Is the Internet Making us S2pd?

In an age of instant noodles, McDonalds and digital technology, people now want to get things done rapidly and proficiently. Inevitably, the emergence of Internet has filled the increasing need for more speed and efficiency. It has wrought much change and has become a recurrent subject in most media studies and “talk-abouts.”

The Internet has paved the way for an on-going debate of whether the increasing use of such has become an addiction or simply a natural evolution. Many say that it has made us more competent since more information is available. On the other hand, some critics and scholars have claimed that the harmful effects of the Internet far outweigh its benefits. They argue that it has made us become overly dependent on the Internet and at some level, “stupid.” 

Even so, I believe it has greatly impacted how we think, write and speak but it does not leave us passive and powerless.

According to David Crystal, “the online mode of writing has become especially adopted to the new world of communicative efficiency and rapidity” (Parungao, 2011). In short, our words and phrases have become simplified and shortened because we want to get our and their message across as fast as possible. 

Aside from saying, “by the way”, in Netlingo, we say, “BTW.” In fact, in sending e-mails, even businessmen simplify their messages. “C2C” means consumer-to-consumer, an acronym used to describe the sale and purchase of an item from one individual to another, as in the case of online auctions like eBay (Netlingo.com). Thus, using internet language can be more time and work-efficient, considering how fast-paced our society has become. In this sense, the Internet can be a positive functional medium, allowing us to pool our resources to accomplish more.

However, some see it as harmful and destructive and can, for instance, cause a general deterioration in the quality of language and work. In other words, it can downgrade our intelligence and therefore damage how we think. Instead of reading for context and nuance, the Internet encourages us to merely skim for fast facts that lack substance. 

Critics assume that reading bullet points and Twitter postings turns our thoughts into bullet points and Twitter postings. 

On an extreme note, moreover, there are claims that the internet is not only shaping our lives but physically altering our brains. 

The Internet, as they say, with its constant distractions and interruptions, is turning us into scattered and superficial thinkers. 

Nicholas Carr, a technology scholar, spurred the debate on whether such notion is true and claimed that Google is making us more “dumb." He even supports this claim with biological assumptions. According to him, modern neuroscience shows that our habitual practices can actually change our “brain structures.” 

For instance, the brains of illiterate people are structurally different from those of people who can read. If learning to read could shape human brains, we can assume that our addiction to Internet can do something similar. In fact, according to a study made on its effect on student performance, using the Internet for “recreational purposes” had a negative effect on test performance, particularly for reading scores.

Given the cases illustrating how the Internet and using its language can be harmful, it cannot be denied that it has brought much influence to culture and society. In my opinion, however, the Internet is much influential but it does not leave the individual powerless – overly dependent and therefore, “stupid.”

Critics of the Internet use science to press their case, backing up with research that shows how it can change our brains when in fact, according to Harvard professor Pinker, every time we learn a fact or skill the wiring of the brain changes. It is true though that the pervasive use of the net can be distracting or addictive, especially to people with attention deficit disorder. 

However, if we think about it, distraction is not a new phenomenon. Hence, I argue that instead of bewailing the Internet, the solution must be to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every “distraction” in life.

The expression of informality in writing has greatly increased – something which has not been seen in English since the Middle Ages. True, it can damage the structural notion of what writing must be. However, I think that as the Internet is becoming linguistically diverse, it is able to reach out to the minorities and their languages. 

In fact, according to Crystal, it has encouraged a dramatic expansion in the variety and creativity of language. More than that, encouraging intellectual depth is the responsibility of universities. 

According to Pinker, “it’s not as if habits of deep reflection, thorough research and rigorous reasoning ever came naturally to people.” Thus, they must be gained in institutions such as schools and maintained with constant upkeep, which we call “analysis, criticism and debate." 

Besides, intellectual competence is not gained by merely propping a heavy encyclopedia on our laps nor are they taken away by efficient access to information on the net.

Information has been increasing immensely and the Internet has been helping us manage, search and retrieve more information, from Twitter and previews to e-books and online encyclopedias. 

In fact, in a study made by the Pew Research Centre’s Internet and American Life project, interviewing a panel of more than 370 internet experts, 81% of them agreed with the proposition that “people’s use of the internet has enhanced human intelligence." 

Elon University’s researcher Janna Anderson said that “there is no doubt that the Internet is making much more information available, instantly, in more formats to more people, thus this tool is definitely enhancing the intelligence of those who are fortunate enough to be able to go online.” 

Far from making us stupid, online technology is a tool for us to acquire a vast wealth of information at the touch of our fingertips. 

My mother told me that to write research papers, she would need many hours to look for the right books and research material from the multi-storied UP Main Library. Today, one doesn’t need that much time because the Internet cuts the time by half.

In my opinion, the individual has the responsibility to filter all information and use what he or she needs. In most instances, the bombardment of information provided by the Internet makes an individual lazy to do critical thinking. 

But the responsibility again lies on the individual to counteract that premise.