I’ve lived in Sydney for around 12 years now and for the most part, I didn’t own a GPS. Actually, I still don’t own a GPS in my car but Hubby has one in his. I know my way around Sydney, mostly the Eastern Suburbs, the City and the North Side. I get a little lost when it comes to the Inner West and Western Suburbs.
As we were driving, I wondered if I’d have been able to learn where to drive if I had a GPS to lead the way in the early years. I doubt it. When I use my GPS it takes me where I need to go, and I don’t really have to think. I’m on autopilot.
Maltese Philosopher, Edward De Bono, has said this week that Social Media is making us lazy and stupid. He says, “That we can get information our computer and our communication systems are getting better and better, people say ‘I don’t have to think, information will make my decision for me’, and that completely rules out creativity using the information in a different way, or new way.”
“{Social media causes} laziness, that we just feel we’ll just get more information and we don’t need to have ideas ourselves – we’ll get ideas from someone else, we don’t need to look at the data we’ll just see what someone else has said and so on.”
I kinda agree. I used to read encyclopedias for fun as a child. I know, I know. But now if I need to know something I just look it up, or ask somewhere online.
The other day, while we were driving, Ma asked me how my girlfriend was. I told her she was well and updated her briefly on her life. “Oh, did you see her recently?” Ma asked.
“Umm, no, I read it on Facebook,” I sheepishly replied to my non-Facebook using Ma.
Social media has definitely made socialising easier. At the same time making us lazier. It’s definitely a lot less satisfying catching up online, rather than offline. Don’t you think?
So social media has made me somewhat lazier, but stupid, no. I know so much more about so many random different things because of social media. Would I have known that Jessica Simpson is supposedly pregnant without Twitter? Or that I’d have to get married 100 times to beat this record-breaking couple? Or what a duck looks like when it yawns?
So see, I’m not stupid. I know stuff. Social media taught me.
Do you think social media is making us lazy and stupid? What’s the best thing you’ve learnt online?
It's such an interesting concept! I know for a fact that my memory isn't as good as it used to be – because I know I've got my trusty iphone to tell me the address, phone number, or detail I'm looking for. That said, I can still remember birthdays! And I'd still be lost in Redfern if it wasn't for my trusty GPS!
I used to google everything. Now I ask Twitter so someone else does it for me! Yes, I am lazier!! I also have an increasing thirst for knowledge – which can only be a good thing. x
The thing I love about social media is access to information and opinions I never had before. I'm not sure I agree that having so much information prevents us from having our own ideas…the ability to self publish is slowly eroding the dominance of mainstream media, which has, until now, been the main driver of social 'agendas' and trends. But what does worry me about social media is the quality of the information being created, that many of us consume without question. I also share your concern about the impact it has on building quality 'offline' relationships with both our families and our friends. There is so much we don't know about the impact social media will have on our society. My brain hurts when I think too much about it! In fact, I need a little lie down after writing this comment…
I think it can make as lazier and stupider if we use it without thinking about it critically. Google is just a search engine. It takes intelligent people to populate the huge database of the internet with interesting and relevant information. Being able to find information via Google doesn't make you smart, it's the way you use the information that makes you smarter.
I also think technology can make our imaginations flabby, because it's all about linear thinking, rather than the hard grunt of taking an idea and fleshing it out in your own head. Thinking is a kind of fitness, and social media or technology in general allows us to bipass the thinking and go straight to “what she said …”
And so often social media is used for commercial purposes – to sell us more crap that we don't need – and this 'shiny stuff' distracts us from the critical, thoughtful information on the internet.
I wouldn't say it's necessarily making us stupider or lazier, but it's certainly not helping to make us smarter.
Great topic.
I don't know about stupid – unless you truly believe every little piece you read online… but it certainly exposes us to more opinions from a wider variety of people.
I refuse to have a GPS in my car, my husband isn't even allowed to take his if he's driving my car…
I agree, getting lost is how you find your way. And a cuppa with the person not your computer screen is a far better way to catch up 🙂 but we do it, we all have busy lives.
I read that article this morning and I was nodding along as I did. I agree that we're sort of just skimming information and it being there shoved into our eyeballs. We're seeking things out, analysing and thinking less and less.
I love social media (mainly Twitter) as it alerts me to things I may not have seen, or may not see until later. As a journalist, it fulfils my gaping need to know everything that's going on in the world. That and my Google Reader packed full of news site feeds.
But I can get lost for hours on Wikipedia, looking things up, following links, learning and researching. I can also see things in museums I could only ever dream of visiting. I learn so much from the internet in general, but I am learning actively.
Things like facebook make me lament society and I get very little from it. It's something that doesn't take a lot of brainpower to engage with.
I still prefer looking at maps 🙂
I actually think that mobile phones were the advent of the destruction of being truly social. I know, it seems counter-intuitive. But all of a sudden you didn't have to make solid plans with people, you didn't have to be on time, you didn't have to commit, all you had to do was say 'give me a call when you are around and if I'm around we'll hang out'. It's all so very, very casual. And I don't do casual.
I think twitter is far more social than facebook. Facebook is like an announcement service, a racist announcement service.
I used to read encyclopaedias for fun too! I love the internet and social media too; the only thing to be wary of is that you can't always be sure it's true! But I guess that's always been there in some shape or form too. I think the information we have access to is mind-boggling.
So much to read, so much to learn,and so much crap sometimes, its all about balance for me, love Fb for the friends who dont live nearby but love catching up face to face, cant beat an old fashion cuppa/vino and a piffle!!
I was just going to say lazier but not stupid but then the above comments made me think again about quality of this new information and quality of our relationships. I know more bits and pieces about a lot more things but not as much depth. In person is much better than a text or status update unless you can't see people through distance. Even a mobile phone call is really even better than a tweet or two. The art of conversation will be something our kids are going to have to learn even more than before. Hmmmm, maybe I'll enrol my daughter in a debating team when she's old enough.
Ahhh, this is fascinating Chantelle (thoroughly enjoying catching up on your posts of the week).
I often have similar conversations with my Mama when she asks about certain friends. Invariably the news I have on them is from text message or facebook or even more ridiculous… voicemail messages! Maybe there is a more concerning theme occuring in that we are all just so damn busy, we don't catch up in person as often as we should :o/
But I also used to read encyclopedias as a child and I loved my dictionary, always been a fan of words!
I don't have a gps in my car either, but sometimes I think I need one. I would say I get lost about 50% of the time, but I'm getting better ;o)
For me, social media has made it easier to stay in touch with what everyone is getting up to but I do find it a lot less satisfying than sitting down and having a real conversation with someone – I much prefer doing that but, as I am time poor, I will take catching up via social media over not knowing what is happening !!!!