The Internet. Are we becoming dumb?

"The internet makes dumb people dumber, and smart people smarter." - Unknown

The effect of the internet ultimately comes down to the way we use it. The quote above captures how ones view of the internet can be distorted based upon what they are searching. Many people ask if it is making us lazier and whether things are virtually handed to us, which is understandable. Now a days if a homework question, or any problem arises within our lives the go to answer is "just google it". Im guilty of doing this quite often, the world is at ur fingertips why not use it to our advantage right? But sometimes the internet can actually prevent us from thinking outside the box and critically. If we are stuck on a math question or riddle, google is there to save the day instead of us using previous knowledge and logical thinking to solve the problem. Therefore, our brain has extra unused cells and energy which many say are the main factors to teenage procrastination and being easily distracted. While others argue that the extra brain energy can be used for other aspect in life, and also to save us time.  The internet allows millions of people to be connected and to gain information from the comfort of their homes. Researcher are able to share and gather valuable date while living in various countries, communication has become quick and easy and were even able to complete school online. Students are able to complete various courses online and those who wish to pursue a degree later on in life are able to achieve that goal while maintaining a family. But in my opinion one of the best parts is the online shopping( expected from a girl).  Personally, I like to take my time when shopping and really analyze the prices, clothes and deals but I'm too lazy to leave the house (cmon aren't we all) so online shopping is perfect. I can buy everything i could possibly want from my bedroom. The internet is also extremely useful in other areas, from getting the education everyone deserves to being able to get an inside access to our favourite celebrity's life, its all possible with just the click (or well multiple clicks haha) of a button! And finally the part of internet we spend hours on and love, the worldwide media accessibility. From youtube to the many social media platforms, its become a daily part of our life and keeps us all connected. Yes i know it can sometimes be distracting but the usage of it depends on the user. The productivity and personal gains that the internet has given to the world are tremendous.  Like any invention the internet can be used for good but also for bad, maintaining a balance between the internet life and reality is what is important.