Technology is Slowly Decreasing Our Brain Cells!

Theme 5.The ideas that we begin to take on the qualities of the " intellectual technologies" we use,i.e. media shape out thought processes, and that we are increasingly off-loading our memory and other functions to various devices.

Technology makes things easier for us. Escalators carry people to the second floor of a mall, without any effort. However, by doing so, the escalator takes the exercise out of climbing a staircase to the second floor. It’s a trivial thing, but yet there are individuals who recognize the exercise factor of shopping in a mall. In fact, there are groups of people who journey to a mall before it opens, just for the workout opportunity. Walking from store to store all day is a great form of exercise! And taking away those few stairs is deprivation of a better workout. So if individuals can recognize the fact that some assistive technologies are simply making us lazier, not improving lives, why is it that intellectual technologies get away with a similar act?
Intellectual technologies are slowly decreasing the amount of brain cells that individuals have. They phase out the human thought process by providing quick solutions. As wonderful as a quick solution is in a moment of frustration, the easy answer does not assist anyone in the long run. Because the individual did not arrive at the answer himself/herself, there is a little chance that he/she will retain the information instantly provided. For example, when typing any document in Microsoft Word, the extremely helpful spell check is always at hand. Its obnoxious, red, underline zigzag screams at an individual to correct the misspelled word. It then gives a list of suggested replacements and after choosing the desired word, POOF!!! The word is properly spelled. No use of a dictionary is required! But without the process of looking up a word, how does anyone remember that Microsoft Word corrected one’s mistake? Chances are, on a written essay, an individual will spell the word wrong again because he/she doesn’t have spell check at hand. Thus, the culprit of society’s overall terrible spelling capabilities is revealed!
Nicholas Carr discusses a similar idea in his article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” He talks about how the Internet provides him with instant answers; “The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes. A few Google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks, and I’ve got the telltale fact or pithy quote I was after.” I wonder if writers who endured “days in the stacks” would consider Internet researching cheating? Nicholas Carr does not spend half as much time researching as the pre-Internet writers, so how can he truly be an expert on the information he is writing about? I am sure that individuals whom immersed themselves in texts for days were better capable of recalling information concerning his/her article months after writing it. These individuals did the hours of work themselves and had gratifying writings to show for it. And they accomplished this all without the ability to simply look up an interview from ten years ago or retrieve an important quote.