Has the Internet made you smarter or just more ADD?

August 18th, 2008 by roostblog in Industry News

Everyone knows that the Internet has expanded our reach, our knowledge and our possibilities. But is it ALL good? I’ll be the first to admit that it can be sometimes daunting to keep up with it all. I remember watching Shift Happens for the first time and being amazed by the exponential growth of unique new material that is being generated in today’s world.

So obviously we cannot keep up with everything that is being generated so what is starting to happen? We are cutting everything down into small bite-sized chunks. From Twitter that lets us ask and answer questions in 140 characters to 12seconds.tv that provides a video platform to record a 12 second update.

Are these new ADD friendly formats good for just quick updates and questions or is this data taking up valuable space that could be dedicated to more useful information? Now I read a lot, blog a lot and I also use Twitter and 12 Seconds. I don’t think either of these new Web 2.0 platforms are necessarily making me smarter or dumber, but I do know that they have stretch the limits of time I spend on the computer every day. Now that might be the biggest drawback of all.

What do you think?

Derek Overbey
Roost Blogger
Twitter – @doverbey
12 Seconds – http://12seconds.tv/channel/doverbey

Comments Tagged in: , , ,

  • Max
    I think you're right Derek. I'm spending probably 90% of my time working on the computer. I can't afford keeping track of all the blogging, twittering etc, but I noticed I learned how to tune out everything that surrounds me - all the noise, co-workers etc. I think I even mastered it, but now I'm finding it not always helping me especially home with the family... just because I have something on my mind I don't hear people asking me things 3 times in a row... they think I ignore them, but I don't just hear it... When I tuned out into my work, sometimes I'm trying to get back really quickly just to confirm that I heard someone and I usually say something like - "Ok. I'll do it in a minute." But then I never do it and I catch myself that I even don't know what I was supposed to do... I can drive in a car and never remember the rout that I chose to get to the office... what I've seen while driving etc.... I can drive with my wife and never say a word just because a thought about work can tune me completely out of a real world... this is crazy, it's pisses me off and a lot of people around me. I never had an ADD or anything like this in my life, but this line of work really made me comfortable as far as isolating myself from the real world and sometimes it's pretty hard to get back.
  • Am I spending more time behind a computer?

    Yes, but I think that it's not simplistic. Most of my marketing is done via the internet. Servicing my clients, following up on showings, touching base with related services are all via my computer.

    For me, that is great news. As a mother of 3 kids, I can work when it works for me which is in odd hours for some people.

    I also social network and blog. Yes it's time. But so is reading the paper, going to seminars, board meetings, etc. Yet, I'm networking from my home in a very real and suprisingly down to earth kind of way. And I've gotten business from it in my 3 short months of doing it - my husband quickly silenced so thank you very much! :)

    You can fight it or you can embrace it. Either way, it's growing and changing and I want to be at the forefront of the changes.
blog comments powered by Disqus