Debate Night: The Internet

Thanks to the internet and intellectual technologies developed alongside it, the general public has gained access to thinking processes formerly restricted to elites. Benefits include the popularization of video games, which have been shown to improve visual focus, as well as to enhance performance, cognitive load and specific brain activity of medical students specializing in surgery, for example. Our working memory capacity directly linked to juggling data would also have strenghtened, thanks to the world wide web.

However, many worry that this technology is negatively mind-altering as its use would induce superficial understanding and encourage distraction rather that deep and creative thinking, which helps process information and make one's 'own judgment.' It is also believed that it has become too enmeshed in our daily life, and that our dependence on it grows day by day... for the worse. Some fear our biological processing of memory, from short to long term, from implicit to explicit, risks being irretrievably impaired as we outsource our storage to ‘machines’.

Privacy versus security, knowledge and real life connections versus access and connectivity, multitasking versus focus, contemplation and solitude are some of the most discussed topics of our time. Is the internet solely to blame for today's woes? Should we rethink our societal project altogether? And if so, what would that imply? Come debate with us!

This debate will follow a British Parliamentary format with eight debaters split into four teams of two.

Participants who wish to speak are highly encouraged to bring a paper and pen. You are welcome to participate even if you have no prior debating experience.

⚠️ Disclaimer:
We aim for debates that are respectful, constructive, and welcoming.
• Respect ideas and people: Listen actively, stay quiet while others speak, and debate arguments, not identities or beliefs.
• Be concise and civil: Keep questions short and relevant; avoid hostility, hate speech, or discrimination.
• Respect boundaries and time: No unwanted advances or suggestive behavior; arrive on time to avoid disrupting the debate.
• Follow moderators: They guide the discussion and ensure fairness.