How Google Is Making Us Smarter
The argument that Stephen has made more than once is that Google vastly expands our ability to recall information — making it a tremendous memory aid. Philosophers Andy Clark of the University of Edinburgh and David Chalmers with the Australian National University agree — for those of us who use it, Google is now part of our “extended minds.”
But this isn’t exactly something new. A generation or two ago, one’s library card or set of encyclopedias — or even paper and something to write with — served to extend the capabilities of the human mind in perhaps slower, but still very effective ways. Google just has the advantage of being massive and more or less instantaneous.
Oh, and by the way (also covered in the linked article) texting actually helps to build literacy skills.
Yep.
Sure does.
Image by Dierk Schaefer