Does technology make you more intelligent or less so? If you look at recent scientific studies, you might be surprised to learn that while tech-savvy humans may be smarter about some things, we’re dumber about others. Certainly, the importance of technology in our everyday lives can’t be disputed. It allows us to connect and work with people around the world, and it helps us keep track of our busy lives. On a broader scale, technology has improved the safety of transportation, productivity in the business world, and—especially in some parts of the world—access to higher levels of education. However, scientists now say there are some good reasons for using advanced technology in moderation. Recent studies show that technology has caused a loss of short- and long-term memory, a decrease in our ability to take in concepts and make connections, and a loss of creative drive.
To understand one of the key impacts of living in such a connected world, ask yourself this question: How often do you have to look up a familiar phone number—say, for your best friend or one of your children? Information that humans once stored in our minds is now delegated to smart phones. And according to an article in the online publication Futurism, 90 percent us can no longer remember numbers when we want to—we suffer from “digital amnesia.” Chelsea Pullano, the author of “Is Technology Making Us Dumb?” explains that while modern humans know many more ways to find information, we no longer store that information in our brains. Perhaps more troubling, the trend applies not only to information stored
1. How does the evidence in this second paragraph relate to the claim?
2. What kind of reasoning does Simmons use in the second paragraph? Is her reasoning sound?