An online survey of 895 Web users and experts discovered that more than three-quarters expect the Internet to make people smarter in the next 10 years, revealed the results of the study conducted by the Imagining the Internet Center at Elon University in North Carolina and the Pew Internet and American Life project.

Out of the 371 Internet experts surveyed, 81% agreed with the statement "as people are allowed unprecedented access to more information, they become smarter and make better choices".

In addition, major proportion of respondents revealed that the Internet would work as a method to improve reading and writing skills by 2020.

"Three out of four experts said our use of the Internet enhances and augments human intelligence, and two-thirds said use of the Internet has improved reading, writing and the rendering of knowledge", said study co-author Janna Anderson, director of the Imagining the Internet Center.

However, 21 percent said the Internet would pose an opposite effect and could even squeeze the IQs of some who use it a lot.

Carr posted in the article that excessive use of the Web was soaking away users' capacity for concentration and profound thinking. Carr, who participated in the survey, told the authors he still agreed with the piece.