The Internet Derp
12 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: children, computer, internet, peer pressure, smart, socializing, stupid, technology, video games
Have you ever sat down in front of your computer with a new software or piece of hardware up and felt completely overwhelmed? Well, you’re not alone. Even growing up in a generation that is latched to computers and phones and seems to know of nothing outside of the internet, I sometimes think my more traditional outlook on things is keeping me in the dark. I prefer books to the kindle, but to some people that is unacceptable. I have shopped for clothes online, but to some people shopping online is the only way to go. Just searching “obsessed with the internet” in Google has been fascinating. Here’s what I found:
Teenagers obsessed with the internet are more likely to become depressed, scientists claim
Are you obsessed with computers/internet?
Youngsters today revolve around their computers and without the internet it seems like there would be some sort of revolution. Firstly, when there was the whole turmoil in Egypt, once they got internet back a man and his wife named their baby Facebook because the revolution was organized over Facebook. That shows just a little bit how some people have trouble separating their virtual lives with real life. “Hey, little Facebook! Do you have Facebook? Haha…” I feel sad for this little kid… growing up. I can imagine there will be a lot of taunting.
This is so going to be my new Profile Picture.
But has this obsession with the internet done good in our society? Some people argue that it has allowed otherwise introverted people to come out of their shells and overcome their social fears. This may be true. With social networking sites removing individuals from the actual confrontation when talking about issues or events, some people may feel more inclined to share their feelings than face-to-face. However, some people argue that social networking sites, such as Facebook, may be making people turn inwards and isolate themselves from others. People may now feel the need to be alone and just communicate on the web since it makes them feel more comfortable.
The Rise and Rise of Social Networking, Could Facebook be making us Less Social?
Social networking sites making us ‘less human’?
Are Social networking Sites Making Us More Narcissistic?
Upon researching this on the above mentioned websites, it turns out most people feel the internet is isolating people from others and that social networking sites are making people less social and more narcissistic. In fact, one author argues that these sites, where we see other people happy, is making us sad. Who wants to see another person post about their sad days? I know, I have a friend that my other friends call Debbie Downer because she always posts about things that are going wrong, and not in a funny way. We don’t want to see things that are going terribly wrong, and we definitely don’t want to hear about the bad days and events surrounding someone’s life. So, seeing everyone constantly happy on Facebook is just the norm of online life. We only post pictures of cool and fun event. Seeing others happy isn’t always what we want to see. We imagine their lives being fun all the time, while in reality, they are struggling with just as many things as we are. They see us happy all the time, on our online websites, and get sad about their own lives. It’s a vicious circle. Vicious, vicious circle…
vicious circle....
How about the argument that the internet is making us smarter, more educated? Yes, valid point. Here’s what I found:
Is the Internet Making Us Smarter or Dumber? Yes.
Is the Internet Making Us Smarter or Stupider?
Does the Internet Make You Smarter?
So what do people generally say? Argued in some articles, the internet is doing both.
“Carr’s essay is the most pointed, in that he refers to scientific studies that show the brains of multitasking Internet users change as a result of their behavior, and says that such changes are making them less intelligent (at least according to some definitions of that word). Among other things, they are described as being weaker in “higher-order cognitive processes” such as “mindfulness, reflection, critical thinking and imagination” (just how someone measures a quality like mindfulness or reflection isn’t clear). The scattered and shallow thinking of Internet users is contrasted with the virtues of book reading, because Carr’s says the written page “promotes contemplativeness.””
“Shirky’s piece has less obvious research in it, and more of an impressionistic take on what digital media is doing to us as a society. His main point is that a tool like the Internet — just like its closest relative in terms of disruption, the Gutenberg printing press — brings with it both the good and the bad, and the two can’t necessarily be untangled from each other. The increased freedom to create that the Internet brings with it, he says, “means increased freedom to create throwaway material, as well as freedom to indulge in the experimentation that eventually makes the good new stuff possible.” In other words, Shirky argues that we will become smarter as a society, if not individually.”
So really, it’s a battle. No one can really tell if people are getting smarter or stupider with the help of the internet. I have often found myself distract beyond normal by the bringings of the internet. However, the endless knowledge base out there has also helped me with many things. While sometimes I feel smarter and have a greater array of useless knowledge, other times I feel the internet is feeding off people and making them think they are smarter, but in face, dumbing them down. Hard to tell…. There are so many examples of dumb people out there today… Failblog
So I hope you think about your internet usage and how it is affecting you. Perhaps, after reading things like this, you may feel the need to reexamine how you approach the internet and the information out there.
