Are we relying too much on the Internet?

Iris Great Orange wrote: »

Do you read this stuff out loud to yourself before hitting submit? Does it make sense to you?

Can you name any fields where we are making less progress now than 10, 20, 50, 100 years ago? Aside from basket weaving.

I agree with you that we are making advances and always will be.
However in straight forwards thinking, we are slowing down.

For example, yesterday I was asked by a friend could I fix his sons Ipod. The son was 15. He got it for Christmas.
I asked him what was wrong with it. He said and I quote "I plugged it into the computer and it won't work. It won't download the songs for me!"
(he knew absolutely nothing else about the Ipod - he just thought you plugged it in and down came the songs from the net - seriously!)
Gritting my teeth I asked him "did you read the instructions or manual that came with it?"
Answer: "Well... no."

Gritting my teeth again and smiling "Can I have the box your Ipod came in?"
In the box was one manual, one short version instructions and one completely sealed unopened installation cd.

It was my turn to be stupid. I asked "Did you run the cd?"
He looked at me as if I had two heads.
His answer: "No. Was I meant to?"
My answer: "Well if you actually read one of the two instructions given, in the very first stages, you'd see it says you have to run the cd!"

Long story short, I ran the cd, everything worked fine.
(He had just sat on his backside with the problem since Christmas morning, not seeking or thinking of how to solve his problem on his own!)

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Where I worry is that the skills of processing trains of thought are weakening!
Rather than thinking things out in stages as we some us do in the process of problem solving, some just down tools and wait, rely on others to do it for them. Thats ok in some cases but if that action is persistent, I worry for the future of your youth.

There won't always be someone there to provide answers for questions. Sometimes we actually have to add one and one to get the answer of "two" instead of looking it up on the net or not even opening a book or instruction manual.
Have we lost the ability to even think of doing that? Not everything is just plug in/switch on and there's your answers.

Every once in a while we actually have to think problem solving mental processes through or we'll end up with a nation of characters something similar to the characters in the film "Dumb and Dumber".

Iris Great Orange wrote: »

20, 30, 50, 100 years ago people were worrying about the future of the youth. Funny enough the youth manage to make it through OK

Try this:

Socrates (469–399 B.C.)

Your rose tinted view that kids were smarter, more resourceful in older days is in my opinion flawed. Sure your friend's kid could not follow instructions - there are grown men who would do the same. As counter point there are kids who can take an iPod and write custom firmware for it. Try that in ye olden days.

Both good valid points (Appreciate you taking the time to reply also).

Never said anywhere though that I thought "kids were smarter, more resourceful in older days" although to be honest I'm starting to think that.

Shove a map in front of a teen that has been studding for five years and ask him/her to give you a grid reference point of any one place.
Could they all do it? Could the majority of them do it?
Stick them in a large forest with a map and a compass, leave them there and ask them to get home!
(even hand held GPS systems fail/batteries run out)

There will always the the rare clever folk that can take an iPod and write custom firmware for it, and fair play to them. Thank heavens for them.
The mental process they use in order to do just that is what I'm talking about ONLY.
They in their own minds have gone thorough the assessment stages, analysing stages, counter-action and inevitable reached a (hopefully) solution stage.
I see it less and less every day though, kids and teens not doing this process. Instead they just down tools, sit in a corner sulking, waiting around for someone else to work and use the brain cells for them.
As I've said thats fine in some cases but to do this consistently is not long term solution.
Sometimes we have to think for ourselves on a regular basis, not just wait more so for the answers from someone/somewhere else.

nyarlothothep wrote: »

I read that we use more areas of the brain in navigating the net and absorbing info from it than from reading a book.

Interesting. Honestly didn't know that (if true, have no reason to doubt you though).