Internet and Intelligence
As it seems in our society, technology continues to become an ever increasing part of one 's daily life. Whether one is being glued to a cell phone screen, scanning articles on a computer, or sitting on the couch becoming immersed in a television show, it is hard to deny the affects of technology on humans. With this seemingly endless expansion, it is evident that some have formed different opinions on just how this can affect a human brain. While some believe it broadens the variety of human thought as ideas are shared and collaborated on across the worldwide web, others fear it can have devastating effects. Everyone seems to agree, however, that it is changing our minds in some way. Authors and literary …show more content…
Erik Fransén, a computer science professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, believes that even a single Internet session can make it more difficult for someone to keep short term memories (Gregoire): “It’s like having water poured into a glass continuously all day long, so whatever was there at the top has to spill out as the new water comes down. We’re constantly losing the information that’s just come in — we’re constantly replacing it, and there’s no place to hold what you’ve already gotten” (Schwartz). The Internet has the capability to present many things to one 's brain more rapidly than ever, overwhelming the mind and losing some of the short term memories (Gregoire).
Not only does the Internet impose some frightening risks, it also can be addicting. The brains of constant internet users have actually shown similarities to brains of people addicted to drugs and alcohol (Howard): “The majority of people we see with serious Internet addiction are gamers – people who spend long hours in roles in various games that cause them to disregard their obligations” (Jones). A 2011 study also showed that unplugging from the computer or technology in general for one hour gave these users similar withdrawal symptoms to alcoholics and drug addicts
As it seems in our society, technology continues to become an ever increasing part of one 's daily life. Whether one is being glued to a cell phone screen, scanning articles on a computer, or sitting on the couch becoming immersed in a television show, it is hard to deny the affects of technology on humans. With this seemingly endless expansion, it is evident that some have formed different opinions on just how this can affect a human brain. While some believe it broadens the variety of human thought as ideas are shared and collaborated on across the worldwide web, others fear it can have devastating effects. Everyone seems to agree, however, that it is changing our minds in some way. Authors and literary …show more content…
Erik Fransén, a computer science professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, believes that even a single Internet session can make it more difficult for someone to keep short term memories (Gregoire): “It’s like having water poured into a glass continuously all day long, so whatever was there at the top has to spill out as the new water comes down. We’re constantly losing the information that’s just come in — we’re constantly replacing it, and there’s no place to hold what you’ve already gotten” (Schwartz). The Internet has the capability to present many things to one 's brain more rapidly than ever, overwhelming the mind and losing some of the short term memories (Gregoire).
Not only does the Internet impose some frightening risks, it also can be addicting. The brains of constant internet users have actually shown similarities to brains of people addicted to drugs and alcohol (Howard): “The majority of people we see with serious Internet addiction are gamers – people who spend long hours in roles in various games that cause them to disregard their obligations” (Jones). A 2011 study also showed that unplugging from the computer or technology in general for one hour gave these users similar withdrawal symptoms to alcoholics and drug addicts