Is the Internet a Cognitive Enhancement?

The Internet allows humans to effortlessly communicate with each other in novel ways and delivers instantaneous access to vast amounts of information and accumulated knowledge. Recently, several scholars have made the case that the Internet can enhance human cognition, while others are skeptical or disagree. Within the context of the wider debate around human enhancement, to what extent can it be argued that the Internet enhances human cognition? In an effort to resolve this question, we examine three critical assumptions: (1) the Internet fosters an active learning environment characterized by deep and constructive learning, (2) the current design of the Internet benefits users and promotes adaptive behaviors, and (3) the Internet improves cognitive function. Our analysis systematizes the evidence presented in recent scholarship that points to either an optimistic or pessimistic view on whether the Internet can function as a cognitive enhancement—with some evidence, such as the “Google effect,” being cited by either side of the debate. Moreover, we find a clash of differing ideological views, which risks polarizing both the academic and the public debate on the topic. In the effort to advance this debate toward a conclusion based on the available objective facts and evidence, we argue for a nuanced approach: to designate the Internet as a technologically enabled environment, not as a single technological intervention that can be reliably expected to enhance or decrease cognition.