Question 1: Does constant access to information technology has weakened our memory and

critical thinking skills? How this statement is relevant in current scenario?

Our human brains are one of the most complex creations of natural selection. They are a result of

millions of years of human cognitive and creative evolution. However, the recent boom that has

taken place in the field of connectivity and availability of information is far too much for our

brains to process. Our brain function divides our memory in a manner that is most cost effective

in terms of our energy consumption. We tend to remember only those things that we might be in

need in the future. Our brain stores important memories, experiences and functions that it seems

useful for our survival in the world. We increase our capacity to remember these experiences and

memories due to their constant use in our daily lives. This process was helpful in both improving

our memory function and creating a strong cognitive ability. However, with the increase in

access to information, this cycle has been broken down. We are forgetting to remember because

we simply do not have the need to. We do not remember food recipe by practicing again and

again, creating a strong impact on our brain, because we can easily access it on YouTube. We

forget to learn basic calculations and improving our cognitive abilities by repeating them again in

our brain because of calculators. This “shortcut” method to learn and gain knowledge have

weaken our neurological motor receptors in brain, studies have shown that less practice and

overload of information about skills have started to reduce neurological motor receptors in our

brains (Bernadka Dubicka, Jennifer Martin, Joseph Firth, 2019). A simple example of this is how

our generation forgot to remember numbers and dates. There were times when people were

easily able to remember phone numbers and birthdates of their family and friends. These days

hardly anyone remembers more than one phone number and few important dates, simply because

our phonebook does not let our brain remember anything and our social media application notify
us on all birthdays. Similarly, this flow of information has also affected our critical thinking in a

highly negative way. With the excess and overflow of information, line between facts and fiction

is getting blurred. Our recent scenario of Covid-19 lockdown is another example of how this

access of information has affected our critical abilities. These days our governments and medical

professionals are facing huge problems of large scale fake information around the world. People

are getting sick by using unverified medical remedies for Covid-19. Even the most educated

segment of society is falling prey to the false news because of our decay of self analysis and

critical thinking in age of rapid information. Moreover, the easy availability of information and

24/7 news update has made people insensitive of the news itself. This phenomenon is evident in

the case of current scenario where despite of continuous efforts in spreading covid-19 awareness

in people, majority of people disregarded the virus precautions and rules of social distancing.

Thus, it shows a deep psychological pattern that the continuous propagation of a tragedy

eventually makes people disinterested about it.

But one might ask that what is the problem with it? I mean if machines are doing it for us why

we bother to let our brain work? If people are getting less creative than machines will take their

place. By all means we will continue to have the access to these technologies so what can go

wrong? The problem lies in the function of our brain cells and muscles. In layman terms, they

are similar to other muscular cells in our body and need exercise to get strong and better. The

exercise of our brain was that ability to remember and to try again and again to get learn an art or

skill perfectly. Since, the access of knowledge has been killing our cognitive “exercise”, it will

result in less brain activity and fewer cognitive function in next evolutionary cycle. This shift

will result in a human species that will be so mentally weak and physically incompetent that it

will lose the survival competition to other species. Thus, ending the age of “Homo-Sapiens”
 Works Cited:

 Bernadka Dubicka, Jennifer Martin, Joseph Firth, Editorial: Screen time, social media

and developing brains: a cause for good or corrupting young minds?, Child and

Adolescent Mental Health, 10.1111/camh.12346, 24, 3, (203-204), (2019).

 Davy Vancampfort, Tine Van Damme, Joseph Firth, Lee Smith, Brendon Stubbs, Simon

Rosenbaum, Mats Hallgren, Noemi Hagemann, Ai Koyanagi, Correlates of physical

activity among 142,118 adolescents aged 12–15 years from 48 low- and middle-income

countries, Preventive Medicine, 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105819, 127, (105819), (2019).

 Martina Caccia, Marisa Giorgetti, Alessio Toraldo, Massimo Molteni, Daniela

Sarti, Mirta Vernice, Maria Luisa Lorusso, ORCA.IT: A New Web-Based Tool for

Assessing Online Reading, Search and Comprehension Abilities in Students Reveals

Effects of Gender, School Type and Reading Ability, Frontiers in

Psychology, 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02433, 10, (2019).
Question 2: explain and analyze 7C’s of effective communication with examples:

Effective communication is the most fundamental aspect of our daily commercial and private

lives. Whether a person is dealing with a business client or a close acquaintance, effective

communication can change the dynamics if whole discussion. However, not everyone is able to

communicate their ideas in an articulate manner. A number of people struggle everyday because

communicational misunderstands. To ensure smooth and healthy communication training for

people, Scott Cutlip and Allan Center provided a list of seven effective communication tips,

otherwise called the 7C’s of communication. A brief introduction and analysis of these seven

techniques are discussed under:

1. Clear

Clarity of words and thoughts is the key to effective communication. Unless we are not able to

express our ideas clearly, we cannot expect the listener to give his/her opinion n the matter.

Clarity in communication removes any room for misconceptions and misunderstandings.

For example, in our day to day conversation we must try to say what we want to communicate in

simple words that are easy for the listener to react on to. Instead of using metaphors and literary

tone we should keep our sentences simple and easy to understand.

2. Concise
Sometimes, communication gets irritating and confusing due to unnecessary long and vague

expressions. It is always recommended to keep your discussion concise and to the point.

Unnecessary and long discussion in any professional meeting will overshadow the important and

relevant points. Avoid long stories and prologue in professional discussions, stick to the agenda

of the meeting.

For example, instead of starting your pitch with a long story and prologue, start with a hook that

defines your idea or product.

3. Concrete

Facts are hard to resist in any communication. An effective communication includes solid

arguments backed by hard facts that create credibility and concreteness to their discussion.

For example, instead of saying words like “may be” give a concrete answer to your client/peer

by doing your research prior to meeting.

4. Correct

Another important part of effective communication is correctness. Faulty and wrong information

creates an environment of disbelief and deception. Always stick to the cliché of “speaking the

truth” and do not forget to value the honesty of other party.

For example, do not give false hope and non practical commitment to the next person. Tell them

the accurate estimates and probabilities.

5. Coherent
Some people have really great ideas backed by solid facts, but they still fail to convince their

peers about their views. This happens because they forget to present their arguments in a

coherent way. Coherence creates a natural flow of our idea and allows us to communicate

effectively.

For example, do not flow with your train of thoughts. Collect your ideas before the discussion

and present it in a chronological and systematic order.

6. Complete

In our daily professional and student lives, sometimes it happens that we have a long discussion

with someone and still does not understand what their “call for action” is. In simple terms,

people often forget that completion of their argument on a proper call of action or agreement is

as important as the discussion. Incomplete discussion is not effective way to communicate.

For example, always complete your pitch or meeting with a list of actions or tasks. Even in

normal conversation let others know what you want from them or your intentions of the whole

discussion.

7. Courteous

Every communication is like professional diplomacy. Your words and mannerism creates an

impression of your company and work ethics on other people. A little courtesy always helps as

an effective communication strategy. It helps to break the ice and create a gentle and positive

environment.
For example, never forget greetings before and after the meeting. A casual “thank you” and

occasional “sorry” can do miracles for your communication techniques.

Question 3: How to improve presentation skills?

Presentation abilities are one of the most fundamental requirements for any business

professional. The ability to present your ideas to others in few minutes is the most important part

of business communication. A good presentation can even sell a bad product while a weak

presentation can destroy a good product. The example of first I-phone launch is a grwat example
of how Steve Jobs brilliant presentation made i-phone an instant success despite of the product’s

failure during the presentation trial.

There are several key elements to a good presentation. Some of them are shared as under:

1) Stay confident:

It might sound like a cliché but confidence is the key to present. In one of my courses I

had to present a project report that I had worked on for three consecutive days and nights.

Every one of my peers was confident on the report, but I was not confident of my

presentation technique. I got 93% in the report but less than half in presentation only

because I lost my confidence.

2) Make clear slides/pointers

The most basic method that helped me to improve my presentation was to make clear and

concise pointers and slides. It is normal to forget what you have learnt, especially in front

of people. But a concise and clear point sheet or slide will help you get back n track and

remember your points.

3) Practice

It’s completely fine to accept that you are afraid of public speaking, most of us are.

Practice your presentation before the class in front of your friends or family. Few of my

friends that have the same public speaking problem had a made a group last semester and

we used to present in front of each other. This helped me in getting rid of my fear.

4) Be open to feedbacks

Try to reach out to your peers and instructor/seniors after the presentation for relevant

feedback. This feedback will help you learn from your mistake. I used to make a video of
 my early presentations through a friend. Those videos have helped me improve my

presentations.

5) Research your Audience

It is always good to know your audience before the presentation. A lot of presentations

fail only because the presenter fails to read the audience mindset. Learn your audience

mentality and try to go along with it.

6) Make them Laugh

Unless you are presenting on a very serious issue, it is always beneficial to add a light

humor in the presentation. It helps to catch audience attention and boost your own

confidence. It is similar to your daily conversation where a little joke can make you more

likable and friendly.

7) Grab the attention in start.

Like every conversation starter, a good hook or question in the start of presentation can

grab audience attention. Always try to build up to your main body by engaging with

audience with a small question or hook line that is relevant to them.