Maintaining Brain Fitness

    Although internal online storage of information through search engines such as Google may propose a new and efficient method of research, there is an on going oscillation on opinions of whether or not it is good or bad and although we believe this is a good method of research, it is important to maintain a balance between various ways of obtaining research. If we just stick to one method of obtaining research, we will become paralyzed when it comes to other aspects of getting this knowledge that sometimes the internet does not include. Although many generations have grown up through offline research and also when online research boomed, many new generations are being introduced to strictly online research with very few exposure to the offline world which may result in issues.   

    Like mentioned above, it is important to maintain a balance when it comes to almost everything in life which includes the use of online research and offline research. According to studies . "There were 3.5 million searches in 1998, now, there are 4.7 trillion search queries everyday.1 When something changes our lifestyle so monumentally, you can bet it’s changing us as well"(http://academicearth.org/electives/internet-changing-your-brain/).

  This statistic demonstrates the gradually increasing popularity of "google-ing" information. The brain needs to have balance and the brain works just like every other muscle in the body. If the brain is not constantly being trained and maintained, an individuals memory will not be as strong as it used to be or it will not increase in memory strength. The fact is that Google does not promote long term thinking because most of the time individuals who use Google seem to just skim through the information.  "Our brains use information stored in the long-term memory to facilitate critical thinking. We need these unique memories to understand and interact with the world around us. If we rely on Google to store our knowledge, we may be losing an important part of our identity." In general searching information up on Google is a great tool, however it is not to say to only focus on online research because as pointed out, it may be harmful to only use online research. It is important to maintain a healthy balance between the two forms of information. It will do no good to neglect one or the other completely.

Reference:  
How the Internet is Changing Your Brain - Academic Earth,  Academic Earth RSS,  http://academicearth.org/electives/internet-changing-your-brain/
                        

Experiment Involving Students

In 2011, experiments were conducted by Prof. Betsy Sparrow, as the google effect was analyzed based on the cognitive memory of over one hundred selected Harvard and Columbia University students.

Experiment #1

• 40 different trivia questions were presented, and the students were to type the facts down for themselves
• Half of the group was told that their notes would be saved and could be seen later, while the other half was told that the computer would erase their notes.
• To the students surprise, everyone had their notes erased and were asked to answer the 40 trivia questions.
• As expected, the students who expected to have the facts in front of them, performed worse than the students expected to memorize 

Experiment #2

•  In the next set of experiments, Sparrow used the same method but with statements instead of questions, but this time each statement was placed into a specific folder (for example; facts, items, places).
•  Students were given altered versions of the statements and tested on whether or not they could identify if the statement was altered. They also were asked to identify which folder each statement belonged.
• Once again the students who knew that the information  would be erased performed stronger, but the most intriguing observation was the accuracy in which students could point out which folder each statement belonged.

Observations

• Even though the google effect was supported by the results in the first experiment, the second experiment showed that students ended up knowing the location of where to find specific information a lot better than they knew the information itself