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7 The Effect of Digital Technology on Human Cognition

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Is there and what is the influence of digital technology on human cognition?? According to Nicholas Carr, an American journalist and author who has published books and articles on technology, business, and culture, wrote in a book about some of the long-term effects of the use of digital technology on human cognition.

In his bookThe Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains which was a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Carr shows how newly introduced technology changes the way people think, act, and live.

This book focuses on the detrimental effects of the Internet—although it acknowledges its beneficial aspects. One of Carr's main points is that the changes caused by the Internet involve a physical restructuring of the human brain.

You don't have to read the entire contents of the book by Nicholas Carr, You can read a summary of it in this article. Before continuing to find out what are the effects of digital technology on human cognition, It's a good idea for you to read the story below.

One hundred and fifteen years ago, EM Forster publishes a short story (The Machine Stops, 1909, The Oxford and Cambridge Review ) about a futuristic scenario where a mysterious machine controls everything, from food supply to information technology. In a situation that reminds us of today's internet and digital technology events, in this dystopia, all communication is carried out remotely and face-to-face meetings no longer occur. Machines control thought patterns, because it makes everyone depend on it. In this short story, when the machine stops working, society collapses.


This story raises many questions, which is still relevant today, about the impact of digital technology on the human brain. Here are seven influences of digital technology on human cognition.

The Effect of Digital Technology on Human Cognition

1. Changes in Brain Structure.

Carr suggests that the internet is changing the way our brains work through a phenomenon called neuroplasticity., namely the brain's ability to reshape itself based on experience. Intense internet use causes our brains to become more accustomed to fast and shallow information processing, from deep and analytical thinking.

2. Decreased Ability to Focus and Concentrate.

Internet, with its structure designed to provide fast stimulation (for example, click, advertisement, notification), tends to decrease our ability to focus on one thing for long periods of time. as a result, our ability to read and reflect deeply decreases, because we are used to constant distractions.

3. Shallow Information Processing.

According to Carr, The internet encourages a *skimming* mindset—digging for information quickly without really diving into or reflecting on it. This affects our ability to remember and understand information in depth. By getting used to jumping from one piece of information to another, our ability to engage in deeper, more reflective thinking is hampered.

4. Loss of Capacity for Linear Thinking.

Traditional reading experience, like reading a book, involves linear and deep thinking, where the reader follows the flow of a story or argument from beginning to end. Internet, on the other hand, supports more fragmentary thinking, where people move more frequently between different topics or sources. This reduces our ability to follow more complex arguments or long narratives.

5. Effects on Long Term Memory.

Carr suggests that the internet influences the way we store and access information. Instead store information in long-term memory, we tend to rely on the internet as *external memory*. This makes us less able to store important information in our own minds and access it without the help of technology.

6. Dependence on Technology.

Because the internet makes it easy for us to find answers quickly, we increasingly rely on technology to solve problems or find information. This dependency decreases our cognitive skills associated with deeper, more independent problem solving.

7. Influence on Creativity.

Carr also believes that creativity and innovation require time to think deeply and elaborate on ideas. With a mindset that is used to moving quickly between various pieces of information, space for reflection and creative thinking is reduced. This has the potential to hinder creativity in the long term.

Conclusion

Overall, Nicholas Carr concluded that the internet has brought significant changes to the way we think and learn. Fast, shallow thinking shifts our ability to focus, think deeply, and reflect on the information seriously. These are long-term changes that can affect the intellectual development of individuals and society as a whole. Carr suggests that although digital technology provides many benefits, we must be more careful in our use to preserve our deeper and more creative cognitive capacities.

Such is the influence of digital technology according to Nicholas Carr. Tidak dapat dipungkiri sedikit atau banyak, penggunaan teknologi digital berpengaruh pada cara kita hidup. Pengaruhnya berbeda-beda di berbagai kelompok usia, with varying impacts on children, young adult, and older adults.

Understanding the specific impacts and developmental factors that moderate these impacts is critical to encouraging the healthy and beneficial use of digital technologies. Parents should be wise, It is best not to familiarize children of productive learning age with the use of digital technology.

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