Does the Internet Make You Smarter?

The internet was made available to the general public to use in the late ’90s. Internet was made to share information at fast speeds anywhere in the world. With time it evolved and has become a part of almost every human being on the planet Earth. Almost every piece of technology present in 2020 utilizes the internet in one or the other. From televisions to air conditioners even all the home appliances are becoming smart by using the internet.

The Internet has become a huge part of our lives. We use it daily; from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, we are connected to the internet in some way. We are also more reliant on the internet to carry out even the simplest of tasks of our life. For example, if someone asks us: “What is the height of Paris’ Eiffel Tower?”, we will just pull out our smartphone from our pocket and type the question on a search engine like Google or Bing. In just a matter of seconds, we will be able to answer the given question. This level of accessibility that the internet provides is unmatched to finding answers in books and research papers.

Let’s discuss the ways how the internet helps us to lead a smarter life:

We are More Aware:

Almost all of us own a smartphone, tablet, or laptop/PC. These devices do work without the internet but their true potential use is accessed only through a stable and proper internet connection. We have tons of applications installed on our devices through which we make use of the internet. The most important applications we all have are our social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp, etc. These applications are used by billions of people around the world actively on the daily basis. We just can’t enough being aware of what is the latest news of the country or what is trending or not? We always want to stay up-to-date with what is happening around us.

Moreover, the internet now holds the key to all your problems. If you are struggling to get information about a certain food ingredient or want to get a second opinion before trying a new restaurant then a quick search on Google will surely help you.

The use of Google and other search engines has changed how we ask and answer questions. There are millions of web pages with brief and detailed information about millions of topics on the internet. Having a way of gaining such a vast library of information has made us more aware of our world than the previous times.

Internet Make Us Travel Smart:

With the inclusion of GPS in smartphones and maps application, the internet helps us to navigate this world more smartly than ever before. Now we do not need to memorize long routes of travel or do not have to take up huge printed maps. Navigation has become very easy now all because of the internet.

Navigation applications use the internet in real-time and guide us through cities and streets. The technology has evolved so much that through the internet we can information about whether there will be traffic on the roads or not and is it will be heavy or moderate. Also, the real-time weather forecast of any place in the world makes traveling a smarter experience. The Internet can get information at blazing fast speeds and can present you in such ways that can help you make smart choices.

The Internet also Makes us Dumb:

Internet is a way through which people make smart choices to lead a better and improved lifestyle. Yes, the internet was meant to be a positive influence in people’s lives but like everything, it also has its negatives that only make us humans dumber with each passing day. Several different types of research and surveys have been conducted by different universities, psychologists, and new publications.

All surveys showed that the majority of people do think that the internet makes humans smarter. In our opinion that is true that the internet helps us to make smart life choices. However, researchers have concluded that long-term dependency and use of the internet has negatively affected our brains and lifestyle.

Let’s discuss some ways how the internet is not making us smarter:

Internet is a Huge Distraction:

Yes, the internet can become a huge interaction in your life. The same internet which is known to help you produce a bright and brilliant idea by deep researching on online web pages can be the cause of your idea-less mind. We all use social media and have email accounts. Internet is a place where entertainment and work both are managed and overlapping them is very easy. You might have found yourself in situations where you are thinking about your next big idea that you will be presenting in front of your boss but then an email notification makes you distracted and now you have lost that idea. This is just one example. Students mostly struggle to make assignments and projects is because their focus is distracted by social media and other entertaining things you can do on the internet. This distraction makes you less productive and lazy rather than utilizing the internet in a good way.

We Think Less:

Having easy access to search engines like Google and Bing we have started to think less. We do not search for answers by using our brain and thinking capabilities. Rather, we just type in our questions and get those automated answers. Humans have survived by using their brains in this tough world. In the stone age, humans used their brains to make tools from rocks and fire from wood. This utter curiosity for doing things and seeking answers on your own is vanishing from humankind.

Humans have become utterly lazy when it comes to using our brains. Research shows that the Hippocampus of our brains that is responsible for storing memories and remembering navigation routes is getting smaller in humans. Getting smaller means that the hippocampus is not being used by humans which in result can cause early dementia and memory loss in people of the future. Our thoughts, emotions, and curiosity drive us. But the ease of access to information through the internet has changed we think and act.

Final Verdict:

The Internet provides us with unimaginable good ways through which it makes human’s smarter. We are much more informed and can get access to the smallest of information in no time. But this ease of access and total dependency on the internet has driven us to use less of our brain and trust more in simulated realities. We have to understand that the internet is made to help us not to have control over our lives.