Everything is at our fingertips. If we need to look up a word, we type it into our favorite search engine, and the definition is brought to us. How many of us use (or know how to for that matter) a dictionary?
I used to be able to read a whole book, and now I do not have the attention span to sit and read unless I am REALLY intrigued. Now I only have the “time” to skim a summary or Spark Notes I find online. The hyperlinks in news articles online even tell me the important parts of the story. Why would you need to read Shakespeare anymore when you can get the main idea of Romeo and Juliet in a paragraph (an English paragraph)? Even now, if you think this post is too long, I bet you are skimming. Admit it!
There is a lot of debate going on that the internet is the root of this shift in the way we think and process information. The issue is separating the effects of the medium (the internet) from the content (what you use the internet for).
All I can say is, do not lose the skills so you can function without modern technology. Being able to use a dictionary and find a book through the Dewey Decimal System are invaluable skills to possess and pass down to future generations. That way when we lose electricity for an indefinite amount of time, your lives can continue.
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