Are smartphones making us dumb?
Today at 6:45 PM EDT, watch the free live stream from Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates with arguments for and against: Smart Technology Is Making Us Dumb.
About the debate: Smart technology grants us unprecedented, immediate access to knowledge and to each other-a ubiquitous and seamless presence in everyday life. But is there a downside to all of this connectivity? It's been said that smart technology creates dependency on devices, narrows our world to echo chambers, and impairs cognitive skills through shortcuts and distraction. Are smart tech devices guiding so much of our decision making that we are losing autonomy without even realizing it? Or are these concerns an overstatement of the negative effects of high-tech consumption?
Arguing for the motion:
Nicholas Carr, Author, The Glass Cage: Automation and Us & The Shallows
Andrew Keen, Internet Entrepreneur & Author, The Internet is Not the Answer
Arguing against the motion:
Genevieve Bell, Anthropologist & VP, Intel Labs
David Weinberger, Researcher, Berkman Center & Author, Too Big to Know Click here to watch the debate live!












