The Impact of Internet on Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Impact of Internet on Thinking - Essay Example Despite this the internet has many advantages on the way people think. My research question is: does the web shorten our attention spans? Attention span can be defined as the ability of a person to concentrate on a task without distraction. Attention varies with age and is measured by the time we spend continuously on a particular task. No, the internet does not shorten our span of attention as the studies conducted have shown that adults who spend time on the web boosted their brain power and also helped in preventing cognitive turn down like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Spending time on the internet is beneficial to both adults and the young people. To the young the web has been of great importance as they use the internet as a tool of education and has registered positive effects on their academic performance. However the exposure of the web to children at a younger age should be minimal and if necessary, can be increased moderately with time and age as studies show th at the use of web increases attention of the adults better than the children (Dreyfus 60). The use of the web has made people to function like computers as they are able to receive, encode process and retrieve information faster than before and have become adapted to multi-tasking as a result of engaging or brains into activity. The attention span has improved because when people spend time on the web, this means that they spend time reading and studies have shown that students who spend at least 30 minutes on the internet have been shown to perform better. The use of the web keeps our brains active and improves our efficiency as well as our attention span. The brain has a nature of a muscle and therefore needs regular exercise, when we use the web, the brain is engaged in some activity and therefore it becomes more attentive. Failure to engage the brain makes it to be passive and thus lowers the span of attention. Most people have are easily distracted when reading a book than when on the web. The monotonous nature of the book makes one to be easily distracted unlike when one is on the web. The web has interesting things and one can learn new information at a very short time. Most people can concentrate for about 30 minutes when not using the internet and this span increases when they are using the web. The reason behind this is that the web has a lot of new, interesting information and this makes the person to want to learn more and therefore ends up concentrating on a particular task for a long period without getting distracted or bored (Brockman 176). The use of the web has enabled people to easily access information and learn new information unlike when not using the internet where people may spend a lot of time looking for specific information at the libraries for a long time. However, precaution is necessary as the use of the web has its setbacks among them is addiction to the wrong information. Studies conducted in the past have shown that students who are use the internet regularly do not use the internet in a productive way as they may be on social network sites ( Dreyfus 87). Most institutions are coming up with ways in which they can divert their attention from these social networking sites and makes their time when using the web more productive. The institutions are blocking the accessibility of these sites when students are in the institution and can only access the sites when they leave school.

Chinese History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese History - Essay Example Moreover, there was a system of training administration officials which was an innovative approach towards ensuring that the affairs of the state could be managed in an efficient and effective manner. The establishment of a bureaucracy helped to ensure the administration process in an effectual manner (Ebrey, 67). Confucianism was adopted as the major system for running the affairs of the state. Confucian system advocated the belief that each individual must obey the family and have devotion towards the rulers. This helped to instill a sense of discipline among the officials. The top officials of the dynasty were living in the capital where they provided valuable counsel to the emperor. The lower officials would be responsible for maintaining roads and canals. They were also entrusted with the duty of maintaining the process of storing grain. The emperors introduced a system of meritocracy where officials were chosen by their competency and ability. A rigorous test was needed so that they could become officials of the state (Ebrey, 67). Civil servants were evaluated after three years for their performance. Therefore punishment and reward were used in combination with other measures to ensure that officials could perform their duties. The Han dynasty was created when Liu Bang won a civil conflict against Xiang Yu. His model of governance was based upon reducing taxes and creating a centralized state. The harsh punishments were reduced in order win the loyalty of the people. The centralized state was a unique innovation as compared with the nomadic lifestyle of Chinese in previous years. This is because of the fact that the provincial officials had to report to the central government. This made them accountable and transparent which led to sound outcomes (Ebrey, 67). A basic local government was formed in different counties which led to efficiency. Han Wu Ti was the greatest ruler of the Han dynasty. He presided over military expansion while enhancing Chinese col onies as well as increasing influence over Central Asia. The creation of the Silk Road helped to increase the trade and prosperity of the empire. The system of governance that was in place helped the empire to provide more freedom to the people. Social mobility and freedom helped prevent rebellions and insurrections against the government (Ebrey, 67). The Han dynasty led China into an unprecedented era of economic expansion, military achievements, scientific discoveries, and powerful stability. The dynasty was able to achieve this through the development of a powerful centralized state. It was able to focus on ruling the empire in a centralized manner so that it could prevent disorder and anarchy within the empire. This was a significant achievement for the empire. B1 A Confucian system focused on the notion of community rights where each individual would be able to contribute towards its progress. A number of advantages existed for this system such as the fact that an individual wo uld contribute towards the development of society with an emphasis on duty and responsibility. Knowledge and spiritual growth would flourish in such a system while the emphasis would be on meritocracy so that an individual would gain social standing and status based upon their personal actions. Moreover, it encourages respect and kindness as a virtue that can create a humane society. The disadvantages of such a system are that it encouraged the development of a hierarchy which would lead to unfairness (Sinaiko, 91). Confucian system focused on family which had a negative aspect also such as the fact that it led to fights and conflicts in which the entire family was involved if a single member had been hurt or wronged. The system also encourages the subordination of females who must remain obedient to