Does the internet make you smarter or dumber - Essay Example

Shirky states that those who are opposed to the development of the influence of the internet on a global scale are backward individuals who are against advancement; that they are the enemies of progress. The statements made by Shirky can be said not to show the true picture concerning the internet; that while it has some uses, it is also working towards making individuals dumber than in previous generations. This is because of the fact that while plenty of information can be found within it, this information tends to be extremely shallow and does not encourage reflection by those who have access to it.

The internet is slowly but surely leading to less reliance on books and more on unsatisfactory online sources which barely have enough information which can be used to come up with proper conclusions. It can be said that a world without books would be a dreary place within which to live because books have traditionally been the means of transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. Through books, issues are discussed more deeply and in the process, the reader gets to have a better understanding of the subjects being discussed.

This is not true of the internet, because it is often scarce in content and this creates a situation where individuals get only a shallow understanding of the subject matter. This makes it extremely difficult for knowledge to be transmitted and the lack of this knowledge, it is possible, might end up making people dumber. The use of the internet for the purpose of getting information might end up creating a society which is not equipped to deal with the issues of day to day life and it may instead become artificial.

While one would agree with Shirky that the internet has become of immense use for the purpose of gaining instant information, it can be said that it should not be the only source of information. Instead, it should be