If you were to plot on a pie chart your next home study session and the time you set aside to cram, how much of that time would be spent using Google or other internet search engines? In the age of e-learning, digital submission of work and online research, study books can take somewhat of a back seat, but is this a good way for us to learn? Is it helpful when we have exams?
We give you four valid reasons why medical students should remember that Google is only a gateway, and that the internet can inhibit study as well as enable it. It’s important to step away and find other
creative ways to learn medical terminology or cram for exams, so here are some helpful ideas on how to aim for the right balance.
Basics first: What's the internet's effect on cognition?
In 2008, Nicholas Carr posed this question as the following title for an article he wrote for Atlantic Monthly: “
Is Google making us stupid?†It went on to influence his book,
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, which was published two years later. A quick Google search is an ironically good starting point to find the synopsis, which tells us that “Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet's intellectual and cultural consequences yet published.â€
The book has
prompted much debate, because the internet is often seen as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is useful for study and exams as Google is often the start of every search for information about whatever it is we wish to learn. On the other, the internet is a distraction and can affect the concentration of students who are cramming for exams.
Balancing the benefits and pitfalls of the internet: Use Google to your advantage
In 2006,
Google was declared a verb and so we cannot expect that the internet and popular search engines are going to become any less popular just because we experience problems with concentration. Online searches are here to stay, so instead of damning the internet, here are four ways to use it as an aid to study and learning, rather than a hindrance.
#1 You’re only human
The internet is fast-paced. We can become over-stimulated, like when we drink too much coffee or have too many energy drinks. You start with the clear intention of getting that report done, yet one hour later you find yourself refreshing your Facebook page or reading a completely irrelevant article on Wikipedia... or watching that funny cat video.
The internet provides us with instant gratification every time we hit a key. It is so tempting to click that next link, skim through that article, message your friend or check your e-mail. When you find yourself derailing from your main purpose, take some time off and switch off all your notifications for some time. Neural plasticity is really fast to pick up on all repeating activities. You don't want that distraction to be turned into an unconscious habit.
#2 Separate out your tasks
Carr suggests that hyperlinks are a big problem when it comes to internet study, as pointed out in
Agger’s review of his book:
“The foundation of the Web acts like a road bump in a sentence. A link causes us to stop reading and evaluate whether or not to click on it—activating the decision-making pockets of our mind.â€
To avoid these road bumps when you're studying, take each element of what it is you wish to learn and isolate the task. Write out information on separate pieces of paper and study each one in turn. In the same way you read books page by page, try to digest internet information in the same way.
#3 Test your memory offline
Google won’t always be there to help you, certainly not when you’re sitting your exams. To remember what you study and to learn it thoroughly, you must be able to store information in your own memory.
The internet may take away the burden of remembering information by providing you with answers and information on the spot. But, once you find yourself face to face with your professor or exam booklet, only what you've saved up in your head will matter. Use Google in combination with analog study method to better retain what you learn. Search for information online and then store it offline to test your knowledge without internet interference.
#4 Don’t let Google spoil you
Google now follows us everywhere we go. We take our laptops and smartphones to college and university. They follow us to the coffee shop, to the pub and join us when we meet up with family and friends. It’s easy to think that the internet will always be there to rescue us and this attitude can make us lazy.
Study hard, work hard, but also train hard. A gym session, a run around the block or taking part in team sports will help to prevent complacency. Opening a book may seem impractical when it takes you just a few clicks to find the same information online. Devoting more focus and energy to a single task (like reading a physical book) is like lifting heavy weights. Your muscles won't grow unless you put those extra pounds on the bar, and the same applies to your brain. The more you challenge your memory and concentration, the better they become.
With all this in mind let's not forget that at the end of the day, the Internet makes our lives much easier. Use it wisely to enrich your knowledge and awareness, but don't expect it to do your job for you. After all,
you are the future of medicine, and people will turn to
you, not the world wide web, for help in real situations.
Have you ever
felt lost without the Internet and Google? What are your top tips for blocking out the internet noise? Share your experience and advice below.
