Is The Internet Changing How Humans Think?

It seems obvious on the face of it. Of course the Internet is changing how we think. But how? And is that a good thing?

The debut of Wolfram Alpha got me to thinking about how we use our computers to store and access information and how we used to use our brains. The bookcase behind me contains hundreds of books. My books were my database, my go-to for reference, my library. Google changed all that. Except for some old favorites, the books now gather dust. And they are also not upgrading themselves. The flow of new books has slowed to a trickle. And I don't settle in with a book anymore - I find my concentration wanders more than it did. Is this just a function of aging? Or am I becoming dependent on my wi-fi laptop to help me think?

As I have often discovered on the internet, someone else is already thinking about such things. Writing in The Atlantic about a year ago now, Nicholas Carr asked "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" And on the same topic, at The American Scene, Peter Suderman wonders what is becoming of our minds and how we think as we transition from print to digital. The comments following Suderman's article are also well worth your time. I just hope they are right!