Makes us digital media stupid, or can we google for knowledge?
We need it everywhere. At school, at work, and in private life. It helps us to understand the world we live in – General Knowledge.
Smartphones or tablets are always with you. Children and teenagers, in particular, cannot keep their hands off electronic devices. SMS, Twitter, and Co. are important today.
There are various social media accounts, emails, and WhatsApp groups, with a phone call and an appointment in between. Nowadays, People hardly take time to do anything for general education. And it has become evident in the last three years—no time to research and ask critical questions.
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” Groucho Marx
See also > General Knowledge is More Than Ever Essential In The World Today.
Education comes from the screen because, alongside the television, the PC screen is the second source of our knowledge today. People don’t even think about the simplest questions; Google will know it.
Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience. You need experience to gain wisdom.- Albert Einstein
People who use a search engine think they can remember more, but the opposite is true.
Artificial Intelligence
These days also AI helps to keep you on the device. It is so sophisticated that it knows what to put in front of you to manipulate and distract you. It knows you and your preferences. Better than you yourself.
Human agency is being replaced by algorithmic power over decision-making, resulting in a breakdown of faith and other systems that traditionally defined how people see the world and make choices. I have called this dumbing-down syndrome the ‘moronization’ of the masses. – Rajiv Malhotra /Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Power Watch here
But what happens to the human brain when it’s constantly online?
Digital media make our lives easier and relieve us of intellectual work.
But if we outsource mental work from the brain to a machine, our ability to think will atrophy.
Whether young or old, only those who use their brain remain mentally fit, very similar to muscles.
“I like my new telephone, my computer works just fine, and my calculator is perfect, but Lord, I miss my mind!” Author Unknown
Instead of wasting time online, is it not better to use the internet to educate yourself? It is crucial to have general knowledge in our time. It gives self-confidence, creativity, and a more competent appearance.
5 Productive Things to Do on the Internet
Can digital media make you stupid?
As long as you look for specific information, the internet is a blessing for intellectually active people today. It is different when it comes to learning processes.
When absorbing information from a book, newspaper, magazine, or through Google, Google is less suitable for learning and educational processes than reading books; it is the least likely that information sticks. Young people should refrain from it to study and may better take online courses to educate themselves instead.
“It is the greatest truth of our age: Information is not knowledge.” -Caleb Carr.
Because for googling, you need general knowledge, which has the slightest chance of developing if you want to learn from Google instead of books, courses, or other sources. Watch here
You will also be less and less able to focus on one thing attentively and have a reduced attention span.
Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.- Charles Spurgeon
Some claim you don’t need any knowledge because you can google everything and that all that matters is specific education and technical expertise. But there is no competence without knowledge. And competent is someone who knows something and can apply this knowledge.
Primary general education also helps us understand connections and develop new ideas. It is the basis for us being able to keep growing, reflecting on ourselves, and also being able to question information.
A broad knowledge base helps you to assess and evaluate new things and recognize connections. Also, thinking outside the box and finding innovative solutions becomes easier when you have broad knowledge.
Those who have general knowledge score points at meetings and work. But it has to be learned and worked on it.
Moreover, general education ensures cultural transmission from generation to generation. Our brain looks back on millions of years of evolutionary history. Good to embrace this and not let machines diminish our miraculous abilities. Challenge your mind with research and new knowledge so it does not atrophy like unused muscles.
All men, by nature, desire knowledge.- Plato
Naturally, Humans have an innate thirst for knowledge. We are fascinated with exploring the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, existence, the meaning of life, our role in the world, and our relationship to our world.
Here is an excellent opportunity to dive into exploring and learning new knowledge.
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Good questions here, Erika. I spend a great deal of time offline every single day to train my mind, to exercise and to relax. Google can be a helpful guide to access some information but training your mind and sharpening your mental muscle is the best way to access knowledge and to gain wisdom all around you.
Ryan Biddulph recently posted…1 Big Blogging Boo Boo
You do good, Ryan; I know and can see it. Being often in nature also makes a difference. The internet and Google are helpful if we know what we are looking for and research different aspects.
You are right training the mind is crucial these days. But it has to be done, and one has to take the time for it. It seems to me not many do it. When I do my walks, I rarely see anybody without a phone in their hands, even in nature.
Thank you for your comment
Erika
Love this Erika, I spend way too much time online every day. When I realize it, I leave my smartphone in another room and try not to look at it for an hour or longer. My work depends so much on it these days. I love going for long walks and only use the phone for taking photographs. If people only use Google they are really being brainwashed today. It’s become quite scary to think about. I hope kids will get sick of the technology and go back to some old fashion ways as they get older. I do see some of my family members in their 30ths and 40s that spend less time online now.
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Yes, Lisa, I think we all do. I often do research, and it takes time because what I am looking for is not on the first page of Google 🙂
But if I go out, or for a walk or grocery, I never take the phone with me. Working online certainly makes us use it more than we should.
I am more concerned about the youth. They do not learn much for life from TikTok or other social media sites and get manipulated badly.It is scary as we hear things happen. I think of the kids that grow up with phones in their hands.
But I also saw in the last years how less people know about their body and mind, food, health and…
Good, your family members spend less time. Hopefully, more of the younger generation will do this.
Thank you for sharing your experience
Erika
The internet, in my opinion, has an effect on our brains in both positive and harmful ways. We are accustomed to processing information in a specific way, so when we find anything online, I believe it makes us smarter and forces us to use our brains more than we would otherwise. This is why I believe we use our brains more when conducting research online. I believe it negatively affects our brains because I believe not all of the material we obtain online is accurate; some of it is opinion-based, and not all of it has been thoroughly fact-checked.
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Aadiv,
you are right. Everything has a good and a bad side. It depends on how we use things. It is indeed easier to do research if you know where to look. Right, a lot is not accurate anymore and is manipulated. But doing research shows that you are somebody who thinks and asks questions. This is what many are not doing anymore. Many easily accept as truth what is put in front of them. Useless things clog the brain. Many do not even have enough knowledge anymore to be able to ask questions.
This is what matters.
Thank you for your comment and keep asking questions, be curious
Erika
Great article! It’s true that with the rise of digital media, it’s become easier to access information but at the same time, we risk losing our ability to think critically and retain knowledge. I agree that it’s important to have a broad knowledge base and to challenge our minds with research and new knowledge. It’s also important to strike a balance between using digital media to educate ourselves and taking the time to reflect on what we learn. Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking article!
You are right, Sophia; we need to find the balance between media and education. Not all in the media is really the truth. Often we need to do more research, and we need an open mind and media literacy. To make sure that we get the right knowledge, we should always look at both sides of the matter in question.
Thank you
Erika