“Nowadays more and more people have access to the Internet. But constant availability of any information worsens people’s memory and critical thinking skills.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
The advent of technology triggered the rapid development of the Internet that, for many, has opened doors to unlimited sources of data. However, the flow of information is irrepressible, meaning that most people cannot cope with as much as they have to. Eventually, it can lead to various problems, some of which will be discussed in this essay.
Memory loss is one of the typical consequences of indiscriminate internet usage. It happens since our brain, metaphorically speaking, is nothing but a chest of drawers. We can store as many facts as we desire there until one day there is no more space. When this happens, we start clattering them up, hoping that it will solve the problem; and it does, yet temporarily. Then we start forgetting. We rely on our short-term memory, rather than our long-term memory, undermining its overriding importance. For example, instead of memorising one’s address, we would rather put it into our organiser; instead of trying to remember some historical facts, we tend to google them. As a result, our old memories, our experience, and our knowledge fade because they become nothing but redundant.
Another widespread problem caused by the World Wide Web is our inability to think critically. Being bombarded by gigabytes of data, we cannot distinguish between reliable and nonreliable sources of information. According to statistics, one never clicks on the second page on Google Search, choosing from the first three to five links. Some websites, though being universally criticised (e.g. Wikipedia,) are still considered the most trustworthy encyclopedias. The secret of their success lies in their user-friendly layout. Everything we need is usually carefully selected and sometimes even highlighted. This does not give us a real insight into the matter, nor does it bring any deep understanding, but most of the time, we do not seek more. We are satisfied with the result, and we do not tend to check whether the found information was false.
In conclusion, the Internet inarguably sometimes affects our lives negatively, influencing our memory capacity and reasoning skills. I think to reduce the hazardous effect of cyberspace reasonably we need to use it sensibly: depending on our memory, not a gadget and double-checking the information, found online, in the long run, will undoubtedly stand us in good stead.