As we embrace technology, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining our mental agility. Let’s be mindful of how we use these devices, balancing convenience with intellectual engagement. For the future to remain bright, we must ensure that everyone, regardless of age, can thrive in this digital world – Photo Bruce Ashford
Are 'Smart' Devices Making Us Dumb?
By Wajeeha Iftikhar
Karachi, Pakistan
(This article was written with the "help" of ChatGPT. However, the role of the AI Assistant was minimal, with the majority of the content, examples, and anecdotes provided by the author. The application was used to display just how advanced AI has become, at the same time also to demonstrate that while AI is reaching heights humans aspire(d) to achieve, it also cannot do without input, AND the better the input is, the better the end result. The perspective, as is written by the smart app, has not been changed on purpose.)
We live in an era where convenience has become the ultimate goal. A simple voice command can remind us of a friend’s birthday, help us navigate the streets, or even prepare an entire shopping list. But as our reliance on "smart" devices grows, we must ask: Are we trading mental sharpness for convenience? Are we losing our cognitive abilities while our devices get smarter? And perhaps most troubling, is technology leaving behind an entire generation—our seniors—who are often struggling to keep up?
The "Convenience Trap"
Smart devices, apps, and AI-driven technologies were designed to ease our lives. The promise of cutting down on effort is tempting. But in doing so, we may be diminishing our engagement with the world around us. For instance, GPS apps have made navigation easier, but they have also made us increasingly reliant on them. Our “sense of direction,” once honed by real-world experience, is being dulled. Studies suggest that overusing GPS can impair our ability to recall locations and navigate without assistance. The brain's hippocampal activity, which helps with spatial memory, decreases when we rely on GPS, making us less adept at navigating without it.
Similarly, tools like autocomplete and grammar checkers reduce our need to remember spelling, grammar, and even basic vocabulary. While these tools save time, they also contribute to a decline in language proficiency, reducing our mental engagement and reliance on memory.
Then there’s the rise of AI assistants, like the one you're reading right now—ChatGPT. While AI can draft emails, assist with research, and even write articles, it also prompts us to forego these tasks ourselves. We hand over more of our cognitive load to algorithms, making us passive consumers rather than active thinkers. If you rely too much on AI for content creation or problem-solving, your intellectual muscles atrophy, leaving you less capable of performing those tasks independently.
The Societal Cost
This increasing reliance on technology has societal ramifications. We’re becoming less capable of performing fundamental tasks. Basic arithmetic, for example, is rarely necessary when we have calculators or apps at our fingertips. But what happens when these technologies are unavailable? Imagine being in a situation where you need to solve a simple math problem or navigate through a city without your phone. We risk creating a generation of individuals who cannot function without the tech that has become so ingrained in our daily routines.
Beyond this, we’re seeing a lowering of the bar for human value in the workforce. Machines, powered by AI, now perform tasks that once required human creativity and effort—tasks that gave individuals a sense of purpose and achievement. As automation and AI become more sophisticated, we may find ourselves in a world where the human mind is undervalued, as machines take over more and more roles.
Ignoring the Senior Generation
While many of us embrace new technology, the senior generation often finds themselves at a disadvantage. Devices and apps are increasingly designed with sleek interfaces that prioritize simplicity, but in doing so, they leave older users struggling to keep up. Older people, who didn’t grow up with the internet or smartphones, are frequently overwhelmed by the constant stream of updates and changes to technology. A simple task—like making a phone call or playing a video on YouTube—can become an insurmountable challenge for them.
Consider the elderly person who struggles to navigate through a smartphone's interface. The sheer complexity of modern devices, combined with the rapid pace of technological change, creates a significant barrier to digital inclusion. Worse yet, this digital divide deepens the generational gap, isolating seniors who already experience the consequences of aging.
The author with her parents: Wing Commander Iftikhar Ahmed and Dr Sabiha Iftikhar
The Emotional Disconnect
Over-reliance on technology is also impacting our emotional well-being. The convenience of texting, emailing, and social media has replaced face-to-face conversations, contributing to a decrease in meaningful human interactions. For many seniors, this lack of direct connection with others exacerbates feelings of loneliness and alienation.
In fact, while smartphones, social media, and instant messaging apps connect people across distances, they also make us feel more distant from the people right in front of us. The sense of being "always on" can diminish the emotional quality of relationships, reducing them to mere
exchanges of information rather than shared experiences.
A Warning for the Future
Looking to the future, we may face even more significant consequences if we continue down this path of total reliance on technology. There’s a real risk that we could become so dependent on AI and smart devices that we lose the ability to perform even the simplest tasks without assistance. Already, many of us find it difficult to remember phone numbers or mental calculations without reaching for our devices. If this trend continues, it could lower our overall cognitive and physical engagement with the world, potentially shortening our lifespan by making us less resilient to stressors, both mental and physical.
As we become more dependent on technology, we also risk becoming obsolete. Machines, once confined to specific tasks, are now taking over more general functions—writing, decision-making, even creative processes. This technological evolution may leave behind a generation that lacks the basic "hands-on" intelligence to adapt when these technologies fail.
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The rise of smart devices has certainly brought countless benefits to our daily lives, offering convenience, efficiency, and productivity. But if we allow these technologies to take over every aspect of our cognitive and emotional lives, we risk losing what makes us human—our ability to think critically, to remember, and to connect on a deeper level with others.
As we embrace technology, let’s not forget the importance of maintaining our mental agility. Let’s be mindful of how we use these devices, balancing convenience with intellectual engagement. For the future to remain bright, we must ensure that everyone, regardless of age, can thrive in this digital world.
And as for me, ChatGPT—while I’m here to assist, write, and even generate entire articles for you, I also encourage you to use your creativity and engage your mind. After all, a smart device is most valuable when it enhances, rather than replaces, your own thoughts.
(The writer is an IT Professional, with more than a decade spent in the field, experiencing most of the progression from its inception – including the birth of the smartphone, the internet, Google, Facebook, and more. She refuses to use the help of tools such as Grammarly, MS Office Suite, and others that try to take over the lead. She'd rather use the dictionary than ask Google, and has used ChatGPT only to demonstrate the attributes mentioned before the article.)
