Does The Internet Make You Smarter Or Dumber? Critical Thinking Sample

Internet is the technology of modern science which has turned the lives of people. Internet has evolved the living standards of people. The problems seem to be quite easy with the aid of internet. All the information regarding any query is available on the internet, and people can take advantage of this technology to the fullest. The life of people has changed and is made easier by the use of internet. Anything and everything can be access from the internet, and the boundary of knowledge has decreased. Moreover, internet also provides the internet stuff including games, videos, etc. which are the means of joy.
Internet has solved the problem of searching specific tools which are used on the job and are requisites for the completion of a task. Moreover, internet has made the things reachable and accessible from distant places. Therefore, internet is useful for the daily life in today’s era. However, with every technology and evolutionary finding, there is a drawback which has to be faced by the people. Internet too comes with many demerits. Furthermore, the internet comprises certain adult material which is accessible to the children. Consequently, enabling the children to watch the restricted content easily. Also, the criminal activities have become more advanced by the use of internet. The more the security system uses internet systems, the more the criminals acquire alternative methods to overcome these securities. Thus, the crime has gain peak due to the internet systems.
The article entitled “Does the Internet Make You Dumber?” composed by Carr (2010) highlights the findings and researches conducted on the use of internet and its effects. The author is determinant to show the side of the internet due to which people have become lazy and are gradually losing their own capabilities. The author is correct to some extent as the facts pointed out by the author are logical. The main theme of the article is to illustrate the fact that people who learn by reading the content which is composed of links do not learn it adequately as compared to the people who read it without links. Also, people tend to remember and focus the usual material more than the multimedia presentations. Similarly, the distraction hampers the learning and reading process of an individual who is caused by e-mails and other notifications. Consequently, the creativity of a person is diminished in this way, and an individual becomes less productive.
On the contrary, the author mentions the good characteristics of internet which is to play video games. Video games can be the replacement of the sports games which are played outside, but the visual skills in literacy are enhanced by the continuous play of these video games. These games are available on the internet so; it accounts for an advantage of internet to develop the cognitive capabilities. Several facts are combined by the author in his article which gives signals towards the development of a halt to the human thinking capabilities.
The research on students’ group with or without a computer displayed that the students were better in achievements that had shut their internet off. Evidently, it clarifies the fact that mental abilities are reduced due to excessive use of the internet. The dependency on the internet and the diversions on the internet make an individual lose the thinking power gradually. Consequently, a person who uses the internet widely can lose the capability to think and evaluate effectively.
The exposure of screen-based activities involving the internet, although provides the ability to respond to minor signals as well but, on the other hand, it significantly disrupts the vocabulary, meaningfulness, and imagination of the person. Moreover, unlike to the thoughts that an individual becomes a multi-tasker by remaining attentive to number of tasks in a day. A survey was conducted which revealed that people who spend more tie using internet are neither multitasker, nor their minds are able to grow intellectually.
The nervous system of human is made up of the nerves which get change quickly when an experience or a new thing is acquired. These cognitive changes occur after every new learned object or a new experience. The nerves record it by creating change in them. Subsequently, the use of internet does not permit an individual to think on its own and hence, the cognitive abilities can be impaired. Moreover, the nerves are not varied because the new learned and experienced things are not recorded.
Conversely, this point is contradictory in the author’s article because internet enables an individual to conduct an extensive research on various topics. With these instructions, new directions are perceived by the person, and he can develop new findings. If the people have not been creative, then it was not possible to construct the cure of various illnesses and the cause of the illnesses. Also, it would not have been possible to invent the advances in the technology and life would have faced a halt in terms of creativity. Hence, internet is not responsible solely for the cognitive inabilities of creativity and imaginations.
Furthermore, the author mentioned that reading the books is quite useful instead of getting an advantage from the material over the internet. He further states that reading from the book prevents from the distraction and helps a person to maintain his focus on one definite object. This thought presented in the article is untrue because reading a book although is a good habit but in order to find the relevant material, one has to seek the library. The time consumed in searching the required content or book from the library can easily be used up for some other tasks if the internet is used to read the content or book. Over the internet, all the knowledge is available and accessible quickly in less time than finding the same material from books.
Conversely, the internet according to the author is making us slow is acceptable. Since, we are getting dependable for everything. Internet is making us habitual of the system and dependent. This can lead us to be in a difficult situation in the absence of internet. Since, internet is providing us all the information and the tasks are made easier, people have become reluctant to exert own efforts. However, it should be considered that the advances acquired due to internet are smartly used in some working areas as in research. In research, the creativity and cleverness are taken into account along with the use of internet. The significant example for this fact is the encoding of entire human genome.
In conclusion, the article devised by Carr provided some serious facts which should be taken into consideration to maintain a balance in using the internet. Also, using it to an extent smartly and reducing the excessive dependency on internet. Thus, in this way, internet cam be a means of being smarter instead of dumber.

Works Cited

Carr. N (2010). Does the Internet Make You Dumber?Dow Jones & Company, Inc retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704025304575284981644790098 on 9th February 2015.