Cautionary Tale
The book is written primarily as a cautionary tale urging the reader to carefully question and evaluate both the medium through which information is being shared through as well as the sheer amount and rate by which the information is consumed. The rest of the themes that are discussed in the book stem from this central theme. These themes also come in the form of poignant, self-directed questions, the answers of which also do not come easy or quickly…
Deep Focus vs. Multitasking/Distraction
The author posits that there is a pandemic of shallow, easily shaken focus that marks this present generation of humanity. The cause, he surmises, for this generation’s inability or difficulty in concentrating upon tasks for prolonged periods of time is rooted in the near-constant bombardment of the modern human brain with stimulus coming from the numerous technological innovations that humanity has developed. The presence of the internet, the varied apps, and devices that humanity has created has made it nearly impossible to sustain focus upon a task for any sustained length of time because of the ease of access and the speed by which the new information comes. The author also posits that this ease has now created a mania for multitasking which in turn has had a profound effect upon the development of the human brain and human learning, not just for this generation but for generations to come.
The Effect of Humanity’s Obsession with Efficiency, Speed, and Connectivity upon Society
The author also argues that along with the loss of humanity’s ability to maintain focus and think meditatively is a rising obsession with efficiency, speed, and interconnectivity. Ever-increasing speed of delivery, efficiency and ease of consumption and purchase, have become the hallmark by which notions of success are understood are becoming the yardstick that shapes many businesses in today’s society. In addition to obsessing over speed and efficiency humanity is also now constantly connected digitally through apps and devices, and the human brain receives a near constant onslaught of stimulus. This obsession with speed and efficiency and near constant connectedness to one another however have not just slowly started to change the business landscape but also the human brain and its ability to effectively process information, complete tasks, and socially engage with others, but the author argues that these changes are not always for the better.
Do New Technologies Make Humanity Smarter?
The experts are divided on the effect of new technologies upon the intelligence of humanity. The author does agree that although the internet and all the devices associated with it have improved life considerably one must still evaluate and re-evaluate the long term effects upon humanity. He also asks the question “what are we trading off for all this speed and convenience?”as the author fears that pro-tech pundits may not see that although humanity seems to be getting better at multitasking and computational thought we may slowly be loosing the ability for more complex multidisciplinary thought connections and emotional processing: concepts that have been formative of the traditional notions of wisdom and indicative of humanity. Again, the author warns the readers as believes that we, as a species, are becoming more “shallow” as we become “book-smart” and decreasingly “self-smart.”
Does New Technology Affect How we Learn?
The book’s subtitle What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains is an allusion to the question that the author wants to answer; as such this question also becomes a major theme. He cites various studies from various branches of science and technology to give the reading audience insight into both the subtle and overt interconnections of these disciplines and how it might be used to critique and better understand the long term effects that technology has had in the way humans learn.
