Examining the Impact of Computer/Internet Tools on Human Cognition

This essay examines the impact of computer and internet tools on human cognitive activity, focusing on how these tools alter the development and functioning of the mind. It explores specific cognitive processes such as memory, attention, and learning. The essay argues that internet tools, like search engines, influence memory by providing readily available information, changing what individuals choose to remember. Additionally, it discusses how internet tools affect attention spans and the ability to engage in in-depth analysis, as well as how the internet has transformed learning methods, creating new dynamics between students and educators. The author references key academic works to support these claims, providing a comprehensive analysis of the cognitive changes brought about by the integration of internet tools into daily life.

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The addition of computer /internet tools to human cognitive activity change the development and
the functioning of the mind. Internet tools affect cognitive processes such as memory capacity,
attention, and learning.
Memory
The use of internet tools changes the way human memory function. Internet tools such as search
engines make people remember slight facts and little information since they know that they can
rely on such devices as an available shortcut.
The internet has become a formula by which human brains compartmentalize data; when people
are expected to have future access to data, they are less likely to remember the specific
information, but they remember where to find the particular information. Constant access to the
internet influences the kind of information a person chooses to remember (Säljö, 2010).
Attention
Computer/internet tools change how human manage attention. Simultaneously performing two
tasks can result in performance decrements, especially during social interactions that need
viewpoint talking.
The average pace of social connections is disrupted when people are simultaneously maintaining
track of extraneous information as it is always done when using digital devices in social
circumstances. Also, quick access to computer and internet tools such as Google has diminished
in-depth analysis and attention span. People do shallow reading on the internet; the kind of text
that do not involve depth thinking.
Learning
Lastly, internet tools/computer change how human manages their education. With internet tools
and networks, learning has changed for every individual. For instance, computers assist children
with learning problems, and also in a university classroom, computers are the primary tools for
learning.
In other words, the internet has transformed facilitation of learning. However, internet tools have
created a gap between teachers and students since there is no student-teacher consultation;

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assignments are done and submitted via email, professor checks and edits and sends back the
edited task to the student via email (Dell, Newton., & Petroff, 2016)

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Reference
Dell, A. G., Newton, D. A., & Petroff, J. G. (2016). Assistive technology in the classroom:
Enhancing the school experiences of students with disabilities. Pearson.
Säljö, R., (2010). Digital tools and challenges to institutional traditions of learning: technologies,
social memory, and the performative nature of learning. Journal of computer assisted
learning, 26(1), 53-64.