Technology has been developing for years and has shaped our world. From the invention of irrigation systems, to the modern cellphone, technology has both pros and cons. But as you’ll see, the positive effects outweigh the negative, as we discuss common misconceptions, the practicality, and taking a look at the counter argument. Is technology making us smarter?
There is a somewhat bad reputation for technology, and even some thrown in myths. One wild idea that children are better off without technology and just their resources to accompany them. Not every school has the money to send its students to field trips that are relevant to what they are studying- but thanks to technology, students can enter a virtual field trip without the expense,
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and even attend web seminars made by museums. Another popular myth is that long hours of technology will “lessen hours of active playtime” as according to a source. However, a study conducted by the centers for disease control and prevention, showed “no clear connection between physical activity and active screen time” Technology of all sorts helps children develop, as even video games have shown to be beneficial to children, though many parents claim that it harms them. By debunking these very prominent myths, we can take a step further to prove that technology is more beneficial than harming Those who are against using technology claim that using an online source makes us more dumb, but have you thought to consider how practical this technology is now? We use it to navigate, to see current news, or even to check the weather- it's used in everyday life. Calling a loved one is simply one phone call away- what do those who are against propose we do? A phone is critical in this age, and its more simple to text someone in an emergency than to send a letter! As according to article B, “ Suppose i’m interested in the guidance computers on apollo spacecraft in the 1960s. My local library has no specific books on that subject- just 18 books about the Apollo missions in general.” This situation is quite relatable, and helps the student complete the assignment without difficulty. (continue this) Though technology has helped us advance, is it truly helping us humans become smarter?
According to article b, “what really makes us intelligent isn’t our ability to find lots of information quickly. It’s our ability to find lots of information quickly. It’s our ability to think deeply about that information” With everything a click away, we aren’t truly thinking deeply as we would with a book in our hands- with technology you can transport nearly anywhere and get the information without truly searching for it. Making a connection to real life, you are more likely to remember information you write down- which is why a teacher makes you rewrite words and their definitions. With technology or texting, the information just flies past us- and there are studies to support this. As according to a new study, “Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer of Princeton University and UCLA Los Angeles respectively, students who wrote out their notes by hand actually learn more than those who type their notes on laptops” This proves my point, and goes as far as to suggest that new information goes down the drain. We have grown so attached to our phones, and spend less time to enjoy the moment, and there are many studies that would back it up, but we’ll reference a study by Fairfield University in 2003 found that “taking photos reduces our memories” and it's as if the phone has separated us, making people more scatterbrained, forgetful, and even ignorant. however, even with all this information, we have been advancing, and the pros outweigh the cons- not everyone can take a pen and paper everywhere they go- phones help us everyday and there isn’t enough evidence to suggest we are becoming more
ignorant. As you can see, the debate of whether technology is making us more stupid remains, but we know for sure of its practicality. Technology may have its downsides, but where would we be without it?
Advancements in technology have strived to make life easier for so many people. In most cases, the advancements have achieved its goal, but in the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr questions if the improvements in society have unintentionally hindered our thought process overall. Carr begins the article by providing personal instances when his concentration seemed to diminish due to the internet. He explains how he now loses interest when reading lengthy portions, his mind just can’t seem to remain connected to his readings. He then proceeds to talk about how today’s life is surrounded by the internet, and explains the pros and cons of it. The negative side of it is that his mind now wonders off when seeking information from
Most people believe that the web will increase their intelligence and with a smartphone knowledge is at the tips of their fingers; however, this is not exactly true. Research suggests that easier access to information reduces mental
“With every new innovation, cultural prophets bickered over whether we were facing a technological apocalypse or a utopia” (Thompson 9). This quote states that with every significant break-through with technology, people contemplate whether it will have a positive or negative effect on mankind. Technology allows for external memory sources, connections to databases, and it allow easy communication between people. Thompson then directly counters Carr’s hypothesis and states that “[c]ertainly, if we are intellectually lazy or prone to cheating and shortcuts, or if we simply don’t pay much attention to how our tools affect the way we work, then yes - we become… over reliant” (Thompson 18). In his opinion, “[s]o yes, when we’re augmenting ourselves, we can be smarter… But our digital tools can also leave us smarter even when we’re not actively using them” (Thompson
Humans have been creating tools that allow us to be do things that would be otherwise impossible since the beginning of our existence. The ability to use and develop new tools is what sets us apart from all other animals. Yet it seems that ever since these tools started being created there were also people that feared these new tools and claimed that they are bad for the human race. The present fear of new technology is illustrated in the essay “Is Google Making us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr. In this essay Carr argues that the internet and other new technologies are changing the way we think in a negative way. Carr claims that new technology is making our generation stupid. In opposition the article “Smarter Than You Think” by Clive Thompson
We live in a time where technology is at the center of our society. We use technology on a daily basis, for the simplest tasks, or to aid us in our jobs, and don’t give a second thought to whether these tools are actually helping us. Writers such as Kevin Kelly and Clive Thompson argue that the use of technology actually helps us humans; whiles writers such as Nicholas Carr argue that technology affects people’s abilities to learn information negatively.
Humans are becoming more technologically-efficient every day. New inventions and innovations are constantly being made. The Internet is becoming more “reliable” every day. However, how much do we really get from the constant advancement of Internet use and smarter technology? Should we look at their contributions to the world as a benefactor or a curse? The common effect of “artificial intelligence” in the technology we use every day is examined by two brilliant authors, Nicholas Carr and Jamias Cascio. In Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, he explains the effects of the Internet and technology in our society and claims that the overuse of technology is dangerous and can affect how our mind operates. Jamias Cascio, on the other hand, uses his article “Get Smarter” to show the positive effects of technology in our constantly adaptive society claims that technology may just be making our society smarter and more efficient. While Carr and Cascio both use the claim of cause in their articles to provide valid points on how technology affects our society, Carr’s article proves to be more effective because it focuses on skeptical-based evidence and uses a variety of appeals and proofs.
However, Carr and Turkle both agree that technology has done good, but it has come at the cost of our ability to think critically. In the two articles, both authors heavily emphasize the negative effects of computer technology on how it is diminishing human cognition and the ability to process information.
In The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, Carr argues that technology negatively effects the way humans think and function. He believes that technology can reprogram the memory, mind, and concentration due to his personal experiences, as well as supporting evidence from research studies. In addition, he discusses the “plasticity” of the human brain, reading hardcopy vs. online, writing, and the detrimental effects of the internet on the brain. In the book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr argues that technology promotes superficial reading, alters the way individuals think, and stimulates cursory learning.
If only my local library could hold the vast quantity of information that my hand held smart phone does. Carr insinuates that Google (and the internet) is making us stupid. I say they are making us lazy. In “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr informatively states that with the advancement of technology, Google search engine, and the internet we are become more distracted—with all the different forms of flash media, the amount of hyper-links after hyper-link after hyper-links, and clickable adds-- in turn we are doing less critical reading by way of the internet as opposed to a printed book. Being able to glance over several articles in hour’s verses days looking through books; being able to jump from link to link in order to get the information you need, never looking at the same page twice has decrease out deep thinking and reading skills. Now days, all forms of reading, e.g. newspaper, magazine, etc. are small amount of reading to get the main idea of what’s going on and if you would like more information you will have to go to another page to do so. In the end, C...
Is the Technology and The Internet making us dumb or are we in the next level of being brilliant? Many people have made statements on whether Technology and the Internet are making us stupid or not. In my opinion, As much as I love the internet, I would have to agree that the Internet is making us not intelligent.
Technology is unavoidable in our modern lifestyle. You wake up, you use technology; you use technology while cooking, while eating, while driving. While you’re lying in bed before you fall asleep, you use technology, technology wakes you up in the morning. Is all the technology around you good for you, or is it harmful to your health? Was our society healthier or safer before all the advancements? So many questions and concerns about all of the technology we crave, but there are very few people who know the answers. Technology affects all parts of human life. It can create jobs, motivate people to get active, and assist people in learning, but this does not balance out that there are dangers that follow the use of technology.
In the news article Smartphones Don’t Make us Dumb the issue of smartphones and what they are doing to our attention spans is brought up. It is believed that smartphones aren’t destroying human memory, but is taking away their desire to focus. Today people spend hours on their technology, and what most people see when they spend so much time on the technology is playing fast pace games, and short videos. This is causing the brain to get into a habit of faster paced activities, but it’s not damaging humans attention. Technology has remove the want to learn or pay attention because people know there is something better to do with their time just at their fingertips. The reality is, human’s attention spans are the same as they were 50 years ago.
...many benefits for us, but it is not really needed all the time. Maybe in some situations for people technology is needed every day in their lives. But the fact is that people don’t really need all these new gadgets, they didn’t have all of this kind of stuff back in the day, and they still mad it through. Education is being helped by technology and sometimes just giving the student the answer. Later on though it can affect the student when a more difficult situation comes, they will not know what to do.
With the ever growing advancements in technology, many have seen this as a detriment to society, while others realize the potential smart technology gives. A question has been raised asking whether smart technology has made us “dumb” or not. Nicholas Carr and Andrew Keen agree with each other that smart technology is making us dumber. However, I do not agree with Nicholas Carr and Andrew Keen from the broadcast of intelligence squared debate that smart technology is making us dumber. I for one, believe that smart technology is actually making us smarter.
I wonder why sometimes people are afraid of their intelligence. Don’t imagine your life without technology because the progression of technology will never stop, and it will continue to benefit us. As technology advances, our society is able to advance also. Instead of tangle with how technology causes laziness or distracts us from what is important, it would better to think about how to use technology to make our life better.