In the past, people used to do their research in libraries and labs, but nowadays, with the advent of the internet, Google has become an easy source of information for almost all questions. People overly rely on Google for all answers to their doubts. This overdependence on Google has made the human brain lazy to generate creative solutions and worsened individuals’ memory.
The essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” highlights the various ways people have trained their minds to always use the internet, specifically Google, to find information on any topic. Carr (2008) argues that Google has become a rich store of knowledge with immediate access, but there is a danger of overly relying on this source; the mind becomes lazy to think creatively. People become the decoders of online materials and cannot critically engage in them (Carr, 2008). Thus, with the internet, the mind has been shortchanged, and memory worsened, and individuals no longer think because finding information has become too easy using Google.
I agree with this idea that Google has made us unintelligent because our creative ability has been undermined by the easy source of solutions online. Stefl and Rohm (2017) argue that people’s constant connectedness to information diminishes their critical thinking and creativity. These two researchers from the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University investigated original thinking creativity with and without relying on the internet for instant access to information. Stefl and Rohm (2017) designed a simple experiment that involved using paper to create airplane models. They divided their participants into two groups: one could use Google, and another applied their own creativity. The non-Google group’s planes were more original since they were born of pure imagination (Stefl & Rohm, 2017). Conversely, although the Google group produced stylish planes, they spent more time, while the non-Google group’s planes were unique and flew farthest. Therefore, even without the internet, people can be more creative; this, Google makes people stupid.
In conclusion, the essay illustrates the significant ways in which people’s brains have been wired to be dependent on readily available online materials. Critical thinking has been adversely affected, as evidenced in the essay and the paper plane experiment. Therefore, although the internet is an easy source of information, it is crucial for us to critically engage the information and be creative instead of blindly using Google.
References
Carr, N. (2008). Is Google making us stupid? The Atlantic.
Stefl, M., & Rohm, A. (2017). Is the internet killing your creative potential?: Lessons from the art of paper airplane making. Graziadio Business Review, 20(1), 1−7.