I’ve wondered for some time what effect the richness of the internet and the enormity of information at our fingertips might be doing to our brains.

A pair of physicians that blog have conjectured that blogging itself might very well be expanding our brains. Anyone that knows me (along with the several thousand people who’ve visited my blog over the last four months) would tell you that it’s obvious my brain has shrunk! 

The pair, Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide, have a blog posting that asks the question: “What effect is all this blogging having on the brains of bloggers?”

They cover a few points (to which I’ve added comments of my own) such as:

1. “Blogs can promote critical and analytical thinking.” I agree. If I or another blogger are going to be taken seriously and nakedly put our ideas out there for the world to see, then having them thought through and supported is a good thing
2. “Blogging can be a powerful promoter of creative, intuitive, and associational thinking.” Well…I think I’m already that way to a pretty great degree, but I’ll admit that blogging has caused me to think about my ‘connecting the dots’ in even more significant and different ways
3. “Blogs promote analogical thinking.” I concur. For me, critical thinking is to blogging as strategy is to business: you better think through your positions and actions carefully but change fast if it becomes necessary, always be flexible and, most importantly, connect the dots that others don’t.
4. “Blogging is a powerful medium for increasing access and exposure to quality information.” Quality? Some times. Those bloggers that write their opinion and back it up with research (i.e., links citing material) are more believable and almost always cite reputable sources. Access? Absolutely. I find TONS of delightful and insightful sources through bloggers.
5. “Blogging combines the best of solitary reflection and social interaction.” Agree with the solitary reflection. Would with the social interaction but my blog visits haven’t yet reached critical mass nor have comments flooded in.

So you may be thinking, “Steve, looking at blogging in a singular way demonstrates that your brain HAS shrunk!” You could be right. But let me add something to that thought of yours regarding my little brain and your curiousity about whether or not it’s probable that I’m intellectually equal to a rhesus monkey.

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