Internet and the Brain: "The Google Effect"

Within the past few years, numerous studies and research has brought the effects of technology on the human psyche at a faster rate than ever. Notions criticizing the internet in particular, which originated in the mid 1990's, are resurfacing due to the stream of research that was conducted over the past decade on citizens of the "tech age". Being a member of this particular generation of internet-communicators, I feel this sort of information is important to the understanding of human reliance and behavior because of computers, cell phones, hi def television, and the internet. After reading a few of these studies , I'm not going to sugar coat my feelings about the effect technology is having on my mind as well as everyone else's: it scares the hell out of me. 

From what I've gathered, it seems many in the scientific community have come to the conclusion that the internet is directly effecting the cognitive abilities of humans. By cognitive abilities I'm specifically referring to memory, a vital aspect of human existence and survival in order for society to progress. The general consensus revolves around the decrease in retention of information. For example, searching for a recipe or instructions online may be beneficiary in the short term (having dinner ready for your family in a jiffy may seem like a win-win), but what are the chances you'll actually remember the basics of that recipe when the time comes to make it again? Researchers claim the short term memory functions are out-managing the long-term functions due to the reliance on a resource that is accessible at any moment of the day. This reliance is what worries me, and with that reasoning I'm going to make a vouch to limit myself to the resources of the internet as of now…….well maybe in 20 minutes from now when I manage to log off of twitter and Facebook….I'll get back to you on that vouch….

---This video gives an "everyday" perspective of how people view the internet and the ways in which it changes our lives…. Enjoy!!---