools such as Google to prime myself on a subject, get the overview, then I start looking for sources to take me more in depth.  It also depends just how much material and information I need: Quick facts or scholarly research?

In one particular passage that caught my eye Shirky provides that a good bulk of free time was spent watching television in the 20th Century, whereas now that time is spent online.  At least these individuals are trying to participate in a larger community and giving back a little rather than just absorbing hours of reality TV.  Even those individuals who post useless information are trying to contribute to the world of media.  Hey, maybe with a little work they can get better at it (maybe).

So, in conclusion, the internet can make you smarter or dumber.  It's all subjective.  If we are going to use the internet, we should do so in a way that actively promotes the sharing and acquisition of knowledge, not the loss thereof.

Well, what do you think?  Read the articles, talk amongst yourselves, discuss.

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