Negative Impact of The Internet on People

The Evolution of Information Sharing

Before the Internet, people documented their experiences, discoveries, and thoughts in words on paper. Books were the primary medium for teaching subjects such as Math, language, history, and more. This method necessitated reading to gain knowledge on specific topics. With the advent of the Internet, initially, it offered limited knowledge on a variety of subjects. However, today, the Internet has made significant progress in the amount and accessibility of information it contains. Searching for information has become easier and quicker. Not only is it more accessible, but it also covers a broader range of topics and information about anything one could think of. The convenience of finding information has led many to deem books irrelevant. The way the Internet is utilized has impacted our focus, reading habits, and ability to acquire knowledge.

Negative Impact of The Internet on People

Before the Internet became ubiquitous, people read books by engaging with long passages and multiple pages to find information. This uninterrupted reading process allowed them to maintain focus and absorb the material. Reading full texts without interruptions provided a comprehensive understanding of the content. With the rise of the Internet, it became updated with vast amounts of information. Users can search for any topic and find numerous sources. Search engines browse the web, highlighting keywords, making it easier to skim through and find relevant sites. However, this skimming habit leads to a loss of focus and hinders our ability to understand and learn from what we read.

People now heavily rely on the Internet for information, making it challenging to stay engaged with lengthy texts without losing interest. Instead of maintaining focus, the Internet encourages us to skip through and pick out keywords, making it harder to comprehend the text. Carr (2008) notes that users exhibit "a form of skimming activity," jumping from one source to another without returning to previously visited sites. They typically read only a few pages before moving on. Although they may save long articles, there is no evidence they revisit them. This skimming affects our reading habits and brain function, making it difficult to engage with and fully understand written content.

Search engines like Google and Wikipedia use references from various sources, some of which lack the qualifications to produce factual content. These sources may present information from personal viewpoints and opinions. Only certain websites offer documented, accurate information. Reading through search engines like Google might result in encountering false information without realizing it. This method of reading decreases reading rates and hinders learning from fragmented information gathered from multiple sites. Important facts or notes may be missed, leading to a less informed understanding. The way we type search queries also affects our learning ability, as we use abbreviations like "u" for "you" and "ur" for "your," impacting our grammar and speech. The Internet has altered how we were taught and how we learn.

Search engines and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr have influenced our focus, reading habits, and learning ability. They affect how our minds process and understand information. The enhancement of technology has drastically changed how we learn. As we move away from learning through full texts and understanding written communication, we lose potential knowledge. The decline in verbal communication outside digital platforms highlights the need to read more and exercise our brains to function properly and be more knowledgeable.

In conclusion, while the Internet offers unparalleled access to information, it also poses challenges to traditional learning and reading habits. By acknowledging these impacts, we can strive to balance technology use with methods that enhance our cognitive abilities and knowledge retention.

References:

• Carr, N. (2008). The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google. W. W. Norton & Company.