The Internet's Effects on Social and Cognitive Abilities

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The internet might not only be affecting social abilities, but also cognitive abilities. According to Descartes, what determines ones existence is cognition, and thinking is considered identity. His famous quote was not “I google therefore, I am.” An argument can be made about how creativity is being effected. The internet is not only a place where people find new friends, but also information. It is possible that we have access to too much information. The problem with the internet becoming the main source of information is that we depend on it for simple tasks which one could easily perform on their own with regular practice. The other problem is knowledge, people are looking to google where there is access to the same pool of knowledge rather than being creative and coming up with their own ideas and solutions. The internet is shaping the way we think in more ways than one, and according to Carr (2008), it is suggests that the internet can lead to intellectual laziness. Depending on the internet as a source for information leads to an artificial intelligence. Carr also believes the media is always shaping how we think Carr (2008). Although Carr might not be the most credible due to his augment relying mostly on testimonial evidence, he has a good point. Imagine for a moment sitting in a class room and a professor asks a question. Some students will be right, and others will be wrong which leads to an opportunity for learning. However, if every student were to google the answer to that question each and every student would be correct. See the problem? With reliant use of the internet for information there is no room for creativity or learning. The internet is a medium used to access almost any information at any time, and... ... middle of paper ... ...d risk factors. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(5), 1987-1996. Lenton, A. P., & Francesconi, M. (2010). How humans cognitively manage an abundance of mate options. Psychological Science, 21(4), 528-533. Lu, H. (2008). Sensation-seeking, internet dependency, and online interpersonal deception. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(2), 227-231. Smahel, D., Brown, B. B., & Blinka, L. (2012). Associations between online friendship and internet addiction among adolescents and emerging adults. Developmental Psychology, 48(2), 381-388. Sparrow, B. (2011). Google effects on memory: cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips. Science, 333(6043), 776-778. Strayer, D. L., & Watson, J. M. (2012). Supertaskers and the multitasking brain. Scientific American Mind, 23(1), 22-29. Thompson, C. (2008, September 7). Brave new world of digital intimacy. The New York Times.

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