The Internet Is Taking Over

[Shadow Gaunt]

Today, in one of my classes an interesting discussion happened.

People were debating whether computers and the internet made people worse at memorization and as one person said “subconscious memorization” or accidental memorization. Some said that yes, people no longer have the drive to memorize as Google is always nearby and if you forget something you can just search it up. Others said that Google is precisely what we need. You no longer have to pour over encyclopedias to search for information.

What are your opinions on this topic? Does the Internet and Google make younger people worse at memorizing? Or is there no need for memorizing anything nowadays?

[Shiloh Adlar]

I think there is certainly still a need to memorize things, however, having the internet and google or whatever search engine one chooses to use so we have information at our fingertips is very useful nowadays. I watched a video not too long ago where students were paired up in a competition. At first the questions they were given were easy so they answered them fine. However, the questions began to get harder and harder so they gave them materials to use. One group got encyclopedias and a dictionary while the other got a laptop. The difference in finding the answer to the questions was astounding. The team with the laptop had a majorly unfair advantage. The whole point was to show how certain children are at a disadvantage in school because they do not have access to the internet.

The question you are asking though is whether we still have a need for memorization which I said yes to. When a doctor is in surgery, they can't google up really fast how to use a scalpel or how to stop internal bleeding. They just have to know. Even someone working in retail needs to memorize store policies, where things are, special discounts and promotions, as well as codes and numbers for emergencies to best perform their job and help the costumer. If they had to spend that time Googling the answers or searching their store website for that information, the customer would grow frustrated at having to wait.

All of this to say, the internet is a very important tool nowadays to assist learning, but that doesn't mean it should ever be a permanent replacement for a well working mind.