Steven Pinker has an OP-Ed contribution over at the New York Times that basically refutes the common belief that modern technology is making us stupid. I’m a firm believer in technology changing how we do things, and also confess to more of an attention-span problem than I used to have, but I’m right with Steven – my computers/phone/dvr – all my devices have only helped me.
“Yes, the constant arrival of information packets can be distracting or addictive, especially to people with attention deficit disorder. But distraction is not a new phenomenon. The solution is not to bemoan technology but to develop strategies of self-control, as we do with every other temptation in life. Turn off e-mail or Twitter when you work, put away your Blackberry at dinner time, ask your spouse to call you to bed at a designated hour…
…The new media have caught on for a reason. Knowledge is increasing exponentially; human brainpower and waking hours are not. Fortunately, the Internet and information technologies are helping us manage, search and retrieve our collective intellectual output at different scales, from Twitter and previews to e-books and online encyclopedias. Far from making us stupid, these technologies are the only things that will keep us smart.”
