Dumb or Dumber? IQ & the Internet

Sure, we now have more data and info available to us than every before in history.  But, what to do with it?  And, is the truth really out there?  And, can our kids even tell time without a digital watch?  What do you think?  Here’s what I think, see if you agree. 

From CNET: Intelligence in the Internet Age. At BFS, we all love the Internet, natch. Couldn’t do business without it. But, is it really enabling us to be smarter? Or just dumber in more ways?

As noted in the CNET article, “A few thousand years ago, a Greek philosopher, as he snacked on dates on a bench in downtown Athens, may have wondered if the written language folks were starting to use was allowing them to avoid thinking for themselves.” And, the obscene graffiti on the walls of Pompeii looks awfully familar … and ancient Romans complained the new generation was going to Hades in a handbasket. So, how are we evolving in this age of instant information, constant communication, and increasingly realistic video games? Well, some research says the kids today are learning in a whole new way, with brain speeds increasing, thanks to IMing and those darned video games. (They lost me back at Space Invaders). For those of us who do biz on the web, I believe the basics haven’t changed, just the methods. We still need to build personal relationships with customers and colleagues (blogs are key to that); know how to separate PR spin from reality; know how to reason, not just answer a rote SAT-type question; and understand that data is only the first step toward wisdom. Internet technologies are like power tools in that they offer terrific capabilities; however, it’s up to the users to learn how to effectively wield them.

COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Lori Bravo
URL: https://www.loribravo.com
DATE: 09/30/2005 07:48:48 PM
It seems that there will always be information consumers – people who absorb information and do nothing with it.

There’s a whole bunch of “kids” – the twenty-somthing’s that I thought would be creating web at breakneck speed and using it as the new communication and business medium – who are simply consuming the information.

It’s like we created a pencil factory so they could write and they’ve decided to use the wood for picture frames. I don’t know – they seem to be using the web a lot, but have very little interest in doing the things with it that they can do once they get to a certain skill level. They get that skill, and then don’t apply it. Sad. (Sorry for the rambling.)