How Internet Makes Kids Smarter Infographic

How Internet Makes Kids Smarter Infographic

The How Internet Makes Kids Smarter Infographic presents how using the internet can improve kids' cognitive abilities, increase their interest in reading, improve their writing ability as well as their social skills.

In particular by engaging their brains in more complex tasks at a younger stage in their lives, toddlers are improving cognition and critical review skills, and are displaying a more advanced understanding of both virtual and real worlds. In addition to stronger memory, comprehension, and abstract thought, children who regularly use the Internet also display a more proactive approach to information gathering and experience improved performance in visual learning (e.g., reading comprehension). Language fluency and vocabulary get a boost as well, and some kids even experience a jump in IQ (as high as six points over the course of nine months).

Beyond mental performance, kids and teens using the Internet (and social media) exhibit stronger social skills, better vocabularies, and greater confidence. They may even show greater compassion for others as a result of their experiences on social media sites.

It’s clear that the Internet is having a very real impact on society. And whether it’s making kids smarter or simply more capable in an increasingly electronic world, the Internet will continue to fuel discussions about its impact on children.

4 Ways the Internet is Making Kids Smarter

1. Improved Cognition
Using the Internet can improve cognitive abilities such as:

• Memory
• Abstraction
• Comprehension
• Critical thinking
• Spatial and logical problem solving

2. Increase Interest in Reading
According to a Scholastic study:

• 62% of children would rather read a printed book than on the Internet
• Kids use the Internet to learn more about authors, find books, and check books our from the local library, suggesting the Internet fosters a love for reading.

3. Improved Writing Ability
Writing had improved dramatically:

• Improved composition abilities are thought to be attributed to the fact that in the past, students did little writing outside of school.
• Today, they "write" their thoughts on social media, in text messages, instant message, and in emails.
• Students write faster than they did before.
• Technology enables students to quickly "write" ideas and thoughts they may have lost due to the time it takes to write with traditional implements of the past.

4. Improved Social Skills
Using email and instant messaging appropriately can help children strengthen their social skills.

• Communicating electronically with children as virtual pen pals can help them learn about other cultures and customs.
• 29% of teens using social media say it helps them feel less shy
• 20% of teens using social media say it helps them feel more confident
• 19% believe it makes them sympathetic to others