What is steven pinker's response to media critics who are concerned Essay

What is steven pinker's response to media critics who are concerned about the harmful effects of consuming electronic media do you agree with his argument why or why not - Essay Example Currently, since many have accused new media for lowering intelligence, the level of since should then be reducing. On the contrary, the quality of science has been increasing because scientists are making use of new media. Similarly, he argues that other activities related t the human mind such as philosophy and cultural criticisms continue to flourish. Pinker further responds to the critics of new media by pointing out that experience does not necessarily shape the brain because the brain itself is not â€Å"a blob of clay.1† The brain does not necessarily copy the qualities of whatever it consumes, and therefore the effects of new media will not be as huge as implied by many. Instead of bemoaning technology, Pinker suggests that people should look for ways of exercising self control when using these new media. This will help encourage intellectual growth. Having read the article by Pinker, I agree with his arguments relating to the new media technologies. First, new media technologies have helped increase intellectual depth by allowing for multiple approaches to teaching and learning. This exposes individuals to various forms of information from a variety of sources, which makes people smart. As a student, I have benefited from these new technologies and this has greatly enhanced my knowledge in various fields. For instance, through these technologies, I am able to supplement class material with online materials obtained through search engines such as Google. As noted by Pinker, these technologies help us search and retrieve information online using tools such as social media and e-books. As knowledge continues to increase, there is the need to have tools that help in the effective retrieval, processing and storing of such information. Pinker rightfully argues that our brain power does not increase with increasing knowledge, and ther efore such tools come in handy. By sitting behind a computer for instance, one is able to obtain vast volumes of information