Passage Summary: People today worry that the internet is making us dumber, but centuries ago, people said the same thing about books; this suggests we are just trading one set of skills for another.

Conclusion: The transition to electronic media likely represents a change in how the human mind works rather than a decline in its capabilities.

Reasoning: Historical records show that people made similar complaints about the loss of memory and eloquence when literacy first became widespread.

Analysis: The reference to ancient complaints serves as a historical parallel used to undermine the 'common complaint' mentioned at the start. By showing that the 'devolution' argument was used (and presumably proven wrong) during the rise of literacy, the author suggests the current panic is equally misplaced. It functions as a premise that supports the idea that we are witnessing a neutral 'alteration' rather than a negative 'devolution.' It's the classic 'we've heard this song before' defense.