Does Google Baidu Make Us Stupid? - Age1983

Things you just read half an hour ago are already forgotten, your mind goes blank when thinking about problems, a familiar word is on the tip of your tongue but you can't remember how to pronounce it... Think about it, have you ever experienced any of this? You must have. It seems that, without us realizing it, our brains have all become "stupid". Even worse, in addition to "becoming stupid", some people seem to have developed "obsessive-compulsive disorder". When there's a computer nearby, whenever a question pops into their mind, they subconsciously search Google or Baidu; and when there's no computer around, they frequently experience memory blocks, only wanting to quickly find a computer and seek help from a search engine... The convenience of search engines has made "forgetfulness" and "compulsiveness" among other "modern illnesses" the most widespread ailments worldwide.

Symptom One: Forgetfulness

Symptoms: The names of famous individuals, important historical events, common life knowledge... when these things can't be recalled immediately, people tend to instantly resort to a search engine for answers. Although powerful computers allow one to quickly find the correct results, long-term reliance on search engines easily creates a vicious cycle, resulting in the brain forgetting more and more with the help of computers, leading to a noticeable decline in memory.

Case Study

Can't Remember Football Stars' Names Anymore

Mr. Xue, Software Customer Service Personnel

I feel like search engines have directly "lowered" my memory. The most obvious example is that I now often can't remember football players' names.

My first exposure to football was during the 1994 American World Cup in the summer vacation. At the time, the boys in my class would gather daily at someone’s house to watch matches together, competing to see who could shout out the names of the players on the field the fastest. I got it wrong a few times and was met with a chorus of boos from my classmates, making me very embarrassed. Then I secretly resolved: “I must recognize these players so that you will look at me differently!”

It’s easy to make resolutions, but hard to follow through. Back then, we didn’t have the internet as a great tool to gather all the player information at once. I could only rely on TV and newspapers for "intensive study." Especially the newspapers had photos, which helped me memorize some players' appearances. I used my breakfast money to buy many newspapers while my parents were at work, cut out relevant photos, and hid them in my textbooks to review repeatedly. Sometimes, in order to memorize them before watching the game with everyone the next day, I even stayed up all night under the mosquito net with a small flashlight reviewing the photos. After such an "intensive study," I indeed remembered many players' names, and everyone admired me greatly. From then on, I almost effortlessly mentioned the names of football stars.

But now, I've regressed significantly. In 1994, I would quickly memorize any player information I found, but now with search engines, by simply typing a few words, I can search for the names of players from any league match on Earth within less than a second. Initially, I thought this was extremely convenient - not only could I quickly find the player names I wanted to remember, but even if I forgot, I could quickly get reminders online. But this instead made me develop a dependent mindset towards search engines: it subconsciously made me feel that searching is more convenient than memorizing. If I can remember, that's great, but if I can't, there's always the search engine to help. As time went on, I found it increasingly difficult to memorize players' names, feeling like I was back to where I started when I began watching games. Though I'm only 25 years old, my memory shouldn't deteriorate so quickly, perhaps it's all the fault of this powerful search engine.

Symptom Two: Reluctance to Think

Symptoms: When encountering problems, unwilling to use one's own brain to come up with solutions, always looking to search engines for answers. This is indeed convenient, but this convenience also makes many people unwilling to think proactively, finding it arduous and inefficient. Particularly students, who treat search engines as a "sharp tool" for completing homework, be it mathematics, physics, chemistry, essays, or even papers, all correct answers are directly found through search engines, then "copied exactly."

Case Study

Look at Others or Rely on Myself?

Ms. Tan, Former Advertising Professional

Two years ago, driven by my interest in advertising planning, I joined an advertising company to work on planning with a few senior colleagues. However, among the new hires, I performed the worst. Almost every plan I submitted was severely criticized by the seniors. They often said, "If the client sees your plan, the company will go bankrupt and we'll starve." This situation nearly drove me crazy, so I had no choice but to use the search engine to look for other excellent plans.

After finding good plans, I would modify them according to my own situation, then compile a new plan to submit to the seniors. Although I knew this wasn't ideal and I was "exploiting" others' labor, to pass the probation period smoothly, I had no choice but to "try anything."

Fortunately, no colleagues in the company noticed any issues with my plans. I thought this would help improve my planning skills, and soon I'd be able to independently create plans. However, when I tried to think independently, two voices kept echoing in my mind. One voice said, "Search online for inspiration"; another voice said, "Don't look at others anymore, otherwise your abilities won't improve..." While mentally struggling, every idea I came up with seemed terrible to me. Each time, just before the proposal deadline, I couldn't resist using the search engine to "help."

Although occasionally a few plans were recognized by the seniors, I clearly knew they weren't my ideas. If I kept relying on search engines for inspiration, I would only harm myself, possibly losing credibility in this industry if discovered. So, at the end of the probation period, I voluntarily resigned and chose to pursue professional courses in advertising. I should focus on solidly studying advertising courses based on my interest in advertising planning.

Symptom Three: Decline in Judgment