Flashing back to my university days, there was always a hot debate among my friends and other colleagues who preferred to visit the library to read or gain more knowledge outside their textbooks and to look for more information, they would argue and swear that the library is always the best and only place to study and fully concentrate and absorb information without distractions.
They believe that being in an environment dedicated to learning makes a significant difference. On the other hand, I would also argue and stay on my point that true learning is not about location but about discipline and approach. Even in the comfort of my room, I could learn effectively as long as I was intentional about it.
Undoubtedly, libraries have been in existence for a long time ago, I mean for centuries, and serve as the primary means of obtaining knowledge. Our predecessors had no choice but to walk miles just to get access to books and resources with lots of information that could help them gain more knowledge.
Just because they know they have to walk a very far distance to a library and get hold of books that will expand their level of knowledge and understanding, they become intentional about the process - one that requires thorough commitment and perseverance. Today, however, a lot has changed. Technology is now existing, making things easier even in the comfort of our zones.
With the existence of the internet, we can learn about anything within seconds, whether it's history, science or anything from the latest news of what is happening across the globe. Everything is quite literally at our fingertips.
The question now is: does this evolution make us smarter and more intelligent than those who came before us?
To truly give an answer to this, what does being smart and intelligent mean? It means having the ability to learn, understand what you've learnt and also apply the knowledge effectively. I believe intelligence is not just about access to information but how we process, interpret and apply it.
The easy access to information today is kind of a blessing for us considering how everything can be gotten online and at our fingertips, so also, this can be a curse if not applied correctly and in the right approach.
Our predecessors had this opportunity which was "being intentional". They understood how it was for them to get access to those books and resources mostly after walking miles for them, and they made sure they applied them effectively so that their efforts wouldn't be in vain. Though they weren't blessed with what we have today, that doesn't make them less smart or intelligent than us.
While we may have a vast amount of knowledge available, the easy access might make us not take it seriously or likely to deeply engage in it. In our fast-paced digital age, people often skim through information without truly understanding or internalising it because of a lot of factors, one of which is distraction. In the era of social media, a lot of things could distract us when learning something useful and without the right discipline, it would be a waste. Our predecessors weren't distracted like that, and they developed better critical thinking and retention skills.
That said, the internet has made learning more accessible and diverse. We can now explore different ways of accessing research papers, taking online courses and even watching educational videos without moving an inch away from our homes. The real question is not whether we are smarter than our predecessors but whether we are making the best use of this advantage.
Intelligence is not just about having easy access to facts but about being able to learn, think, analyze and apply what we've learnt in the most meaningful ways.
So, while we may not necessarily be smarter and more intelligent than our predecessors, we certainly have more opportunities to learn, but the key is developing the right discipline and intentionality to apply those resources wisely, ensuring that we aren't just wasting time on something that doesn't benefit us on the long run.
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The internet is a big distraction to people worldwide, you can be doing a research and before you know it, you will find yourself somewhere else catching fun with reels, but you are right, it is all about being disciplined
As in ehn...a big distraction and one needs to be careful. It's all about discipline.
We have the knowledge and somewhat know how to access it, but people lose interest in searching for the right information. In this era of misinformation, it's getting hard to spend time finding what's right and what's not.
Good write-up.
Yea, being able to have access to the right information and apply them is important. Thank you for reading.
The Internet in addition to the library has expanded our access to knowledge with vast opportunities to view the world at our fingertips.
This access may truly not make us smarter due to hasty access to them but, we cannot rule the impact of increased problem-solving skills we now have compared to them.
Yes, you are right, too. The internet is a good one for us today and we must be patient to explore it in the best way rather than be in a haste to learn everything at a goal.
I have read many post on this topic and it really surprises me that many are not in favor of easy knowledge access through internet....I completelly agree that knowledge through group study and discussion are far better.
Easy access through the internet is a good thing and we must be able to apply it in the right way.
There's intelligence/wisdom which means having the knowledge and applying them but hey, the knowledges at our disposal have been very helpful too, especially in solving problems. Ohh, that's likened to applying the knowledges, right? YES 😎
Of course, whatever knowledge we have now is through an application to it.
I know knowledge is important but we need to know how to use it and when to use it an we must use our intelligence for it. So, I agree with you completely.
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