[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.04,0:00:03.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you are reading an article online when\Nyou get an instant message with a link to
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.07,0:00:06.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a funny photo, which of course you have to\Nshare. And now you are reading your Facebook
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.78,0:00:10.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,News Wall, which sends you to a video of a\Npanda bear attacking a kid. And now you are
Dialogue: 0,0:00:10.02,0:00:14.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reading wikipedia to learn everything you\Ncan about the violent behavior of panda bears.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.06,0:00:17.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And this is what 3 minutes on the internet\Ncan be like.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.08,0:00:21.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We live like this all the time, and it has\Nto have some kind of effect on us.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.10,0:00:25.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The 'net is making us more superficial as\Nthinkers.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:25.06,0:00:29.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That is Nicholas Carr. He is the author of,\N"The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.06,0:00:30.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to our Brains."
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.07,0:00:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To understand this whole thing better we need\Nto go way back in time, to say, like, the
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.70,0:00:36.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,prehistoric age.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.00,0:00:40.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You wanted to know everything was going on\Naround you because the more you knew about
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.20,0:00:44.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your surroundings the less likely you were\Nto get attacked by a predator. And there's
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.45,0:00:51.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even evidence that our brains release some\Ndopamine - a pleasure inducing neurotransmitter
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.16,0:00:55.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,chemical - to reward us for seeking out and\Nfinding new information.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.98,0:01:01.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, getting distracted felt good and helped\Nus stay alive. But the problem is that nowadays,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.14,0:01:05.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,predators aren't much of an issue, but we\Nstill have the same brains. And also, there's
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.47,0:01:07.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the internet, which is...
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.69,0:01:13.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's an incredibly information rich environment,\Nuh, that the 'net creates for us. And that's
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.08,0:01:20.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,why we use it so much. I mean, sounds, pictures,\Nwords, texts. And what this tends to do is
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.41,0:01:25.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,promote a sort of compulsive behavior in which\Nwe are constantly checking your smart phone,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.03,0:01:30.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,constantly glancing at our email inbox. We're\Nkind of living in this perpetual state of
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.37,0:01:32.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,distraction and interruption.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.50,0:01:34.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which is dangerous because...
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.04,0:01:38.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That mode of thinking crowds out the more\Ncontemplative calmer modes of thinking.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:38.08,0:01:43.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that focused, calm thinking is actually\Nhow we learn. It's a process called memory
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.94,0:01:45.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,consolidation.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.32,0:01:51.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that means the transfer of information\Nfrom our short term working memory, to our
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.29,0:01:57.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,long term memory. And it's through moving\Ninformation from your working memory to your
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.08,0:02:03.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,long term memory that you create connections\Nbetween that information and everything else
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.87,0:02:04.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.91,0:02:09.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you've got this awesome, life changing\Npiece of information in your short term memory,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.41,0:02:14.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but then you hear that email ding, and poof,\Nthere it goes. That email takes its place,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.03,0:02:18.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you never get a chance to learn anything,\Nall because of one distraction.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:18.04,0:02:24.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So attention is the key. And if we lose control\Nof our attention, or are constantly dividing
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.71,0:02:29.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our attention, uh, then we don't really enjoy\Nthat consolidation process.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.03,0:02:34.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But I can hear it now, someone is out there\Nsaying, "Uh, what does learning matter if
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.05,0:02:38.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of the information in the world is just\Na Google search away?" Well...
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.55,0:02:45.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Um, that is is kind of short-changing our,\Nour intellects. If that's the way you're using
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.05,0:02:49.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your mind, just kind of searching very quickly\Nand finding information and then forgetting
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.94,0:02:54.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it very quickly, you're never building knowledge.\NYou're simply, you're, you're kind of thinking
Dialogue: 0,0:02:54.66,0:02:55.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like a computer.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.01,0:03:00.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Which means that our very humanity is at stake.\NAnd it would be a shame if we all got assimilated,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.99,0:03:03.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because, well, humanity is pretty neat.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.08,0:03:10.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I really believe that if you look at the great\Nmonuments of culture, they come from people
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.07,0:03:17.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who are able to pay attention, who control\Ntheir mind. That's what allows us to think
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.04,0:03:23.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the highest terms and think conceptually,\Nthink critically, uh, think in some very creative
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.00,0:03:24.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ways.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.02,0:03:30.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's this kind of thinking that's at risk:\Nbeing eroded one cute cat video at a time.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.00,0:03:34.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Don't get us wrong: The internet is good for\Nlots of things, and it should be celebrated.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.00,0:03:38.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the best thing we can do for our minds\Nis to find some time every day to unplug,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.85,0:03:42.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,calm down, and focus on one thing at a time.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.01,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Your email -- and those cats -- will be here\Nwhen you get back.