15 Big Ways The Internet Is Changing Our Brain
Noted science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted that one day, we’d “have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries where anyone can ask any question and be given answers, be given reference materials, be something you’re interested in knowing, from an early age, however silly it might seem to someone else,” and with this appliance, be able to truly enjoy learning instead of being forced to learn mundane facts and figures. His insight has proven to be amazingly accurate, as we now live in a world with the Internet, where nearly the entire wealth of human knowledge can live at our fingertips or even in our pockets. Such an amazing feat, of course, doesn’t happen without impacting our lives, and scientists have begun to note that the Internet has not only served to fulfill our brains’ curiosities, but also rewired them. So what exactly is the Internet doing to our brains? Read on to find out.
The Internet is our external hard drive
Children are learning differently
We hardly ever give tasks our full attention
We don’t bother to remember
We’re getting better at finding information
Difficult questions make us think about computers
IQ is increasing over time
Our concentration is suffering
We’re getting better at determining relevance
We’re becoming physically addicted to technology
The more you use the Internet, the more it lights up your brain
Our brains constantly seek out incoming information
We’ve become power browsers
Online thinking persists even offline
Creative thinking may suffer