Instead of worrying that the internet/ google is making us stupid, I prefer to think of the internet as our brand new baby. And, yep, it’s interrupting and distracting us (and making us “stupid” by Father Carr’s standards), but guess what? We are learning so much, especially when we pay attention to how we’re growing in tandem.

I’ve read his piece – both online and (recently, while waiting for 2 hrs at the airport) in the paper version – and while it is a nice piece the problem is that the counter argument, or counter examples, seem to be just as possible and probable.

On balance, I think being able to look things up is a net positive. And while Google is the current distraction, I suspect that human beings have *always* had distractions. There is a certain evolutionary benefit to being able to drop what you’re doing when something more interesting (or dangerous!) pops up, isn’t there?

…r

Comes from the ‘people are rational’ fallacy/belief.