How Stupid is Google Making Us?

            In William Badke’s online article, “How Stupid is Google Making Us” (2010), Badke argues that search engines, such as Google is not making us stupid, but is impeding us from using all of our brain’s capacity.  Badke strongly supports his argument by delving into the “ibrain” research which measured the brain function of people who were avid internet users and people who were new users of the internet.  Badke’s purpose is to show the negative impact of using the internet everyday for research, in order to make us aware that we are not using most if not all of our brain power to think analytically.  The intended audience for this article is people who don’t think that there are any negative impacts associated with the internet, especially students, teachers and professors who think that everyday usage of the internet for research is “all good”. 

            I agree with Badke’s argument. We are not using our brain to its full capacity due to technological advancement.    

            Badke argues that we are not stupid, but are becoming a society that desire more and more to just push a button to get instant results.  As a result the part of our brain that would think through to break down and analyze is not being utilized to its full capacity, so we are becoming “doers” and not “thinkers”.  Badke strongly argues that we don’t spend enough time on research, therefore we are not corroborating the accuracy of online sources and information, but just accepting it as is.  We receive information from search engines, such as Google but we don’t take the time to ponder on whether it’s the correct information.  We are becoming less studious and more robotic – acting on command, but not thinking about why we are doing what we are doing and if whether the information is valid.   Badke shows that in the “ibrain” research, the internet savvy users used their short-term memory by capturing “quick information”.  Badke is not saying that we are becoming stupid, but he is asserting that we are not using the part of the brain that stores long-term memory, and that the only way to gain access into the part of the brain that stores long-term memory is to begin by doing in-depth reading. Badke suggests that a solution would be to make research more appealing to students by posing certain questions that will enact the brain into a deep thought process. Also, with the help of teachers Badke asserts that more work should be given from the actual books and not from online reading sources.  If the reading is online, then it should be something that takes the student into deep thought and not just touch the surface of the brain.  This will allow students to not just take in information, but to understand it fully.  Badke argues that this can be accomplished, if we all do our part.  Technology and the use of search engines such as Google is not all bad, but just like eating, we have to have a balance.