Is the Internet Changing the Way We Think?

Introduction: The Internet as an Information Conduit

Today, the internet has become a conduit of sorts for the exchange of information from all corners of the world. In a significant way, the internet continues to ease access to information from a wide variety of sources, and this is largely desirable. However, there are those who are convinced that such convenience has come at a price. With that in mind, questions are being raised about how the internet is affecting our capacity for both contemplation and concentration.

The internet is increasingly becoming addictive for most people. According to Tun and Lachman, "surveys show that adults of all ages have embraced the computer and the internet" (560). Further, as GreenBlatt notes, if individuals were asked to choose between living without the internet and living without a television set, most would prefer to give up the latter (787) — the finding of a poll conducted by Arbitron and Edison Media Research. This is an indicator of how powerful the internet has become. Given prevailing trends, the growth of the internet shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. As Kittelson pointed out several years ago, regardless of the fact that millions of people were already plugged into the internet, the numbers connecting could increase exponentially over time (277). That prediction has come to pass.

Unlike in the past, when printed books were the primary sources of information, we rely on the internet today for nearly everything — from entertainment and communication to accessing all kinds of information. Kittelson observed more than a decade ago that "we find it somewhat frightening because we don't know where we are going with it and what it is doing to us" (277). Today, some authors and researchers are confirming those fears. What continues to attract the attention of researchers is how surfing the internet affects brain functioning and behavior. Among those worried by the impact of technology — and most particularly the internet — on the daily lives of millions of people are behaviorists, scientists, and educators. They share one central concern: will constant exposure to the internet have a negative impact on the normal functioning of the human brain? Will such exposure affect spatial awareness? Nicholas Carr is one of those convinced that the internet "can have bad effects on our brains" (GreenBlatt 776).

How Constant Distraction Reshapes Thinking

According to Kamel, the internet is changing almost everything, from the way we participate in debates to the way we gather information and obtain education (37). In carrying out research for this paper, it was relatively easy to find information pertaining to how the internet may be altering the functioning of our brains — a fact that itself demonstrates the internet's power and relevance. However, there is a downside to this, according to Nicholas Carr, one of those convinced that the internet is altering the way we think.

In the course of online research, there is seemingly no end to the distractions vying for one's attention. It is easy to find oneself clicking hyperlinks that have nothing to do with the task at hand. According to Carr, this constant distraction — characteristic of browsing — is what is slowly altering our minds (n.p.). In his own words, "when we're constantly distracted and interrupted, as we tend to be when looking at the screens of our computers, our brains can't forge the strong and expansive neural connections that give distinctiveness and depth to our thinking" (Carr n.p.). The author further notes that as a result, "our thoughts become disjointed, our memories weak" (Carr n.p.). Thus, if using the internet as a habitual source of information, the depth of one's thinking would, according to Carr, be significantly affected.

It is important to note that in the era of the internet, people are slowly shunning other information sources. Why would anyone visit a brick-and-mortar library when all that is needed to access vast stores of information is a quick search engine query? We seem to be moving away from the traditional way of accessing information — via books. With this trend, however, our ability to concentrate on any specific task is diminishing rapidly. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people who spend long periods online to pay attention, most specifically to extended texts. Studies have shown that those accustomed to reading words printed on pages have a higher ability to comprehend than those who access texts containing a significant number of hyperlinks (Carr n.p.). It is these links that encourage cursory learning — and with cursory learning comes distracted and hurried thinking. This is what is contributing to the alteration of our minds.

Neuroimaging Research and Brain Plasticity

Apart from Carr, other researchers, authors, and scientists have sought to determine the impact the internet has on the human mind. It should be noted from the outset, however, that the level of research carried out in this area remains largely insufficient. Among those who undertook earlier research is Dr. Gary Small and his team of psychiatrists. In one study by Small et al., a dozen internet novices and a dozen experienced internet users were paired in an activity that required both groups to use Google (117–125). As both groups used the search engine, their brains were scanned. Several days later, both groups had their brains scanned again under similar conditions. The key difference between the first and second sessions was that after the initial scan, the inexperienced group was asked to spend time online every day.

The results were striking. During the first scanning session, both groups exhibited clear differences in a brain region known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The novices' activity in that region was minimal, while the experts' was maximal. During the second scanning session, mental activity in both groups was nearly identical. According to Small et al., this study suggests that internet searching is more cognitively stimulating than reading (125). This is a compelling demonstration that, in some way, the brain can indeed be rewired by internet activity.

There is also the broader issue of the plasticity and adaptability of the human brain. As Naughton notes, emerging technologies such as broadcast media and the printing press have effectively reshaped humans (n.p.). This assertion appears to conflict, however, with the views of Bavelier and Green, who are convinced that the brain's fundamental abilities do not appear to be affected by technology (38). Naughton further points out that neuroscience — in Carr's reading — has clearly indicated that neuronal structures can be altered by habitual practices (n.p.). To illustrate this, he notes that from a structural perspective, the brains of literate individuals differ from those of illiterate individuals (Naughton n.p.). Still on the question of brain adaptability, Horstman argues that "extensive time spent online must be changing the way the brain processes information, so it must also be changing the physical brain" (57).

Conclusion

In conclusion, while we may not entirely agree with Carr's assertions and those of others like him, what remains clear is that we are becoming increasingly dependent on the internet for information. This dependence comes at a cost. Though researchers have not reached consensus on the exact effects of prolonged internet exposure and the changes it occasions in the human brain, individuals like Carr who have taken the time to research the issue have presented their arguments in a convincing and logical manner. While such researchers clearly highlight the internet's impact on attention span and level of concentration, among other things, more studies will need to be undertaken to clarify the internet's effects on cognition and other aspects of brain activity.

Works Cited

Banaji, Mahzarin. "How is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?" Edge. John Brockman, 2010. Web. 24 April 2012.

Bavelier, Daphne and Shawn Green. "Browsing and the Brain." University of Wisconsin. Macmillan Publishers Limited, 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 April 2012.

Carr, Nicholas. "How the Internet is Making Us Stupid." The Telegraph 27 Aug. 2010: n. pag. Web. 23 April 2012.

GreenBlatt, Alan. "Impact of Internet on Thinking." CQ Researcher 20.33 (Sept. 24, 2010): 773–796. Print.

Horstman, Judith. The Scientific American Brave New Brain. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Print.

Kamel, Sherif. Managing Globally With Information Technology. Hershey, PA: Idea Group Inc. (IGI), 2003. Print.

Kittelson, Mary Lynn. The Soul of Popular Culture: Looking at Contemporary Heroes, Myths, and Monsters. Illinois: Open Court Publishing, 1998. Print.

Naughton, John. "The Internet: Is it Changing the Way We Think?" The Guardian / The Observer 15 Aug. 2010: n. pag. Web. 23 April 2012.

Small, Gary W., Teena D. Moody, Prabha Siddarth, and Susan Y. Bookheimer. "Your Brain on Google: Patterns of Cerebral Activation During Internet Searching." Am J. Geriatr Psychiatry 17.2 (2009): 116–126. Print.

Tun, Patricia A. and Margie E. Lachman. "The Association Between Computer Use and Cognition Across Adulthood: Use it So You Won't Lose it?" Psychology and Aging 25.3 (2005): 560–568. Print.