My OperaDangers of Online Activity
Monday, September 13, 2010 11:51:59 AM
Technology, particularly the web, has been found to have lasting effects on our brains, altering our ability to carry out certain tasks. This is according to a BBC article titled "How Good Software Makes Us Stupid" based on an interview with Nicholas Carr, the author of: The Shallows--What the Internet is Doing to our Brains".
As we continue to use the Internet regularly, our brains continue to be rewired in such a way that we might end up stupid or unproductive. Carr argues that as technology makes complicated tasks easier to do, we risk actually not learning learning anything; essentially "short-circuiting" the brain. Humans have come to depend on software for everything--finding information, socializing, performing intellectual chores and this denies them the ability to act themselves.
Cases have been cited where many people spend eons chatting with others online but can't manage a conversation in the real world.
There's another danger involving the quality of information found online. With the proliferation of crappy blogs optimized for search engines, it's possible for these useless blogs to fill up your results page. This might trick you into believing they are worthy just because they are highly ranked. Far from it. A lot of online content is even written by teens who have no idea what lies and BS they are posting.
Beware when researching information on health symptoms and signs, how to accomplish a certain technical task, or any other advice since you might just find what you were afraid you'd find when the real fact may be the opposite.
As we continue to use the Internet regularly, our brains continue to be rewired in such a way that we might end up stupid or unproductive. Carr argues that as technology makes complicated tasks easier to do, we risk actually not learning learning anything; essentially "short-circuiting" the brain. Humans have come to depend on software for everything--finding information, socializing, performing intellectual chores and this denies them the ability to act themselves.
Cases have been cited where many people spend eons chatting with others online but can't manage a conversation in the real world.
There's another danger involving the quality of information found online. With the proliferation of crappy blogs optimized for search engines, it's possible for these useless blogs to fill up your results page. This might trick you into believing they are worthy just because they are highly ranked. Far from it. A lot of online content is even written by teens who have no idea what lies and BS they are posting.
Beware when researching information on health symptoms and signs, how to accomplish a certain technical task, or any other advice since you might just find what you were afraid you'd find when the real fact may be the opposite.
