Does the Internet Make You Dumber? Essay Example

“Almost all teenagers in America today have used social media. Nine out of 10 (90%) 13- to 17-year-olds have used some form of social media. Three out of four (75%) teenagers currently have a profile on a social networking site, and one in five (22%) has a current Twitter account (27% have ever used Twitter). Facebook utterly dominates social networking use among teens: 68% of all teens say Facebook is their main social networking site, compared to 6% for Twitter, 1% for Google Plus, and 1% for MySpace (25% don’t have a social networking site” (Turkle, 2011  ). Many people only focus on the positive things that come from technology, but it seems that no one really understands the negative side effects of technology. Today I will tell you how media usage is negatively affecting people. Too much use of the Internet can have a negative effect on a person’s well-being; it can affect their attention span, brain’s ability, and personal skills.

First, the use of technology leads to a short attention span for nearly everyone who is exposed to it. According to Lenhart, “they are easily distracted and have short attention spans” (Lenhart, 2102). This lack of patience is a common characteristic that describes the majority of people who are technology dependent. With the use of technology, people seldom have to wait for anything, according to Turkle, a renown college professor who has completed extensive research on how computers affect the brain (Turkle 12). There are numerous examples of how technology has made processes almost instantaneous. First, there is instant messaging or text messaging. With this method, a person can communicate with another person in real time. According to Ciarcia, “Instant messaging is a part of everyday life, with more and more people using their IM service as a starting point for all communications, from sending mobile messages to friends on cell phones to placing VoIP-based phone calls. Fifty-eight percent of at-work instant messaging users now send IMs to communicate with colleagues” (Ciarcia, 2010). There is also email and social media sites, both of which are also instant. Chances are if a person is not using IM he/she is using email and/or social media.  Because youngsters are growing up with access to technology that is instantaneous, they are very impatient. When they have to complete tasks that take long periods of time, they become agitated and often just quit. Of 300 college students polled, 78 percent of them agreed that they become agitated when their electronic devices are not work properly or malfunction (Ciarcia, 2010). While all of the various forms of technology engage people, likewise, it often becomes addictive too.

Secondly, the brain is similar to other muscles-lack of use equals lack of ability.  Nicholas Carr, an evaluator of the internet and its impact on student learning, believes that students “are evolving from cultivators of personal knowledge into hunters and gathers in the electronic forest…” (Carr, 2015).  In other words, the brains of youngster are losing its ability to decipher information. They are only able to gather information. According to Ciarcia, an engineer who has researched how the brain reacts to concepts presented in various ways,  in  “These days, when any tough subject comes up in conversation, it’s only about 5 seconds before some guy whips out his smart phone and Googles it.” (Ciarcia, 2010).  The more people use and depend on computers, the less capable their minds become. In today’s world, technology is everywhere. Society has become more dependent upon technology; consequently, skills like creativity or critical thinking ability may be affected as well. The employment of various other complex skills, many believe, is what critical thinking is.  Critical thinking is the application of logic and reason to an unfamiliar situation (Nichols, 2015). Likewise, being able to think critically means one has to be open-minded and willing to see situations from various points of view. Another important aspect of critical thinking is being able to approach problems rationally. One must understand that what may seem rational to him/her may not seem rational to someone else. Members of today’s society have learned to depend more on computers than using critical thinking skills. The use of computers has negatively affected the brain’s ability to think critically.

Finally, adequate person to person contact requires critical thinking skills. These skills are acquired through contact with other people.  In a survey conducted on ULCA campus in California from 2009 through 2010, it was discovered that nearly 83 percent of the students surveyed admitted that they preferred text messaging, emailing, or other forms of communicating over face to face conversation. According to Simonpietri, a media professor at UCLA, “today’s most popular forms of communication, seems to invoke a sense of chaotic addiction in its users, something atypical of past methods of communication” (Simonpietri, 2011).  Lack of face to face communication depletes social skills.  Often one will see them in a social setting, but instead of having a conversation with the people around them, they are messaging.  The constant lack of communicating with others will lead to isolation and the lack of ability to use the skill. Those who spend the majority of their time communicating via technology will drift away from family and friends.  They spend so much time on media sites because they can become who they want to be. According to Turkle, “they can play many selves and none of these characters are any less real than what they think is their true self “(Turkle, 2011). Turkle conveys that this can adversely affect the way in which a person’s personality develops (Turkle, 2011).  Initially, the person may feel this is not a problem, but eventually they suffer from depression and anxiety about person to person contact (Carr, 2010). Being able to adequately communicate requires much more than speaking ability. Body language is just as important. When young people have not been exposed to body language and gestures, they may miss many unspoken cues.  Another common complaint about people is the fact they are unaware of what personal space is. They often stand too close or cross personal boundaries when they are in social settings. All of these equate to poor judgment due to the lack of person to person contact. Nonetheless, they are some professions for those who are more suited for the reclusive life.

In conclusion, social media and other forms of technologies can be a great enhancement to help facilitate communication and entertainment. People can utilize social media in a variety of ways. The Internet is a great tool for teens to use when used properly and with proportion. However, too much use of the Internet can have a negative effect on a teen’s well-being. It can affect their attention span, brain’s ability, and personal skills. So, the next time you are about to connect to technology, I am asking you to pause for 5 minutes and decide whether that Google search is worth it.

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?” The Wall Street Journal. Business News & Financial News, 05 June 2010. Web. 26 Jan. 2015

Ciarcia, Steve. “Is the Internet Making Us Smarter or Dumber?” Magazine by Engineers, for Engineers. Circuit Cella, Aug. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2012.

Lenhart, A. (2012). Teens, smartphones & texting. PEW Internet & American Life Project.

Simonpietri, S. (2011). Social media: Current trends among children and their parents and implications regarding interpersonal communication.

Turkle, S. (2011). How computers change the way we think. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(21), 10-15