Online Debate Competition #3 - Does Internet kill our ability to think?

Think ? No. Remembering things Yes. When it comes to analytical topics no amount of AI can replace our brain.

The internet helps us to think. For example during the elections in India most people sought the help of websites like Know Your Candidate and Bing Elections to make an informed decision. They collected concrete information and did not rely on the false pretenses made by politicians.

Well, what I think is there is nothing like Internet is killing your brain. When do you search the web? When you have a question, right? What does that mean? It means you are thinking.

So, I don't think it is killing our ability to think. Instead, Internet is providing us with answers and options to think beyond limits. It in fact ignites another little flame which can be a solution to a hundred different problems.

I don't think it kills the ability to think. Maybe just makes us lazy in search and find. It also helps as being the probably the biggest source of free information, so if someone needs to learn or find something - it makes it easy.

Internet and search engines are just tools. What is between the two ears is what thinks. It can use any tool creatively.
The problem comes when people intentionally avoid thinking and look for a quick fix.
So long as the net is used as a tool as a virtual library, it can help thinking. As an old timer I am still partial to books. I do use the net a lot for current data on materials processes. It is a very useful adjunct to creative thinking provided it is used as such.

I believe that, somehow internet is killing your ability to think. Because of easily available solution source, we do not even attempt to think or put it some efforts, right?

No, it doesn't! If anything, it helps humans to think further. It tells you what has already been done and what more can you think about. Imagine a world where everyone is just a frog in a well. Nobody knows what's going on around the world. People will keep developing same theories again and again. Internet gives you the chance to know what limit has been breached and then you can think ahead of that.

And of-course, who can forget resources! Tell me any other medium which will give you access to that much resources on the tip of your fingers. Plus you get a chance to communicate with people who are interested in the same thing, that makes your thinking ever broader. The only thing is, you should know how to use it for your benefit!

Well folks! I disagree to the fact that internet is killing our ability to think. Wait, before you disagree with me, and let me give you a quick example.

CrazyEngineers, You’re accessing this site almost daily, reading through various discussions, participating in them and “expanding” your knowledge.

Note here, that Internet surely provides you with instant access, it may seem like that it’s killing your ability, but as I say, you’re solely responsible for how you use a resource. Considering for example, Nuclear weapons were made to “protect”, medicines were there to “cure” but we know many people use them in exactly opposite way.

Internet is useful, if you’re using it in the right way. It’s not only just a “source of information” as the old traditional books, but it provides much more capability than it. For instance, you need to learn how to code, traditionally, you would just pick up a big book on programming and start reading it. You’ll spend plenty of time just going through the pages, rather than actually doing what’s needed. I’m implying to practice to code and improving upon the skills. While on the other hand, when we see internet world, you can find a lot of interactive web exercises which would help you to quickly lean by “actually doing”.

Ofcourse not...we, the human beings are not able to know things as much as the internet resources has...surfing the net is useful in many areas like realtime updates,research,education,communication and also in many financial aspects...so in my view internet is a treasure trove and it's not killing our ability to think...😀

On the down side I do see a lot of students trying to use various fora to get answers to assignments or homework without putting any effort. Some even tell honestly that they were out partying and have a hangover or whatever and ask 'can you please please, God Please help me out?'.

That can be told about any tool/resource.

Yes, I agree with your opinion that books are a source of knowledge that no internet can replace but when you think about it the internet has helped us get through books and the information faster. For example take the book by Dale Carnegie “How To Win Friends and Influence People”, instead of spending my time going through the entire book I can learn the things he has to say in a précis found on the internet.

On the other hand if we check the dark side, we often find that Internet manages to corrupt our thinking process. People look up symptoms on websites such as WebMD and come to a conclusion that they are suffering from a life threatening illness.

Satya Swaroop DashThink ? No. Remembering things Yes. When it comes to analytical topics no amount of AI can replace our brain.

From the first instance when i saw the topic too thought that AI can't replace human capability to think but the truth is that it only enhances the skill/thoughts. Before the innovation of internet, all we do is read newspaper, hear radio and see television to know whats happening around the world but we should note that those information were limited and if we had'nt got the answer we got in books in library we decide that the thing we searched didnt exist but in today's modern era, we can cross check the news we had got and explore more.
Internet is vast and we can do a lot more than exploring news happening around us.For instance, Internet has been a platform to explore, learn and share to others. Consider our own CE in which we have been discussing without which we would be doing other things.Here we post doubts, projects, etc but it doesn't mean we are not thinking.Its a platform to apply our thoughts that we had thought.

NO. its not killing our thinking ability. it increase the power of thinking. sometimes it tells us new thing which we cant think before. keep us update.

One example is, just two days back, I was searching for how to make a circular div in CSS, how to have icons of facebook, twitter etc. on a webpage etc. I quickly made a search on the net, and I was flooded with a lot of information. Now it could depend on me, whether I just quickly copy + paste what I needed, or I could read more about it, and search more, how is it actually working and then imply it on my own. Right?

So, as you see, basically we are solely responsible for how we’re using the information.

Because books also provide you with the same information, but books may be limited in a particular topic, but that’s not the case with Internet, you can find plenty of blogs with helpful posts on a particular topic.

You can learn so much fast with Internet as it actually makes your learning 10x faster by providing interactive environment.

How many students refer books or think twice before checking Internet for the solution??

Stephen Leacock, one of the best humourist of the early 20th century wrote that after going througha medical encyclopedia, he felt that he was suffering from everything except housemaid's knee and felt cheated.

You do not need the net for such anxieties.

Oh yes! People are expected to use their common sense and intelligence while using a resource like that, where informations cannot be validated fully. Even then, something, may be a solution, you find on the internet, makes you think how genuine it can be. Unless from a trusted source, you'll have to question its truth value.

I am sure that Plato, Aristotle and Einstein if alive now would use the net to further their thoughts.

lalWell, what I think is there is nothing like Internet is killing your brain. When do you search the web? When you have a question, right? What does that mean? It means you are thinking.

So, I don't think it is killing our ability to think. Instead, Internet is providing us with answers and options to think beyond limits. It in fact ignites another little flame which can be a solution to a hundred different problems.

Yes, I simply agree to this. We search, when we have questions. But there are two sides of the coin as I previously mentioned, one way you can quickly complete your homework as #-Link-Snipped-# sir said, that's obviously misusing internet rather than actually get benefit from it. Other way is go in detail of what you're actually wanting to know.

Detail here doesn't need to mean very very much detail, but detail means to me to that point where you "actually" understanding, what a particular topic is all about.

I think there's a lot of difference between 'the ability to think' and 'learning something new'. Let us not mix them both when keeping our arguments.

Seems like most of us disagrees with the fact, Then what about the following recent research...

"the internet is fundamentally changing how our brains work and how our minds function. It was proved in an experiment that the way in which we interact with texts is evolving as use of the internet increases, which in turn affects our ways of thinking, both at a conceptual level and a biological level, and sees these shifts in our mental lives as potentially problematic."

#-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# Yes you are absolutely right.

It seems the most of us are disagreeing with the topic, so lets us try to put some points on the other side.

When it comes to the actual thinking process involved in our day to basis I have a very good example.

During my college days I was interning at a small software firm, the programming head asked me to develop a chat application which should have all the chat features like people online, auto refresh blocking and so on. I immediately took to the internet to find the solution but while I found millions of code but nowhere could I get the programming logic. So I decided to use my own logic and insert some lines of code from the internet for various parts.

So as you have seen in the above example the fast internet has put up solutions to help us put less strain on our head but our minds know better.

Rajni JainHow many students refer books or think twice before checking Internet for the solution??

Yes, people may check books, but as I said, it entirely differs from person to person, one may just prefer a quick look from internet and complete his "homework" other may want to go through the article in a book, to understand a particular topic, if he doesn't understand what's actually going on (like I sometimes feel, mostly with electrical and computer science topics), he can search on the net what's the particular topic is all about.

Satya Swaroop DashOn the other hand if we check the dark side, we often find that Internet manages to corrupt our thinking process. People look up symptoms on websites such as WebMD and come to a conclusion that they are suffering from a life threatening illness.

Yes i had also searched about the medicines that i had been prescribed but it doesn't mean i am coming to a conclusion by myself. It helps us to know out of box since medicine is a field where doctors go for step by step method to diagonize problem. Many doctors had concluded to a specific terms with little diagnosization. I had experienced a similar situation were i met a dermatologist for a problem at back of my ear but he only saw me one time and came to a decision that i had a cholesterol stone near my ear and he gave some medicines. All turned worse and it got bigger. I searched for it over internet and i read a lot and peculiar diseases which pushed me to consult another doctor and i got cured.

Note that there a lot of people who go by nearby shop and say symptoms and ask the pharmacists to give medicine for them. So its not with the internet but its with the people.

Rajni JainHow many students refer books or think twice before checking Internet for the solution??

I'd consider refering books and searching the internet kinda same. About thinking twice, that is the same when you refer the book or search the net.
Or educate me. How does searching internet and referring books differ? Books probably limit the amount of information they give, could that be it?

A.V.RamaniI am sure that Plato, Aristotle and Einstein if alive now would use the net to further their thoughts.

Do you think that Steve jobs would have found something on internet before inventing Apple products?

Or Internet would have helped Newton thinking why apple falls down?

SarathKumar ChandrasekaranSo its not with the internet but its with the people.

Thats the thing with every resource, its what people do with it whether they use it for good or bad use.

if i want to know how thing work. if i have a book with full information and picture about the topic and other side i have a laptop with fast net speed. then i will go for laptop. where i can see picture in the book other side i can see videos regarding topic.

If you are in ocean, catch the fish you wanted and back to work or, dive further to enjoy a new coral reefs.

Internet just made us to find information and collaborate easily. while on downside this is a maze of information you might lost what you are seeking.

Seems like we are dragging the topic in a different direction,

I think there's a lot of difference between 'the ability to think' and 'learning something new'

Let us not mix them both when keeping our arguments.

Satya Swaroop Dash#-Link-Snipped-# #-Link-Snipped-# Yes you are absolutely right.

It seems the most of us are disagreeing with the topic, so lets us try to put some points on the other side.

When it comes to the actual thinking process involved in our day to basis I have a very good example.

During my college days I was interning at a small software firm, the programming head asked me to develop a chat application which should have all the chat features like people online, auto refresh blocking and so on. I immediately took to the internet to find the solution but while I found millions of code but nowhere could I get the programming logic. So I decided to use my own logic and insert some lines of code from the internet for various parts.

So as you have seen in the above example the fast internet has put up solutions to help us put less strain on our head but our minds know better.

Yes, this can happen, but I (personally) particularly, tries to think, and that's what we should actually do.
Right?

Because, we have resources, access to all the information in the world in just a few clicks. But how we make the "use" of our resource is what makes it different.

Rajni JainSeems like most of us disagrees with the fact, Then what about the following recent research...

"the internet is fundamentally changing how our brains work and how our minds function. It was proved in an experiment that the way in which we interact with texts is evolving as use of the internet increases, which in turn affects our ways of thinking, both at a conceptual level and a biological level, and sees these shifts in our mental lives as potentially problematic."

Yes, it changes how our brain works, may be affecting our ways of thinking as the research suggests. But that's because of our own fault.

Yes, indeed, just copy + pasting is what people prefer in today's world.
They feel so lazy to just understand about the topic, rather they just want to go through a quick process to accomplish their "small-term goals", rather focusing on their "long-term goals" , and that's what making the whole difference.

That's what is responsible for killing the thinking of "some" people who are so lazy to grab proper information and use the internet "effectively".

Anil JainDo you think that Steve jobs would have found something on internet before inventing Apple products?

Or Internet would have helped Newton thinking why apple falls down?

Probably Newton might have found a way to increase the bandwidth!

It doesn't make sense to think it that way. A person thinks when he/she encounters problems. Necessity is the mother of invention, not the Internet. Internet doesn't stop you from thinking anything. Rather it boosts!

I agree that i am not refer book or think twice before searching the net...but the solutions which i get from the internet makes me think and i think it's a much beneficial way...😀
am also using the internet to complete my homeworks and for complicated assignments...i know it's not a proper way...but reading a proper text book and extracting things which i want then learning it and applying it is a really impractical way to complete my assignments in one day sir #-Link-Snipped-# 😀

Just as passive watching of a TV can dull one's thinking so can time spent on social sites (like FB) stop one thinking. Scoring brownie points or likes become the goal.

The problem as I see it in this debate is more semantic.
CEans are generally serious engineers. Though they take time out for a bit of fun and frolic, most of the time the net is used to serious purpose as #-Link-Snipped-# suggests.

There is no gainsaying that the net is of great use to speed up creativity. That certain aspects of the net act as anodyne is also proven. Many medical institutions abroad and here have special divisions looking into net addiction.

Are all of here talking about the same thing in this discussion?

No doubt that internet have hell lot of things that are beneficial to human being. However, how many of you agree that time has came when we go search internet first before applying our own mind?

When you look at this from an adult point of view, you might be absolutely right about the internet being useful in all its glory.

But, as mentioned, below things do look different from a young mind's point of view.

"Exposure to the internet and availability to 'instant' information has increased significantly in last 5 years, especially in adolescents".

To an adolescent or young teenager, his/her eyes are just starting to open. He would get lots of information if he searched the internet, but how on earth would he/she get to know information that is not easily found or forgotten? If he/she has an idea about what he/she wants to 'find' through 'searching/'browsing' the internet, then the task is easier.

But, is that so in reality?

I would like to cite an example that took place in my own life:

My dad never bought me a computer until I joined 7th Grade of School as I 'had' a subject in school. I started asking him for a computer from 2nd Grade of School onward. My dad had mixed thoughts. If he had then bought me a computer and an Encarta Encyclopedia CD collection, I was good to go with School Assignments and necessary stuff.

But my dad thought differently (and I heard him say this to a friend of his), "If I'd bought him a computer and an Encarta Encyclopedia Collection, he and his sister would have just wasted time playing games or taking just the necessary information out of the computer. But instead, I bought them a 3 set collection of Britannica and Other Encyclopedia which they read regularly and get a lot of information from, which would help them think."

Yes, i remember how I got a lot of extra information from the real printed Encyclopedia collection back at home - history, things of the past, things you don't get to read on the newspaper or at school, etc. Even though I don't remember all of it, I still have hints of what I need to search for on the internet when a topic comes to my head. I would think of stories that took place in the past and other interesting observations - this has helped a lot in future in terms of thinking about various topics - writing an article with cited examples from the past, learning the different culture of different places and thinking about how life would be in those areas, etc.

For eg: Ventriloquism - how many of you knew what this is back in 2nd Grade of School? How many of you know it now without actually looking online?

Now, this has also significantly increased my 'affinity' towards books. You may see, you've e-books for that. But seriously, how long can you read from an e-book? I tried, and I did not enjoy the experience.

Even 90% of the old content here at CE is not known by me. I don't know even 1% of what's there on the internet. But, I have a collection of memories of what was there on the A-Z labels of my Encyclopedia.

Now think about it? Is internet really a good 'first' source of information? - The answer is 'No'. So how does the thinking improve?

Before, we used to observe things around us and reason with - WHAT, WHY, WHEN, HOW questions, now we just Google it!

Before there was an inner satisfaction to finding a solution, or thinking for a minute or two and finding the meaning of a word from the dictionary, now just search it online. This is definitely a case not-good for adolescents.

Rajni JainHow many students refer books or think twice before checking Internet for the solution??

Ok lets put it like this. Is it wrong to go straight to internet to learn what we want and consume our time?
Advantages:

1. We can quick scan the webpages the subject/topic we want to know.
2. Easy to zero in the topic
3. Availability of more images and video reference to explore the complicated topics. Eg: a gear box operation is more complicated when we refer book alone .
4. We are independent- We don't want to ask for help from others in some situations and that is the place internet gives us a helping hand
5. A platform to start ups to showcase their products.
6. To raise funds for kickstarting projects and share the artworks

Topic says "Does Internet kill our ability to think?"

Most of us in the discussion are saying that internet is giving us so many solution, don't we think that our ABILITY to think is vanished as we got the cooked-up answer?

Here is a fact that we have completely over looked.

Internet helps us in collaborative projects that means we can put learned minds from across the work together and find solutions.

There you go it helps us to think better.

Anoop KumarIf you are in ocean, catch the fish you wanted and back to work or, dive further to enjoy a new coral reefs.

Internet just made us to find information and collaborate easily. while on downside this is a maze of information you might lost what you are seeking.

Completely agree with this. It depends on the user, how he wants to use the internet, he can actually quickly catch up a fish (info) you wanted, or can dive further (researching about your topic so as to understand it's true meaning).

Yes, it may sometimes seems like you're actually lost in this vast ocean and deviated from what you were actually looking about or searching about.

The thing is, as I previously mentioned, you need to understand a topic in detail (so much detail, as much is sufficient for you to understand what's going on in the particular topic)

lalProbably Newton might have found a way to increase the bandwidth!

It doesn't make sense to think it that way. A person thinks when he/she encounters problems. Necessity is the mother of invention, not the Internet. Internet doesn't stop you from thinking anything. Rather it boosts!

Well, we could just traditionally search the books, but getting a book on a particular topic, you've to search, then if you need to refer another sub-topic, may be you need to look out for another book.

But with Internet, you can quickly get a vast amount of information at just a few clicks. If you need to go in for a sub-topic, you can quickly navigate easily.

I'm not saying that books are too old , or too mainstream stuff, but I believe one should always first refer books. May be a particular topic could not be explained in a newbie way as a student wants, so he can search on the net.

It happens with me many times, I then make a search, sometime it happens I couldn't figure out a particular thing, and understand the topic in an "easy way" which I as a newbie would understand, then internet always provide me with forums like CE, where people help me out. I remember till now, how I've come up with questions like "Why a flying wheel is named so?" on CE, while I was not finding a "particular" answer to my question.

Something urgent has come up. Before signing off this is to reiterate, the net can be used responsibly to further individual and group (spread across time zones) to come up with creative output quickly.

Used irresponsibly it can dull thinking and lead to psychological problems.

(Admin: Please leave me out of any evaluation)

OFFICIAL MODERATION: We are discussing "Does Internet kills our ability to think"

We are not discussing that Internet is good for human being or not, No doubt Internet is an asset.

We are debating if "Internet does kill our 'ABILITY' to think?"

if you are reading a books and a doubt comes where will you go? to whom you will contact? i think maximum people go for internet. if books can give us everything then why net?

Anil JainTopic says "Does Internet kill our ability to think?"

Most of us in the discussion are saying that internet is giving us so many solution, don't we think that our ABILITY to think is vanished as we got the cooked-up answer?

Cooked-up solutions, Right sir.

We get cooked-up solutions, but that doesn't restrict you to explore further. Isn't it?

You can always search more, and go in depth till you understand what you are searching for.

Satya Swaroop DashHere is a fact that we have completely over looked.

Internet helps us in collaborative projects that means we can put learned minds from across the work together and find solutions.

There you go it helps us to think better.

Exactly! Great points coming here !

Well there are Organizations like Mozilla, where you can simply contribute and learn how to work in a team environment.

They can provide us a platform to learn things, and moreover how actually the stuff works in real time environment.

Gurwinder Singhif you are reading a books and a doubt comes where will you go? to whom you will contact? i think maximum people go for internet. if books can give us everything then why net?

Nope. You can always search up different books. But the problem here is, you need to find them either.

While, net can get you vast amount of information in just a few steps.

Indeed, it makes us lazy by not going to library to search up for books, but then everything in occurs a cost, you need to travel, and in my case, I may be traveling for 1.5-2 hours to reach a library. Then what's the use? And it can happen, that I may not get the book I'm looking for, or even if I get, I may not able to understand the topic from that too...

I can certainly try, but then internet can provide it way easily.

Sanyam KhuranaCooked-up solutions, Right sir.
We get cooked-up solutions, but that doesn't restrict you to explore further. Isn't it?
You can always search more, and go in depth till you understand what you are searching for.

Do we do that always?
Take a situation, You are stuck at a point while doing coding. Without applying much of the mind, first thing 90% of the engineers do is to search net to get the solution or probably a ready made code snippet?

A easy solution, right? Helpful? surely it is. Internet does give us the solution as well.

But don't you think it killed our ABILITY to think before searching internet for the solution.

Ask mods how many emails they gets for ready made projects?
because internet become a tool which helps user stop thinking and getting a ready made solution (became a tool that can "preserve your mind" 😁)

Anil JainMost of us in the discussion are saying that internet is giving us so many solution, don't we think that our ABILITY to think is vanished as we got the cooked-up answer?

Getting cooked up answers is not bad. For example in a triangle know that p^2 + b^2 = h^2 thanks to Pythagoras. but when it comes to tri-sectiing a angle of a triangle I have to put up my mind into use because I have used the internet and found that there is no such answer to it. Human mind is made for thinking.

Anil JainDo we do that always?
Take a situation, You are stuck at a point while doing coding. Without applying much of the mind, first thing 90% of the engineers do is to search net to get the solution or probably a ready made code snippet?

A easy solution, right? Helpful? surely it is. Internet does give us the solution as well.

But don't you think it killed our ABILITY to think before searching internet for the solution.

I second you CB ! Most of the time when we are doing coding and some error pops-up you usually go to the google type the error phrase and go to first link of stack overflow and figure out the solution for that error.

Instead of that if coder tries to figure it out itself and try to figure out the actual logic mistake he is doing then he will also come to some alternate idea of functions and also helps to clear the fundamental knowledge also.

lalI'd consider refering books and searching the internet kinda same. About thinking twice, that is the same when you refer the book or search the net.
Or educate me. How does searching internet and referring books differ? Books probably limit the amount of information they give, could that be it?

Internet can you how circuits works, right?
It can not give you a solution that how a new circuit that has not been invented yet will work.

YOU need to apply your mind there, believe me, internet doesn't even allow you to do that.