The ill effects of World Wide Web on the Google Generation: An analysis and criticism of ways in which the World Wide Web is altering young learners’ cognitive behaviors

Abstract

While this paper values the different ways in which the World Wide Web is making data ubiquitous and more accessible, it questions some of its subtle yet destructive effects on the Google Generation/those born after 1993. This paper will look over the learners’ interactions with online information, analyze the negative behavioral and psychological consequences caused by these interactions, question the consequences and in each case ask that designers of online experiences be more careful as they make design decisions when creating online interfaces. This paper poses the following research question: “How can the design of online activities on the World Wide Web positively affect the Google Generation’s ability to focus, socialize, and think deeply? Most importantly, this presentation seeks to stir discourse that agree and/or disagree with the idea that the World Wide Web is negatively affecting the Google Generation’s—those born after 1993—wellbeing. It hopes that discourse will lead to possible solutions to the current and increasing problem relating to attention, memory, patience, stress, and critical thinking in young learners.

Contributors

Michele Wong Kung Fong

Conference

Publication date: July 2011

Publication date (Print): July 2011

Pages: 7-11

Affiliations

College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas

1201 West Mulberry Denton, TX, 76201. USA

DOI: 10.14236/ewic/HCI2011.19

Copyright statement: © Michele Wong Kung Fong et al. Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd. Proceedings of HCI 2011 The 25th BCS Conference on Human Computer Interaction, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

License:

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Conference name: Proceedings of HCI 2011 The 25th BCS Conference on Human Computer Interaction

Conference acronym: HCI

Conference number: 25

Conference location: Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK

Conference date: 4 - 8 July 2011

Conference sponsor: Electronic Workshops in Computing (eWiC)

Conference theme: Human Computer Interaction

Product

Product Information: 1477-9358 BCS Learning & Development

Self URI (article page): https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14236/ewic/HCI2011.19

Self URI (journal page): https://ewic.bcs.org/

Categories

Series title: Electronic Workshops in Computing