The Rise of the New Groupthink
The Rise of the New Groupthink
Susan Cain:
The one important exception to this dismal record is electronic brainstorming, where large groups outperform individuals; and the larger the group the better. The protection of the screen mitigates many problems of group work. This is why the Internet has yielded such wondrous collective creations. Marcel Proust called reading a “miracle of communication in the midst of solitude,” and that’s what the Internet is, too. It’s a place where we can be alone together — and this is precisely what gives it power.
Too often, I hear people huffing and puffing about how the use of computer or mobile devices are damaging to “real” communication and social engagement.