Summary Of Is Google Making USupid By Nicholas Carr

Relying on the Internet Nicholas Carr, author of the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?,” considers the internet to be disconnecting, distracting, and deriving of our brains knowledge and memory. Technology has started to change the way we think, and although we don’t like to admit it, “the deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle” (Carr 1). Our brains now expect us to take in information the same way the internet is distributing it: fast and all at once. The internet is not only causing adults, but also children, to use their brains less and rely more on technology to think for them.

In Nicholas Carr’s writing, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” mentions multiple examples of why the internet and the simplicity of looking up and getting exactly what we were looking for are causing a drop in the way we think and the intelligence of our minds. Carr explains that he was once a huge reader and could comprehend ten to fifteen-page articles easily, but the directness of the internet had dulled his brain that he could not read a few paragraphs before he gave up and his mind started drifting off into the emptiness of his brain. Carr mentions that the Net is being the universal medium causing information that is read and learned go in one ear and out the other. Carr defends his positions by adding multiple examples showing that the Net

In “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, he states that our minds are changing because of the time we spend online. He explains how not only does the media just supply the information to the users, it also morphs the thoughts that flow in people’s minds. Previous habits such as reading are slowly being affected, but only few have noticed the change. For instance, when surfing the web people skim the articles they’re reading and merely go from link to link. Carr talks about how easy it is to research and find things on the internet within minutes maybe even seconds.

In, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (2008), Nicholas Carr maintains that the advent of the Internet produced a shallow generation of information consumers who lack the ability to deeply engage with a text and think critically about it. Carr supports his claim by drawing on numerous personal and historical anecdotes and one scientific study. The purpose of Carr’s article is to open dialogue about the potentially adverse effects the Internet could have human cognitive processes to allow individuals to begin to question the impact that the Internet is having on their lives. Carr establishes an informal, causal relationship with the audience. The audience of The Atlantic is generally well-educated, upper-middle class individuals who are likely approaching the article with a relaxed, non-critical lens (most likely embracing the article as a form of “think piece”).

The article by Nicholas Carr: “Is Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet is Doing to our brains” (2008), explains the effect that the internet has on the way people go on about their daily lives and how it influences their habits and thoughts. He uses easy and not-strictly academic words along his article to argue that people’s concentration skills have reduced because of their high use of the internet to find information. He does so with the use of literary elements such as diction, tone and poetic devices. Therefore, by using these strategies, Carr creates a homespun persona with which he transcends his message to approach his readers.

For example, Bruce Friedman, who Carr mentions, says, “I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print” (348). This concludes that internet has altered his mental habits. He provides many evidences such as a few internet behaviors to let the audience to conclude about his points. Another example that Carr explains very well on how text on the internet is using fast and profitable. He talks about how the internet make other people money and how our critical thinking skills and reading skills are decaying in the process of using the internet.

One of the most compelling claims Carr makes to support his arguments is on the damaging consequences of continuously high usage of the internet which inadvertently diminishes one’s ability to focus and read long passages. Although, the internet has many benefits from quickly gathering information for research, versus the lengthy time it takes using books, Carr asserts reading on the internet is depleting his level of deep concentration. The effects of skimming the surface of articles are draining and robbing our brain’s process of thought patterns.

Since the dawn of time humanity has evolved new ways of thinking, learning, and doing. In the 1980’s the internet was born. The internet has acted as a global source of information. Like everything in this world, the internet has its pros & cons. A number of people have recently suggested that the internet can cause physical and physiological changes to the human brain.

A Deeper Understanding of Technology Technology advances everyday around the world. From the nerd’s favorite Microsoft Windows to the geek’s beloved Apple, we have entered a new age of technology - Internet and computing. But technology is a double edged sword; it can provide the user an enormous amount of resources in merely a second, but it can also devour one’s valuable time in just a blink of an eye from ads, popups, social media etc. And for a long time, it has become important to ask exactly how does the advance of technology affect modern society? Nicholas Carr, author of “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” argues that as we make the Internet our primary knowledge, it begins to devour our mental capability and diminish our learning experience.

Tecnogey and Us Today With in “From The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” Nicholas Carr, the author of this article, prompts us to think deeper about how exactly the technology we use so freely today is affecting us as a consumer. While in this article Mr. Carr shows that he notices and appreciates how much the internet has helped others as well as himself, as shown when he states “The Web’s been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” (Carr par. 3), we can also gather from this article that he is extremely concerned for the very way he thinks.

Parts of this information is sold and traded constantly, your private data is on the free market. Often, this data is used by the companies themselves, to advertise. This e is a relatively new form of advertising that has only appeared in the last few years, called targeted advertising. Have you ever searched online for something online, and later seen an advertisement for that same product, perhaps by a different company? ? I, for one, have had this happen many times.

In today’s society, technology plays a very important role in its ability to function, it helps people find information, communicate with others far away and provides entertainment. In “Fahrenheit 451”, a book written by Ray Bradbury, a dystopian future where books have been made illegal is presented. In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, raises many questions about technology and its effects on society. It’s quite evident that we have become quite dependent on technology due to our overconsumption of it.

In the article “Figuring Out the Future of Online Privacy”, Heather Kelly states couple difficulties companies face to reach a efficient level of privacy in the future. First, companies must serve the right balance between advertisers and customer’s privacy concerns. For example, it is important to attract consumers to use their browser, but it is also important for them to serve their advertisers, because the money are flowing in from the advertisers. Second, “do not track” has been difficult to enforce, even though most major browsers offer the option of “do not track”. To be specific, there are ways to make it official with the help from World Wide Web Consortium, but advertisers and other third parties are refusing the deal.

With technology always evolving, it is usually seen as a positive ideal. Usually these advancements help make everyday tasks easier to complete. Along with the helpful reconstruction of our everyday lives, comes some underlying issues. Throughout Terms of Service, Silverman explains that the giant corporations are constantly tracking us and how it may lead to a negative outcome. With these tech giants, along with the government being able to see our every move, it can lead to the ultimate demise of our privacy due to tracking of recent purchases, social media or even the government.

Technology has become a major factor in many people’s lives. Most people have a phone, laptop, or computer, but they do not realize their technology could be invading their privacy. Targeted ads are developed by “tracking” what people type in their search engines so the ads can endorse an item of interest to an individual (Burkitt). Unfortunately, many people do not feel comfortable having their browser histories saved for companies to create ads. After the company saves people’s browser histories, the corporations bombard people with customized ads, which is sometimes aggravating.