paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

We have, for some time, been involved in the electronic age. So the question now is has this electronic age served to make us smarter, as a whole, or had it served to dumb us down?

whitewolfowner

You see what's going on in the country today and you have to ask that question?

tbpmusic Loc: LaPorte, Indiana

Both....
The easy access to information of all types is a real boon. I can explore topics much quicker than the days of old, spent searching through libraries.
The absolute reliance on tech, not so much. The youth of today are completely helpless without it.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Have you ever seen the movie "Terminator"? Once these machines become self aware, we are toast.

Popeye Loc: LifIno

Having dealt with some of the local high school students, dumbing down is where we are headed/

tbpmusic Loc: LaPorte, Indiana

I don't automatically assume that sentient machines (or aliens either) would be hostile - that's a human trait, along with the paranoia that leads to such assumptions.

Yes, I do suffer from a bad case of "species shame".............

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I don't see how it could make us dumber since we have instant access to all kinds of information.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

Books were peer reviewed - the internet rarely is. One has access to information but no idea of its reliability. Youtube has been credited for showing you how to do many things - great as long as you do not then consider yourself to be a tradesman. Bit like buying a camera on Monday and setting up in a photography business on Friday!

The older generation learned the basics by rote. It got drummed into your head and stuck...mainly. Now even the simplest thing gets looked up time and time again....we are losing innate knowledge - the ability to reason things out.

With instant information and access - What is the future of those who spent several years to learn a single trade. Your Gas Fitter will now have several unqualified employees doing the work (using instant messages and photo's) being remotely supervised. Where has professionalism and pride in your own work gone. What price safety!

With AI being the next 'big thing' Management will become automated. Everything, including Government will be accessed by internet only. If you do not know exactly what you need, you will have no access to human interaction, just a machine taking your details.... get it wrong and you will have to start again...(it may even be considered, legally, as your fault!!.) Open to abuse? of course it will be.

The good news is - you can be whoever you want - even several people...! Online identity, self delusion, anything you want as long as you are consistent with a few basic facts..(of fictions) any ID check is now internet based.. !! and that which isn't usually requires a photocopied piece of paper.....PS anyone?

Have fun

mrpentaxk5ii

Having a computer and the information it contains has made my life at the age of 60 so much better, I can book any place that I want to and know that the place I will stay won't be a dump. Ok so it does make travel so much more enjoyable, booking airline and making a time share exchange so easy. I took a trip to Cape Cod and the year befor to southern coast of Maine, I spent more time on line getting info on places that I photographed and was able to make the most of my time while in both locations, also I was able to book a whole day photo shoot with a pro- photographer while on my Maine trip. This would have been so much harder to put together with out the aid of my computer.

Popeye Loc: LifIno

I admit the computer has made many things easier. I also use it to make reservations and what not. What I was trying to get at was asking high schoolers any thing about current events or history. Answer: I don't know. They can'to anywhere without their I phones. I had questions about the sign board outside the high school. Who's playing in the soccer game this week? Answer: I don't know. Girls were supposed to meet somewhere for a do-gooder activity. Is the meeting place before or after the market? Answer: Before the market. So we all pile in my vehicle and start out. We eventually pass the market and no says anything. So I turn around and park in front of the market and ask what next? Seems I hadn't gone far enough. No one knew this market was there. Now these young ladies ride the school bus and pass the market twice a day and no one knew it. Too busy two thumbing it on their I phones.

SmittyOne Loc: California

Since the high school and college grads are dumbing down as one comments states, how is it possible that "smart" machines are going to take over?
The next generation won't be smart enough to design them, and the present generation of machines can't do it either. Problem nonexistent (i hope).

It is something to think about though.

Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.

For all technological advances to "make life better", there is always the positive side to it as well as a negative side.
I think the intelligencia of society use the positive aspects, & conversely, the idiots use the negative.
I use the example of Facebook: There is a very positive side of it to communicate, but unfortunately, there is so much cyber polution transmitted on there, that many ppl are turned off it. Apart from the mindless youth of our time, & their so called photos of stupidity, there are the mind numbing commercials. They are in your breakfast food, in your hair, even in your personal hygiene products.
With some controls on quality standards, Facebook could be a very powerful medium.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

There is so much more information that we can readily access, much of it questionable and we often skim over it lightly.

As a result we think less deeply but about a lot more topics. We know less about a lot more.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

That's my answer, too.