Analysis Of Nicolas Carr’s Article Is Google Making Us Stupid

Nicolas Carr’s article Is Google making us stupid (2008) discusses how technology affects cognitive exercises such as attention span, critical thought, and the acquisition of knowledge. How the internet and technology have changed how we perceive and process knowledge.

Carr starts the article by telling a story about a scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001. A Space Odyssey. In it, Hal is dismantled as a supercomputer. Carr claims that he can feel his mind disappear. Carr’s insinuation that this scene is a parallel to Hal’s mind shows how the two are connected. He concludes his article by stating that “…people became so machine-like that the most human character is actually a machine. It is our intelligence that flattens into AI. While the internet is a great way to access information and resources, it makes it difficult to concentrate on longer text. Carr begins to feel like his brain has been reprogrammed. This transaction of intelligence gained for superficiality on the internet, “reading promoted by Google…puts efficiency’ and ’immediacy’ above everything else,” leads us believe Google can answer all questions. No effort is required for research. “Weakening our capacity to deep read,” critical thinking supports.

Carr discusses Maryanne’s work. She explores theories on how technology can help us learn new languages. While he supports the natural ability to speak, which stems from our brains, he disputes the idea that we need to read and be conscious. Wolf’s work reveals that neurons in the brain adapt to their environment and seek to grow in troubled areas. Carr also mentions Nietzsche’s writing style changing from his typewriter. Carr explains that the brain adapts eventually to new environments.

The benefits of the internet are evident. Carr also suggests that it can change human behavior. With a multitude popups, ads, and easy-to-access hyperlinks, the net encourages cognitive distractions. The hyperlinks don’t just make us lazy, but we also crave knowledge. The net can expose our weaknesses. Although our flexible brains can be a positive, Carr points out the downsides. It’s easy to navigate the internet without really understanding what we are reading. Your brain is shaped and affected by the experiences you have.

The article’s conclusion introduces the skeptical ideas that people have held throughout history. It is similar to Socrates’ fear of the shift from printed to written. Although technology is inevitable, it can also change our cognition. But new innovations are still thriving in the modern world. Socrates said that he could not have predicted the many ways in which writing and reading would be used to spread knowledge, stimulate new ideas, and expand our human knowledge. Google and other knowledge engines speed up the computational process of humans and can help us to harness our human potential to create knowledge.

Technology promises to save our time. However, modern people still struggle to find the time they need to meet appointments, finish homework, be with family members, or simply have some time for themselves. Carr examines an important issue when he notes the decline in reading length and our crippled ability understand for ourselves.

Google’s arrest is false. Technology and the internet are more about our constant need to find information. It’s not “there aren’t enough hour in the day,” it’s that modern people have much more time to do things than our ancestors. Carr says that the external influences on our minds can be very significant. This is despite our modern mindset of “Go!” Our “Go!” lifestyle leads us to want more than we need. Our rapacious desire for information is manifested in powerful media and fast communication. Although complaints about the oversaturation of technology in our society are logical, we subscribe to premium cable, fast internet and unlimited data. We still plan when we don’t have the time.

The net is responsible for our need to find information, since it has made it possible to eliminate isolation. The world has become increasingly complex and relevant. We are more interested in what happens. Our connections are increasing in complexity and need our help. You can live your life without knowing Donald Trump well, but you cannot fully contribute to society if you don’t know him. Every social group has its own celebrity public figure. I expect to be able to recognize Albert Einstein’s famous equation E=mc? for class.

Our intimate knowledge of the environment helps us adapt to our surroundings and help us survive. As the world becomes more diverse and grows in complexity, we need to be able to see our global community from a perspective that is small enough to live in it. Technology is making it more difficult to understand the world around us. Our tendency to substitute depth for wideness leads to us skimming, summarizing, and ignoring the fine details. We know that we have busy schedules, but we do our best to make it work.