"Back
in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the
future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said
Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about
it, you will automatically get information.'
'That's
true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your
brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your
computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier
in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can
have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and
suggest useful information.'
'Somebody
introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,'
said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they
said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think
about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."
-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)
Answer this not-so-simple question: How does use of the Internet, media, and/or technology change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).
