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Faster Productivity In today’s fast pace world, productivity is key. No one can deny that deadlines and time constraints run the industrialized world. The rate at which we can get things done is remarkable, and this is one of the reasons our society is so technologically savvy. This is probably one of the most important reasons we use Google and other search engines: they are fast, efficient, and productive. Like mentioned earlier, we can find information in a matter of minutes by a few clicks of a mouse. However, Google can be difficult to find specifically what you want; you need to be extremely specific when searching for information. You can get a thousand hits, but probably ninety percent were not relevant to your inquiry and just happened to be interlinked with other websites. Everything is profit based, which is why efficiency is so important. “The efficiency of the Web reduces the cost of transactions needed for producing and distributing many products and services” (Sathyanarayana, India, and Reddy). With all of these facts, how can we not use Google? Not utilizing Google would be succumbing oneself to inferiority with the rest of the corporate and industrialized world. Although this may be a sad reality, it is the truth. The older generations were not brought up on Google, but instead on encyclopedias and printed journals. Their brains are wired to critically analyze written texts, since that was their only option to access and process information. But now in this technologically driven world, the older generation must learn to utilize this new technology. This means their neural networks in their brains must adapt and change to the type of networks the younger generation has developed, based off their use of the internet. If the older generation still wants to compete in the business world, or even to better understand technology, their brains will have to become accustomed to processing online information. Memory Impairment? Studies have shown that memory has turned into “transactive” memory; we no longer solely focus on remembering the information, but instead,
14 remember how to find the information (Johanson). In this case, we turn to search engines to remember bits of information. For example, a Colombia University study tested groups of people with their memory and recollection of certain statements of information. One group was told the computer would save the pieces of information they typed in, and the other group was told the computer would not save the information. The group that did not believe the computer would save their information remembered more of the information than the group that was relying on the computer (Sparrow, Liu, and Wegner). This study is one of many which demonstrate our reliance on technology is impairing our memory because we do not rely solely on ourselves anymore. Before search engines, if we did not know an answer, name, tune to a song, etc., we would just ask a friend, or family member, or not stop searching in our own minds for the answer. Now if we do not remember something, we can easily just ask the search engines of the internet. It is as if we are not challenging our minds anymore or testing our memory capability. I suppose Google could be compared to a friend (a high-speed, all-knowing friend), since either way you are asking for the information. However, at least when you ask a friend for help remembering something, it stimulates their neural connections, permitting someone to work their brain. “It has become so commonplace to look up the answer to any question the moment it occurs that it can feel like going through withdrawal when we can’t find out something immediately” (Sparrow et al). Never have truer words been spoken. At least from personal experience, when I do not remember something right away, I become increasingly frustrated. Normally, yes, I would Google it, succumbing to my frustration. But reflecting on past experiences, it is so satisfying and rewarding to finally remember that piece of information on your own. Often, this piece of information suddenly pops into your brain a few hours later, but that is the beauty of the brain. Even though after hours of not thinking about that piece of