I personally love technology. Technology has made life so much easier for everyone around the world. Thanks to technology, we are able to mass produce products. Thanks to that, we are able to decrease prices. We are also able to increase accessibility to people who previously might now have these products. Of course, there is still a lot that needs to be done. And there are a lot of new problems that technology has causes. Nonetheless, technology has generally increased the standard of living for almost everyone around the globe. However, has technology has made us smarter?
Yes, Technology Has Made Us Smarter
Technology has definitely made us smarter in the sense that we are able to be exposed to and do more things than in the past. This is especially true since the advent of computers and, perhaps even more so, of the internet. Have a question? Well, you just need to type the question into the browse of your mobile device or computer. You will likely have thousands of sites that can potentially answer your questions and even give you more information than what you were initially searching for.
In the past, if you had a question, you probably would have to go to the library. Even after searching through many books, you might not have found an answer to your question. After all, your library might not have had a book specific to your question. And it would not be possible to search through the contents of the entire book in a way similar to how a web browser can search the contents of entire books or websites.
You might have had to ask experts in the fields to arrive to your answer or direct you to a specific source. Of course, you would be able to do this only if you were lucky enough to know how to get in touch with the appropriate experts. Instead, today, you have access to perhaps more experts than you need via the internet. Perhaps you get to see them on video recordings, or read their writings. Or perhaps you can find their contact information.
Additionally, nowadays you can even sign up for education activities through the internet.
Because we are able to learn so much so quickly through the internet, we can say that technology has made us smarter.
But in Other Ways, Technology Has Made Us Less Smart
On the other hand, technology has not necessarily made us smarter because the kind of information that we consume is not necessarily truthful. Because there are so many people who can produce their own content and produce their own opinions, it has to be acknowledged that we cannot be sure that the information we are consuming is trustworthy.
For this reason, we should all be trained to take everything we read with a grain of salt. We need to be attentive to where the information is coming from and learn a bit about the scientific process.
Unfortunately, it seems as though there is a rise in conspiracy theories and anti-science movement. More and more people seem to be buying into and become fanatics of theories that have no truth behind them. If this continues, our society is in danger of going backwards and endangering ourselves and our planet.
Additionally, technology has not made us smarter because it sometimes has the effect of making us lazy. Whereas in the past, we might have spent our spare time socializing, or doing miscellaneous activities, nowadays, a large number of people send hours a day scrolling through news feeds of people who they don’t really know on a personal level. We might start to feel that other people live more exciting lives than ours. This might lead us to become depressed or try to live a life that is not appropriate for us.
Alternately, we may scroll through the news headlines and consume the same information constantly throughout the day. As the news usually will leave us angry and sad. If we allow technology to arise these negative emotions within us, then we are letting technology control us. We are not being smart when we do this.
Whether or Not Technology Makes Us Smarter is Up to Us
Technology itself is not what makes us smarter or dumber. It is our relationship to technology that can allow that determines what effect technology has on us. If we realize that technology can hypnotize us with the amount of endless information it can provide us, we can develop personal ways to limit the amount and type of information that we consume.
First of all, we need to make sure that the information we are consuming is providing us with a good message and leading us to be more human. That is, we want to ensure that it is helping us become more understanding of each other and think of possibilities to make a world that is healthier and safer for everyone. We want information that will help us become better persons rather than information that will instigate tribal instincts within us.
Also, we want the information that we consume to lead us to be better able to enjoy live. Scrolling through social media posts or news articles in itself does not help you appreciate life more. Instead, it likely leads to feelings of inadequacy and depression. Instead, we can use the information that is available to learn how to do things. For example, we can learn new recipes, how to take care of a pet, or how to unclog your toilet. Therefore, it is by taking action with what we learn through technology that we can become smarter.
Use Technology to Create Things
Perhaps one way that you can be sure to use technology to make yourself smarter is to use create things with technology itself. For example, if you learn how to code, you can learn how to create computer programs that can perform a specific task. The act of coding will make you smarter as it requires you to problem solve. By coding, you will use your brain to teach the computer how to do things, and at the same time, the computer facilitates tasks that would otherwise be very repetitive and or complex.
Another way you can use technology to create to make yourself smarter is by learning how to create an online business and then creating your own online business. You will likely have to learn various new concepts and do constant research. However, this will keep your mind engaged and encourage creativity in terms of how to invite an audience and increase streams of revenue. Be sure to check out How to Make Passive Income with a Website to learn more about this possibility.
Conclusion
On the flip side, technology also has the potential to prevent us from being as smart as we were in other ways in the past. Instead of engaging in productive conversations with others, it provides us with a deluge of information that can paralyze us if we don’t use the information to actually improve the quality of our lives. Additionally, it gives us access to a lot of information that is not necessarily grounded on truth. Therefore, if we don’t make an effort to educate ourselves on what is true and what is not, we might be fooled into believing information that is not truthful.
The best way to ensure that we use technology to make us smarter rather than less smart is by educating ourselves as much as possible. Take all that you read with a grain of salt and continue to explore and ask questions. Also listen to experts in the field.
You should also use technology to exercise your thinking skills and be a creator. For example, if you learn how to code, you will become good at coming up with solutions to problems. If you learn how to build an online business, you can not only practice your artistic skills, but also spend time one something that interests you a lot.
Therefore, choose to use technology wisely. Be sure that you are using it to make you smarter and not the opposite. Try to be more of a creator and less of a consumer. Choose to learn to code, or to start your own online business, today as some of the many ways you can use technology in a way to enhance your life.
Sharing is Caring
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends on social media.