Google Is Making Me Stupid
I often mistake my ability to Google information for talent rather than a resource. I'm working on a big software project, and it's frustrating when problems arise that I can't simply search for answers to online. Oddly, this doesn't stop me from trying. It's now routine for me to attempt to Google a solution before thinking about it myself.
One could justify this on tactical grounds, but I know full well I'm wasting time. I've been doing it long enough to recognise when Google is likely to provide a good answer and when it isn't.
In reality, it's probably a form of procrastination.
The trouble is, while there's nothing inherently wrong with Googling, it's an intrinsically shallow form of interaction. You don't put much effort into it, and it doesn't help you learn much. We all remember how hard it was revising for exams. Simply reading the textbook didn't allow the information to sink in. Reading your own lecture notes wasn't much better. You needed to write notes on what you were reading, or better still, quiz yourself on it. Best of all would be writing an essay on the material. Essentially, you need to engage with what you're learning, or else you forget it quickly.
Now, research shows it's even worse than I thought. Not only is Google too easy because it makes finding information effortless, but our brains are also less likely to retain information precisely because we know it's readily available online.
Do I have an easy answer to all this? No. But perhaps that's just as well. I'm going to have to work at it.
Comments
Post a Comment