What Does the Internet Make You?

While Nicholas Carr argues that the internet actually affects the brain making individuals dumber, Clay Shirky only argues that the internet creates useful cultural artifacts (regardless of whether or not something bad is happening to your brain). This pair of articles is definitely worth reading, but they don't appear to meet in the middle. I suppose one could read more in The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, or Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, two books which happen to be mentioned at the end of the respective articles.

Comments

[Michał Tatarynowicz]

I suppose that if Carr lived trough the advent of printing, he'd argue that people read more and more books, and therefore spend less time on each of them, making their retention lower and reflections on the contents shallower. They're also distracted by new books comming out every week or so.

"Internet" doesn't distract me. Unnecessary new e-mail sounds, or IMs from strangers would.

[Michał Tatarynowicz]

Sorry, I've just noticed it's the same argument Shirky uses :)

[Evan Stubbs]

I'd argue that the Internet doesn't "make" us anything; like other tools we interact with, how we adapt to our tools is our choice. In isolation, the Internet probably does encourage the false economy of "multitasking" and general distraction.

But, I think that's missing the point - we don't and shouldn't operate in isolation. Part of our intellectual and physical development is about encouraging a balance. The argument that any single activity on its own is unhealthy is equally true regardless of whether one's talking about sports, reading, socialisation, or research. The role of a good formative teacher is to help develop the personal skills required to do self-assessment and learning (and trying to avoid the Dunning-Kruger effect).

Now, if you'll pardon me, I just saw a bright shiny thing and must investigate further ...

[kaia]

Wise men don't need advice; fools don't take it.http://www.buy-ffxiv-gil.org/
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.