Is Google Making Us Stupid?

The article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" which we read in class raised some very valid points about the way we find information and the way we think, read, and function in the every day world.The author of the article says that the World Wide Web is "changing the way he thinks," and that he can "no longer focus on long articles and novels."  Once this point was brought to my attention, it really got me thinking! In today's society we want instant answers! If we have a question, we aren't required to spend much time researching. All we must do is type it into Google and within seconds an answer that we are looking for is more than likely to pop up!

Google, along with other internet search engines, are reconstructing the way we think. We are so distracted because so much information we read comes from the internet, where there are links, ads, and other things that draw our attention away from what we actually started reading. Even as I write this blog post, I must admit, I have Facebook pulled up on one tab, Twitter on another, and WPSD on a fourth tab. As I switch back and forth between all of these information sources, I realize why it is that my attention span is much shorter than it used to be.

On a daily basis, I find myself searching Google for phone numbers, addresses, weather, and other information I might need to know. I completely depend on the Internet for many aspects of my life. I believe this is the case with many others, and society as a whole would be lost without the World Wide Web. Instant gratification is provided to us through search engines such as Google, and I do not believe we will ever draw away from that!

I found the following article very interesting, as it responds to the "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" article we discussed in class. It points out the perspective of a neuroscientist and how she believes visual stimuli through technology will eventually change the way we express ourselves and behave. I encourage you to check it out!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7459182.stm