“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” – Analysis of the Impact of Internet

Introduction

Today, as the number of internet use increases unbelievably, we all use cell phones for work and study. It is a problem of society that we make cell phones become what we cannot live without.

Impact of Internet Dependency on Cognitive Processes

Nicholas Carr makes a similar argument in his article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" when his main point is that as the internet becomes our primary source of information, it begins to affect our ability to read books and other long pieces.

The first thing Carr does is share a problem with the audience about how he can't focus on reading. He goes on to give a very well-researched account of how text on the internet is supposed to make the browsing experience fast and profitable. But I am not sure if this article is quite about whether or not Google itself is making people stupid. I think Carr is more likely to notice the fact that the internet as a whole is making people's thinking processes slightly different. Carr describes that he conferred with some of his friends about the fact that he noticed something interesting in his own thinking process. He tried to read a long article and noticed that his attention kept wandering to other things and that this was odd for him because paying attention to an especially long text had never been such an issue for him as it seemed to be now. What Carr explains in his article is that this is a concern to him, and he is essentially warning us about the possible effects of further dependence on the internet. It appears that he relies heavily on his fame to convince readers of his point of view because he uses his opinion quite often. Next, he observes that other forms of media have also changed in recent years. He says that magazines and newspapers have added "capsule summaries" and "info snippets." (Carr 92) His claim is that the media have to catch up with the way people are going to receive and take in information now. He makes a claim on why he thinks this is changing but once again doesn't say if he believes that's a good or a bad thing, so at this point, the reader is still unsure of his position.

Conclusion

Carr's article, 'Is Google Making Us Stupid,' does bring up some valid points, most of which are grounded in historical facts. However, I feel as though his word choices are a bit skewed. His arguments are based on laziness rather than stupidity; Google makes things easier for the user but ultimately does not make them stupider.

References

1. Carr, N. (2008). Is Google Making Us Stupid? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/

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