This debate short is part of a series co-produced by Intelligence Squared U.S. and Newsy.

Smart
technology grants us unprecedented, immediate access to knowledge and to each other-a
ubiquitous and seamless presence in everyday life. But is there a downside to all of this
connectivity? It's been said that smart technology creates dependency on devices, narrows our
world to echo chambers, and impairs cognitive skills through shortcuts and distraction. Are smart
tech devices guiding so much of our decision making that we are losing autonomy without even
realizing it? Or are these concerns an overstatement of the negative effects of high-tech
consumption?
Smart technology grants us unprecedented, immediate access to knowledge and to each other-a
ubiquitous and seamless presence in everyday life. But is there a downside to all of this
connectivity? It's been said that smart technology creates dependency on devices, narrows our
world to echo chambers, and impairs cognitive skills through shortcuts and distraction. Are smart
tech devices guiding so much of our decision making that we are losing autonomy without even
realizing it? Or are these concerns an overstatement of the negative effects of high-tech
consumption?