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The Dangers of Internet Over Exposure: Fact, Fiction, or Somewhere in Between?
In 2008, celebrated IT and culture author, Nicholas Carr, wrote the now infamous Atlantic Monthly article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?". In the article, Carr posited that our daily exposure to the Internet has had some very specific, adverse consequences in how we process information. Only a couple of months ago, Carr's book "The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains" was released. The book is based on many of the positions Carr proffered in his original article.
Now how exactly does Carr propose the Internet is changing our brains? For one, the author argues that we have lost our ability to stay focused on long-form writing. In the original article, Carr reports on his friend, pathologist Bruce Friedman, and his Internet experiences:
"His thinking, he said, has taken on a 'staccato' quality, reflecting the way he quickly scans short passages of text from many sources online. 'I can’t read War and Peace anymore,' he admitted. 'I’ve lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it.'"
As bloggers ourselves, perhaps we have encountered similar attention drains. It's only logical, of course. If we aren't used to reading larger chunks of information, then it obviously follows that our brains will find it more and more difficult to process. However, the brain is an incredibly plastic organ, and it is constantly being shaped by the way it is used. Almost nothing, neuroscientists are learning with increased assurance, is permanent when it comes to the brain.
Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer, himself a voracious reader who wrote the critically acclaimed book "Proust Was a Neuroscientist" reviewed The Shallows in the New York Times recently. Lehrer argues against the core of Carr's argument:
"There is little doubt that the Internet is changing our brain. Everything changes our brain. What Carr neglects to mention, however, is that the preponderance of scientific evidence suggests that the Internet and related technologies are actually good for the mind. For instance, a comprehensive 2009 review of studies published on the cognitive effects of video games found that gaming led to significant improvements in performance on various cognitive tasks, from visual perception to sustained attention. This surprising result led the scientists to propose that even simple computer games like Tetris can lead to 'marked increases in the speed of information processing.' "
Lehrer goes on to suggest, backing up his argument with another study, that the quick information processing that is part and parcel of Google searches exercise parts of our brain responsible for selective attention and deliberate analysis. In this way, Google is far from making us "stupid".
In my own experience, as a web freelancer, I too, have noticed the difference in the way my brain works. After being exposed to the Internet for hours at a time every day, compared to the meager one or two hours when I was student, I can't always focus on full-length essays or books. That is, unless, I don't try. Perhaps you have noticed this difference, too. The dangers of Internet overexposure have been trafficked ad nauseam in the media lately, but I personally think that most of it is hype.
Now how exactly does Carr propose the Internet is changing our brains? For one, the author argues that we have lost our ability to stay focused on long-form writing. In the original article, Carr reports on his friend, pathologist Bruce Friedman, and his Internet experiences:
"His thinking, he said, has taken on a 'staccato' quality, reflecting the way he quickly scans short passages of text from many sources online. 'I can’t read War and Peace anymore,' he admitted. 'I’ve lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more than three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it.'"
As bloggers ourselves, perhaps we have encountered similar attention drains. It's only logical, of course. If we aren't used to reading larger chunks of information, then it obviously follows that our brains will find it more and more difficult to process. However, the brain is an incredibly plastic organ, and it is constantly being shaped by the way it is used. Almost nothing, neuroscientists are learning with increased assurance, is permanent when it comes to the brain.
Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer, himself a voracious reader who wrote the critically acclaimed book "Proust Was a Neuroscientist" reviewed The Shallows in the New York Times recently. Lehrer argues against the core of Carr's argument:
"There is little doubt that the Internet is changing our brain. Everything changes our brain. What Carr neglects to mention, however, is that the preponderance of scientific evidence suggests that the Internet and related technologies are actually good for the mind. For instance, a comprehensive 2009 review of studies published on the cognitive effects of video games found that gaming led to significant improvements in performance on various cognitive tasks, from visual perception to sustained attention. This surprising result led the scientists to propose that even simple computer games like Tetris can lead to 'marked increases in the speed of information processing.' "
Lehrer goes on to suggest, backing up his argument with another study, that the quick information processing that is part and parcel of Google searches exercise parts of our brain responsible for selective attention and deliberate analysis. In this way, Google is far from making us "stupid".
In my own experience, as a web freelancer, I too, have noticed the difference in the way my brain works. After being exposed to the Internet for hours at a time every day, compared to the meager one or two hours when I was student, I can't always focus on full-length essays or books. That is, unless, I don't try. Perhaps you have noticed this difference, too. The dangers of Internet overexposure have been trafficked ad nauseam in the media lately, but I personally think that most of it is hype.
Now, I make it a point to read a full-length book at least every two weeks. In this way, we can make our brains adept at both types of information processing--the quick kind, and the slower, more concentrated form. The brain is an incredible powerful organ. Once we realize this, there is very little of which we aren't capable.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Jessica Cortez, who writes on the topics of online degree programs. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: cortez.jessi23 @gmail.com.
