Saturday 4 February 2012

Is the Web Messing With Your Head?


What would you do if you found out that the internet is virtually turning you into an idiot?

We all treasure the perks of modern life: round-the-clock internet connection, instant communication and unlimited information at our fingertips, but do we pull back at some point to examine the impact it might be having on us?

Below, Kenneth Onah looks at ways the internet could be messing with our brains.


Attention Deficiency


Easy access to the internet means many of us are spending large chunks of our lives online. Thanks to wired and wireless mobile devices, being ‘plugged in’ has become the default setting for an increasing number of people.
Studies show 20 per cent of users access the internet through mobile devices. So we can watch TV programmes films and other media products on our mobile phones, laptops, consoles and so on at any particular time. 

Fortunately or unfortunately there is stiff competition between media organisations jostling for our patronage. We are enticed by catchier images and shorter text that grabs our attention immediately. It is little wonder we are constantly ‘plugged in’. Research by Kaiser Family Foundation U.S, estimates that young people aged 8-18 spend an average of 53 hours plugged into entertainment media. 

 As a consequence, our ability to concentrate suffers considerably. We have shorter attention spans, which means we cannot process large volumes of information at a time. Hence, it is easy to argue we are becoming dumber and dumber.

                                      Poor Memories 

We are not just contending with shorter attention spans, we are letting our memories wilt away by choosing not to use them, apparently. Another study by researchers in the U.S found that the internet is becoming our main source of memory instead of our own brains. In the age of Google, our minds are adapting so that we are experts at knowing where to find information even though we don’t recall what it is. In summary, here are their findings:
  • People remember where to look up information - not the information itself. The researchers found that when we want to know something we use the internet as an ‘external memory’ just as computers use an external hard drive.
  • People actively forget information if they think they can look it up later. Nowadays we are so reliant on our smart phones and laptops that we go into ‘withdrawal when we can’t find out something immediately’. And such is our dependence that having our internet connection severed is growing ‘more and more like losing a friend’.
How does this affect our lives?
  •  These tools have replaced our need to memorise many details, and without these tools we may be lost.
  • Our new habits may interfere in the development of deep conceptual knowledge (we are familiar with the whats and hows but not the whys)
  • The internet is deluged with incorrect information; we could easily be misinformed.
What do you think? Is the internet messing with your head? Are you better or worse off for your attachment to the internet?


17 comments:

  1. This is really true but you have to learn to use the internet to improve yourself too.

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  2. That's true, Myne. One of the things I like most about the internet is that I can read a wide variety of info in a short space of time. You can't do that reading a book. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. Well I must agree with Myne and Oluchi that the internet boosts my efficiency, on the other hand memorising things seems to prove more of an issue. The question is where lies the balance?

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  4. Thanks for your comment, Dlaw. In answer to your question, I think making the library a best friend could help. A lot of info on the net is superficial and inaccurate. However authors often take long periods of time researching & chiseling their work to perfection.

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  5. You only have to glance at networking sites such as Facebook for evidence of how dumb the net is making some sections of Web users.Instead of intelligent and rewarding conversations, you are deluged by the banal, socially-useless, emotionally defrauding threads going round, written by the linguistically-challenged, whose language skills consists largely of terse abbreviations, text speak, emoticons and words inspired by popular culture. The youth are the most culpable for this slipping-intelligence syndrome. This incompetence is not exclusively limited to the net but is evident in real life also. I once overheard a conversation between two teenage girls at the bus stop; they couldn't string a proper sentence to save their lives. I'm afraid improper use of the internet is dumbing us down.

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    1. What an analysis! Thanks, Will. I agree with everything you've said. The internet either make you better or worse off, but it all depends on a person. At the same time I think spending more time offline can help a person build other life skills & have a more balanced life.

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    2. A study conducted by The university of Rochester,US found out that internet dating is now the second most common method of matchmaking. More and more people are taking to the net in their quest for love. What happened to bumping into someone at the library or local supermarket and engage in real meaningful discourse, instead of "poking, laughing out loud or liking status"? In parts of Africa young men are taught the art of courtship by elders, and one of the lessons taught is how to hold a proper conversation with a lady at the water well! Proper language and social interaction are the most obvious casualties of this internet boom.

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    3. That's an interesting angle, and so so true. People no longer take the trouble to interact in real life. It is easier to interact online than in real life. One, it is more convenient. Two, for the shy retiring person, it is a lifesaver. Sadly most people on dating sites have subzero dating skills, if I can put it that way.

      The saddest part for me, is the loss of good quality relationships. Friends are more comfortable shooting off texts/emails than actually squeezing out time to meet up. It's a crying shame because it does not have to be that way. People can strike a balance if only they will make an effort. Thanks for your comment.

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  6. You only have to glance at networking sites such as Facebook for evidence of how dumb the net is making some sections of Web users.Instead of intelligent and rewarding conversations, you are deluged by the banal, socially-useless, emotionally defrauding threads going round, written by the linguistically-challenged, whose language skills consists largely of terse abbreviations, text speak, emoticons and words inspired by popular culture. The youth are the most culpable for this slipping-intelligence syndrome. This incompetence is not exclusively limited to the net but is evident in real life also. I once overheard a conversation between two teenage girls at the bus stop; they couldn't string a proper sentence to save their lives. I'm afraid improper use of the internet is dumbing us down.

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  7. Yes, it is so much true the Internet is messing a whole lot of things up social and academic wise, but that is when abuse is brought into it. As with any other thing, abuse can rubbish up the most efficient tool . The Internet is glorious in many ways, especially for writers and readers. I can't really begin to list the numbers of info I have access to whenever I am online. They are just much and that makes me better informed too. It is also so intellectually blissful to have them. Like I did say in one of my blogposts; I said the use of the internet "is in the individuality of persons..." You can read that here: http://josephomotayo.blogspot.com/2011/09/with-sentinel-and-saraba-1.html . Indeed, one cannot separate the personality of the user from the gains or dooms that accrue to him/her when it comes to the Internet.

    You have a nice blog here, I will again come around soon.

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  8. Thank you Strong Self. Welcome on board Fresh Angle. The internet does have so many benefits, that cannot be denied. Unlimited info - but then again you have the problem of inaccuracy - at the click of a mouse. Despite its benefits a balance still needs to be struck. Look forward to seeing more of you.

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  9. This is a different angle to your blog, I like it. I would say that technology as a whole is messing with our heads. I bet that those that existed in the days of Albert Einstein are far more intelligent than this present generation. It has made us so lazy and we tend to abuse it. A lot of things were invented to make life better but for most people, it's really making life worse in terms of time management, productivity and quality relationships.

    The internet is broad and so it serves a lot of purposes. For youths, building relationships (whether quality or useless) is our main concentration and we really abuse it. Like Will said, it has destroyed our language structure. Using abbreviations and emoticons is really popular on Facebook/dating/chat sites than on any other Social networking site and most times, I can't stand it. While it destroys some, others use it to develop themselves and I guess this is what it was invented for.

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  10. That's a great point, Lanre. It's not just the internet; it is technology. Like I keep repeating, I think it is about striking a balance...I've tried to unplug myself a bit from the net since reading this article & my, hasn't my life been better for it.

    I also support your point that the internet is what we make of it. It can be for your good or your detriment. Thanks a lot for your reply.

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  11. This is really an interesting topic indeed but wait a minute, how can this trend be reversed? Millions of people are already hooked up to www and many are happy not to make use of their brains; what is the next step? Is there any organization dealing with this apparent brain killer machine?

    Please use your brain all the time; for example, instead of using a calculator to solve an arithmetic problem, only use a calculator to confirm your manual solution. Instead of asking mr google to provide you with an answer, why not jot your own attempted answer first. Let us start with ourselves and send the message to others; we should not be part of those whose brain cells are dying every hour because of Information Technology.

    Prof_ G.

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  12. Prof-G, thank you for the very practical tips you have offered. I couldn't agree more with you. The solution starts with the realisation that if we don't check ourselves, the internet could rob us of sharp memories and alert, proactive minds. I try to do calculations on my own too...but sometimes it is much easier to let machines do the thinking. Lol.

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  13. How many people can remember their spouse phone number without looking it up from their phone contact list? A lot of people these days cannot remember their sister's, or brother's or friend's birthday. We rely on facebook, yahoo and other social network sites to prompt us on improtant dates. What about detlais such as passport number, account details etc. They are all stored away in one phone wallet or folder that whenever you are not with anu of these gadgets, one is practically grounded. These technologies are good, don't get me wrong, but we are getting too reliant on them that we render our natural abilty redundant. This should not be so.

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  14. You couldn't have put it more aptly. The natural tendency is to let our gadgets do the brain work for us. But gadgets have limits, besides we develop ourselves when we choose to remember those small details like the phone number of a loved one. Thanks for your comment.

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