Is technology making us dumber? Witnessed something that blew my mind today...

lol @ people shocked by this. it's literally the point of civilization? Humans create tools so we don't need to remember/do everything ourselves. Writing was invented so we wouldn't have to memorize stories. Calculators so we don't waste time on arithmetic. Same energy as ancient greeks complaining books would ruin memory

fake scenario. no coffee shop has broken registers AND internet down simultaneously. nice rage bait tho 👍

Teacher for 16 years - can confirm kids absolutely crumbling without tech assistance. Gave no-calculator math test last semester and had MULTIPLE high school students unable to do 7×8 without finger counting. When asked how they shop without calculator, they said "i just buy whatever and hope my card works" 😳

Maybe the real skill is knowing how to use the right tools? Carpenters don't make their own hammers, chefs don't grow their own ingredients, programmers don't write their own programming languages... knowing how/when to use tools IS the skill

ppl acting like tech dependence new phenomenon when boomers literally can't read maps since adopting GPS, can't remember phone numbers since cell phones, can't do taxes without turbotax, can't fix stuff without youtube... this ain't generational, it's human nature to outsource mental effort

Tech doesn't make us dumber, it exposes how dumb we already were. We survived before by having extremely limited information needs + tons of social support. Society just more complex now so our inherent limitations more obvious

y'all focusing on wrong metrics for intelligence. Memorizing multiplication tables ≠ smart. Adapting to new systems, finding information efficiently, synthesizing from multiple sources = actual modern intelligence. Different world needs different cognitive skills

What we're witnessing is the classic transactive memory phenomenon where knowledge is distributed across people and tools rather than contained within individuals. Research shows humans have always relied on external knowledge stores - we've just dramatically accelerated and expanded this process through digital technology

That programmer wasn't failing at coding - he was failing at REMEMBERING syntax. Big difference. I'm senior dev and use reference docs daily. Coding skill = understanding concepts/architecture/problem solving, not memorizing every function signature

My grandpa was a "skilled carpenter" who built houses but couldn't read or write. Today he'd be functionally unemployable despite manual skills. Every generation values different abilities based on economic reality. Adaptability > any specific skill

wait until OP discovers almost all doctors use reference tools and diagnostic aids constantly 💀 you want surgeon operating from memory or double-checking procedure? every professional field uses "crutches" - only difference is digital tools more visible than old paper references

Call me when your internet dies and you need to: jumpstart car, unclog toilet, cook basic meal, find physical location, do simple first aid... if you're helpless without google for SURVIVAL TASKS, that's concerning. Using tech for complex/specialized knowledge totally different issue