Does the Internet Make You Smarter or Dumber?

Yes to both!

It definitely goes both ways. The internet has the potential to make all of us smarter or dumber. It all depends on what you use it for. I think the wrong question is being asked here.

The concern over whether the Internet is making us dumber or smarter is based on comparing the Internet to traditional forms of media such as print (books and newspaper) and the television. In my opinion, the Internet is not a pure form of media in itself. It's a communication tool. Similarly to print and the television, the Internet can be used as a means to spread and share information, and as a vehicle for advertisements and transmitting other types of information to the public, but it does not simply end there.

The Internet has granted us with capabilities far greater than its comparable predecessors.

The Internet, like anything else, can make us dumber if we are using it for the wrong things. The same can be said for the television and print. It depends what your interests are and what types of materials you chose to pursue with these forms of media.

The thing that worries people about the Internet is its vast capabilities. The Internet has far greater potential than anything we have ever seen or hear of from the past in human history. Given the inherent capabilities of this network (I will not refer to the Internet as a form of media) - naturally concerns such as 'can this vehicle make us smarter/dumber' arise.

We should not be asking ourselves whether the Internet will make us smarter or dumber. We should be concerned over how the Internet can grant us capabilities in connecting with others, increasing our networks, opportunities, our worldview, and essentially our evolution as human beings to a new era of digitally operational beings.

If you are concerned over whether the Internet is making you dumber or smarter then you are either not using the Internet correctly, you are living in fear, or you are not aware of the Internet's capabilities.