Boundless Passions Features
The Effects of Internet on
Our Brains
Written by: Malika m. Billington
Connections
Technology and its works of magic have been around for quite some time. Its a body
of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and extracting of materials. We as
humans integrate technology into almost everything we do. Whether its business,
communications , human relationships, agriculture and even education, with internet
topping the charts. The internet has truly gained power and became the wizard to our Oz
as wireless communications transform our world and the way we think day by day.
The Debate
With technology growing greater within months, parents start to raise question if
technology is starting to have too much of an impact or effect on their children:
Sometimes i'm too afraid of leaving my child with their phone unsupervised. With all this
social media going on, who knows what strangers a wait and possibly do something
harming. says one parent
Study shows that Teens are spending more than one-third of their days using media
such as online video or music nearly nine hours on average, according to a new study
from the family technology education non-profit group, Common Sense Media. Are parents
really worried about the time or how theyre using the time. In most terms, the usage of the
internet on our brains really depends on how you use it and how much time your usi. If
youre using it for the purpose of homework, business, connections with friends, etc, then
theres really no problem, but if you come to terms of meeting strangers online or just
maybe doing illegal things, such as spreading personal information of others, of course
that's stepping way out of bounds. social media tends to literally keep us connected. What
is the downside to all of this?
What Could Be So Bad?
Former writer for online degrees blog Caitlyn Probst in her article 10 ways social media
affects our Mental Health implies that social media truly triggers the brain negatively. She
supports her Claim by first including logical statistics saying 63% of Americans log on
Facebook daily and 40% log on multiple times each day, while yet including the claims of
researchers. Probst then explains how social media triggers low self-esteem caused by
cyberbullying. Though social media and enhances our connectivity..says Prost it is clear
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that 70% of teens ages 12 to 17 who interact with social media are most likely to use
tobacco. social media seems to glamorize the product, know tobacco itself has negative
effects. Prost main focus is to inform the negative effects of technology on our own minds.
Journalist Chris Morrissey article sees the negative impact of the internet from a
different point of view. He believes social media is what some times drives us to be anti-
social. In his article Is technology killing the human touch, notes that the usage of the
internet for social connections can strongly drive out that special connection. Morris
includes direct links from PlOS, a Chinese Academy of Sciences and Sage journals, as well
as deriving the topic of ghosting (slowly Vanishing from someone's life). PLOS simply an
online study analysis, on the new mental health problem, IAD (Internet Addiction Disorder),
while sage journals explains the symbiotic relationship between people and their phones
along with other attached files to get on a deeper level. The article then raises the question
of how the technological way of meeting someone through apps removed part of the
human connection, Such as the only dating sites. who knows what fake identity that person
is using. Morris says that the behavioral impact is more on how we interact with each
other on a daily basis and that it's sometimes better to talk face to face, because at
moments, texting doesn't truly express how one feels.
Overall these two articles make a pretty good case understanding the disadvantages to
technology, but to every downside there is always a bright side with great benefits.
So How Does Technology Benefit the Human Intelligence?
Dr. Dean Burnett and Author Mack lemouse both of appeal to a more common sense
point of view in their articles. Though Burnett has more logical reasoning in his article Is
The Internet Killing Our Brains, as for lemouse comparing his own experience and of
others in his work Why The Positive Effects of Internet Use Outweigh The Bad. They're
writing suggest that the positive use of internet and feed the negative claims and there is
no need to live with the fear and living zombies lost in the world of The Matrix.
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Dr. Burnett supports his Claim by integrating his Professional Knowledge stating that
The brain is already well adapted to prevent damaging information overload, so it's
unlikely that the internet will be able to cause such a thing. But what about memory wise?
Burnett States the things we experience that end up as memories do so via unconscious
processes. Apparently situations that have an emotional Resonance or significance have a
greater chance of being remembered, rather than actual facts. This could also explain the
decrease in students attention span about learning or it could be downright laziness. He
said We as humans develop learn and grow the neurological level. In Burnetts article he
includes logical evidence from a source called Scott. Net and Medical Daily. Scott. Net
explains in short detail how the eyes don't really capture the full effect within its visuals,
however medical daily speaks on information overload and how the internet inhabits the
short-term memory.
Lemouse on the other hand supports his opinion by saying The accusation that the
internet ruins real life relationships is a bit of a misdemeanor and compares the usage of
internet business. He believes the downsides actually represent progress and the positive
effects of internet use. Lemouse says that office workers spend less time relaxing and do
more work due to no internet connection, however they get to take fewer trips into the
office and work entirely from home and set up their own businesses.
Thanks to the internet, you can work from anywhere, meaning it's eco-friendly as you do
group chats and still be with family without polluting the environment even further with
planes or cars.
Then it explains that in the case of such as Facebook and others you're actually more in
contact with people than ever and possibly even romantic as they also might benefit.
Internet allows couples to talk every night without increasing a long phone bill on Skype or
MSN. Lemouse also thinks that changing the way you meet people adds a little more
interest into a relationship. Taking away the physical element to begin with may even
make the relationship less shallow and get both parties to visit new and exotic locations.
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But what about your private / security information? Lemouse says that if you just follow
the safety tips there is no need to worry. The article then claims that the internet gives
people the freedom to speak or type in other terms, spread ideas. Overall, the article just
simply explains that the internet is not bad after all, if you look at it from a different point
of view.
if we continue as we are and ignore the doom ringers, it won't be long till the new age
comes along and a true democracy and free flow of information and our are a
commonplace, says lemouse.
So the internet has a decent division between it pros and cons. No matter what effect the
internet has on the human intelligence we always seem to find a way to develop greater
benefits and advantages. Whether it's for human relationships, communication, business
or even education, technology has made a major Impact in our lives and has helped us
become smarter or more intelligent by the day. And with this new intelligence it is possible
to bring Solutions to certain difficult situations or problems.