Do Computers & the Internet Improve People's Intelligence and Understanding of the World?

This follows from the shock Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) report that Investing heavily in school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance and may in fact make them dumber:

Click here for the BBC article on the OECD Report
Alternately:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34174796

Understanding of the world? Maybe. Intelligence? Only a fool would think they'll help that.

I don't think this questionneeds answering

I think they give people a lot of misunderstanding and a very shallow 'understanding' of a few issues they might not know of otherwise.

People read a headline and think they understand an issue. News on the internet seems to revolve around shock headlines to get clicks and not so much in the way of content.

Improved my Spanish and French on youtube (Though I had pretty good Spanish from my student days)....Mainly because we use/used holiday homes in Spain and Belgium ...Not been to Brussels for a while.......Belgium is one of those Countries that have different languages for different parts.....Away from the capital it's Dutch speaking predominantly...Bollox to that.

Know some Mandarin too..........

Computers and the internet can be good or bad like anything else....

English next?

Scottrf wrote:English next?

Learning foreign languages are good...You can insult your wife without going in the naughty corner..

Used to learn two phrases a day........and build up...........Certainly no Stephen Hawking..

Carry on learning mandarin when I can be bothered I guess.