Is the Digital Generation Going to be Smarter or dumber?

Technology is taking over every part of our everyday lives at lightning speed each day. There is always a new software update, a new phone model, a new computer, etc. it goes on and on. However, is technology exercising our brain or making us lazy? Is there a significant difference in IQ levels of those born during the pre-digital era and those born in the digital generation? As the saying goes, “too much of anything can make you sick”, does this apply to technology too?

The fact that almost everything is accessible literally at the palm of our hands is in itself mind boggling. There is an app for almost everything. Kids hardly play outside anymore, it The fact that almost everything is accessible literally at the palm of our hands is mind boggling. There is an app for almost everything. Kids hardly play outside anymore, it is said that the average American child is said to spend 4 to 7 minutes a day in unstructured play outdoors, and over 7 hours a day in front of a screen. As they grow up, this obviously has a large impact on their cognitive development

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Jean Pierre Niyodusenga, an ICT consultant and lecturer at Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA), recognizes that as the world becomes digital there will be two dimensions of people. The first dimension of people will be a team of young innovative and energetic young people like programmers who are very literate about ICT and are making money out of it. They keep their mind busy and use technology as a tool to learn, constantly growing their minds and staying knowledgeable hence why they would not become dumb. On the other hand, the second dimension will be fully reliant on technology, resulting in them becoming lazy due to the simplicity of everything being automated.

There is no problem with technological developments and being tech savvy. People in the tech industry are highly intelligent. The problem comes in when we are overly dependent on technology that we neglect using our brain. It is easy to become lazy and overuse technology for the simplest tasks. From Siri to Google, these gadgets are designed to make our lives simple, but and what cost?

It is easy to get easily distracted by technology. It is easy to get comfortable. People do not really have to think of how to spell correctly, or how to properly construct a sentence thanks to auto correct. When the notification lights up your phone screen (even if it does not) people naturally want to check their phones. As humans we are in control. It is up to us to choose exactly which dimension we would want to end up in.

Works Cited

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/is-technology-making-us-dumber-or-smarter-yes-58124.

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTFYLZGpMhM&t=31s

Cohen, D. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/why-kids-need-to-spend-time-in-nature/

Nzabonimpa, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.newtimes.co.rw/lifestyle/will-digital-generation-be-smarter-or-dumber

sintellyapp. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sintelly.com/articles/is-the-digital-generation-going-to-be-smarter-or-dumber