LinkLog: Is Internet Impacting Our Intelligence?

Is internet changing the definition of human intelligence? In a  survey that explores whether internet is making us smarter or dumber, there are several interesting opinions:

Experts and stakeholders say the Internet will enhance our intelligence – not make us stupid. It will also change the functions of reading and writing and be built around still‐unanticipated gadgetry and applications.

As a gadget lovers and application builders, this is good news for a few of us. It is also a challenge. What do we need to understand to build future applications?  A post titled Text me – Don’t call me, gives us a glimpse.

We are in the midst of four distinct generationsBaby Boomers (born 1946-64), Generation X (1965-79), Net Generation (1980-89) and the new iGeneration (born in the 1990s and beyond). The “i” designation represents the “individualized” nature of their media.

Are these four overlapping markets (one for each generation)? What are the new literacies you require to function in this mixed world? What will be the new jobs,  new skills? Where does education fit into all this?

New literacies will be required to function in this world. In fact, the internet might change the very notion of what it means to be smart. Retrieval of good information will be prized. Maybe a race of “extreme Googlers” will come into being.

Do we need to redefine IQ? Will Social Collective Intelligence play a more important part?

If one defines ‐‐ or partially defines ‐‐ IQ as literary intelligence, the ability to sit with a piece of textual material and analyze it for complex meaning and retain derived knowledge, then we are indeed in trouble. Literary culture is in trouble….

…while the proliferation of technology and media can challenge humans’ capacity to concentrate there
were signs that we are developing “fluid intelligence—the ability to find meaning in confusion and solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge

I am looking forward to exploring a few of these topics in  Program For the Future Collaboration Mashup

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