Has the internet changed the way we think?
Adil Shehzore In the 1970s the creation of a way for all of the computers on all of the world's mini-networks to communicate with one another changed the way in which we saw and interacted with the world. Email enabled us to send messages in seconds to any part of the world. Furthermore the development of search engines allowed us to access volumes of information that would take thousands of libraries to fill. While the advent of online shopping has enabled us to do our groceries, buy houses and book holidays without leaving our homes. Now the immediate result of the internet is evident, however many now question if the internet hasn’t only changed our lives, but the way we think too. One would argue that thanks to its widespread use, that this is indeed the case. Yet this essay aims not to simply comment on this very basic notion, but to explore the ways in which the internet has caused us to think in such a way that our society is directly affected. The internet has challenged our perceptions of past protocols, made information available to all and has physically and mentally changed us as a species. The most bona fide effect that the internet has had is evident in the ease and accessibility of the vast information it contains. Dates, answers and images are all found in one place. As information is no longer hidden in the crevices of archaic shelves and private collections, the effects of the internet have not only lead to vanishing encyclopedias and the closure of libraries, but its most palpable effect has been on the Human species. The internet has changed the way we think in the sense that we no longer feel the need to memorize every single fact about a time period and no more do we need to be able to quote definitions verbatim. The knowledge we would once gain from teachers and parents is now found inside our pockets, in this way Google has become our ‘external hard drive’ – an extension of our memory, which begs the question: if so much information is and will always be so readily available, what is the need for spending hours memorizing details when such facts are a fingertip away? However it is not the effects but the consequences of this question, which present the most significant consequences of the internet on the way we think. Having so much information readily available questions many aspects of our very society, in particular its basis: Education. For years students have been tested on their ability to learn information in a certain period of time and the reproduce it on paper in an exam. However, surely the presence of this information in our pockets renders this process and thus a significant part of our education system obsolete. This reveals a pressing matter for politicians and educators alike. While before someone who may have been applauded with a brilliant ability to memorize entire passages of prose and recall all the capitals of the world, now the usefulness of this ability may be called into question. Perhaps we should now have spontaneous practical tasks rather than dreaded exams or possibly the time has come to abandon the practice of handing a student a textbook and inviting him back a few months later to regurgitate the information he has managed to cram in that time. These are all conventions and common practises the internet has caused us to challenge thus resulting in the destruction of one archaic school of thought and thanks to the internet the creation of its successor. The internet has put on the forefront resourcefulness and critical-thinking and relegated memorization of rote facts to mental exercise or enjoyment. Because of the abundance of information and this new emphasis on resourcefulness, the internet creates a sense that anything is knowable or findable — as long as you can construct the right search, find the right tool, or connect to the right people. The internet empowers better decision-making and a more efficient use of time. Simultaneously, it also leads to a sense of frustration when the information doesn't exist online. What do you mean that the store hours aren't anywhere? Why can't I see a particular page of this book? What do you mean that page isn't available? Page not found?
The internet can facilitate an incredible persistence and availability of information, but given the
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