The amount of information available on hand has increased drastically over the last few years. It is the result of the huge growth in the Internet network and increase of its speed limits. People have quickly got used to new technologies and big data flow. Some even feel anxious without their smartphones in sight. What does the internet do to our intelligence? Are we getting smarter or does it depend on the websites we visit on a daily basis? Here are 5 main ways that the Internet changes our brains.

1. Data has never been so accessible

Thinking of an old friend from high school? What is the perfect recipe for pancakes? Who won the World Cup in 2002? Flicking through books looking for an answer would take too much time and effort, whereas finding such information on the Internet takes seconds. It gives you a broad explanation and it is extremely easy and fast. Such solutions are rooted in us so deeply we cannot imagine searching for information elsewhere. But what does it do to our brains? Definitely, it lowers our creativity level as we get what we want without any effort. Is it rewarding? Partially yes, because we’ve found what we were looking for. But is it to our brains? Not really.

2. How social media clutters our brains

The internet is tricky. On one hand, it gives you tons of great articles, important news, and studies based on reliable sources, but on the other hand, you can spend way too much time scrolling through social media. And here is when disaster happens to our brains. The pursuit of social media reactions, fake news, an enormous amount of redundant data that attacks our brain fills in its capacity really quickly. After spending a few hours reading Facebook posts and comments, scrolling through unrealistic pictures on Instagram and watching low content videos on YouTube your brain feels exhausted. Your memory becomes worse as well as your mood. Those can influence intelligence levels in the long run.

3. But hey, we mentioned a lot of great content

Thanks to a broadband connection we can access a lot of valuable things too. This includes the numerous amount of both free and paid courses on any topic, interesting and educational ebooks, guides and tutorial videos. What is more, some libraries and universities allow you to borrow audiobooks and ebooks completely for free; providing us with a great opportunity to learn, expand our knowledge and increase our emotional and cognitive intelligence. Of course, it takes time and effort to reduce procrastination but in the long run, it will definitely pay off. Either in a better-paid job or in a more conscious and knowledgeable way of living.

4. Connecting with people from many corners of the World is easy

The internet has changed the way we talk and connect with people is really visible. We can spontaneously find a date through Tinder, connect with local people and book a stay with them through Couchsurfing or Airbnb, meet new people with the same hobbies through Meetup and many more. Our view of the world’s cultures and customs changes. Fortunately, for good. Providing that we become more open-minded and tolerant any prejudices we had before disappeared and we can learn a lot from a friend living on the opposite side of the world. With easy access to cheap flights, we can spend some time amid different nations which can definitely increase our knowledge of the world as well as emotional intelligence.

5. Being continuously online is addictive

With all the comfort we derive from the use of technology there is also a big drawback. Both social media and overall Internet surfing gives its users a huge boost of dopamine. This neurotransmitter contributes to the feeling of pleasure so our brain demand to repeat certain actions that caused dopamine release. Having so many social media profiles, email accounts and articles to read it is easy to sink in online for hours on end. And there is a thin line between reasonable use of the Internet and addiction influencing our lives and brain functioning. Although studies have shown more intelligent people are prone to addictions we all should be aware of how much time we spend online. Especially that there are many apps measuring our Internet consumption.

All in all, the Internet is a great tool to use every day. There are still not many studies which confirmed the Internet strongly influence our intelligence but there are so many factors that also have an influence on our brain functions. The best way is to use the web responsibly and use its potential to learn new skills so we become smarter and enjoy life more!