I'm dense for being tech-saavy?

In his article, "Technology doesn’t dumb us down. It frees our minds," Damon Darlin references a curious title from an article that published in The Atlantic . . . When I first read it, “Is Google making us stupid?,” I giggled. I mean, really, how preposterous is that statement?! Google makes us stupid?! But, the more I thought about it, the more conflicted I felt. Call me a fence-sitter but I needed more convincing to make a final determination about whether or not the internet is sapping the brains right out of my head.

First, I checked out the original article in The Atlantic, written by Nicholas Carr. But, his argument was really one of uncertainty, too. It didn’t help me decide one way or the other.

So, I re-read Darlin’s article. His statement, “for all the new technologies that increase our productivity, there are others that demand more of our time,” sums up my initial reactions to what he was saying quite nicely. For me, Google, like the internet itself, is a Pandora’s box of information for anyone who seeks it. What has the potential to save us time also begs us to spend more of it online! With a few key-strokes and mouse-clicks, tons of information becomes available almost immediately. That being said, research time is greatly decreased because so much is available so quickly. And that sure beats taking the time to actually drive to a library and pull the information by hand any day of the week! However, with so much information available so quickly and effortlessly, does that not also encourage an information-seeker to spend more time sorting through all the different sources that pop-up onscreen to make sure he or she has the best available? That’s where I get stuck. There’s just so much information and I want to read it all! And, the more I read, the more I empathize with Socrates when he said, “I know that I know nothing.”

World: have your say, the daily blog “where users set the agenda,” posed a similar question on August 15 with the topic “Is the internet making us stupid?” The original post suggested that, perhaps, the internet reshapes our neural networks and causes us to lose the ability to think and reason as clearly. Sixty-four respondents shared their opinions, and the majority of them felt the internet is beneficial, a God-send, even. But a few brought up disadvantageous aspects like internet lingo and its affects on children’s grammar.

Others like Nobel laureate Doris Lessing have a much more sinister impression of the internet, its relevance, and how it affects users. Lessing simply states that technology is causing a fragmenting culture, and implies that this fragmenting culture is full of self-absorbed individuals who rely too heavily on irrelevance when they should be focused on libraries, books, and tradition. Did I mention she’s 88?

Whether in agreement or not regarding the "dumbing effect" of Google and technology, I know we all have our vices and I openly admit that I’m a total media freak. A new social network? BRING IT ON!! Twitter? COUNT ME IN! I’d much rather surf through the information available at my fingertips than watch CNN or listen to NPR. Does that make me less productive than others? Not in my book. If my day isn't total chaos, then I just can't function at full capacity. Internet time for me is my daily filler. Does that make me self-absorbed and irrelevant, as Lessing suggests? Maybe . . .

I also admit that, some days, I just can’t help but check all my accounts dozens of times. But, for all those days of excess, I make sure to spend a few days tech-free . . . does it make a difference that I secretly tell myself I’m not an addict? Zoiks! Probably not.

But here’s what I’ve finally decided: Google doesn’t make us stupid, nor does the internet. We make ourselves stupid! Google simply has the ability to help or hinder us in the process. To what degree is up to each of us.

Post script: I got a spam message just yesterday inviting me to join an Adult social-networking site. Guess they’re already here! And, no, I did not open the message to get details to share with you . . . you never know what might be hiding in there! But, should you be curious enough to peep, let me know and I'll forward the unopened message to you for further exploration!