English 80
Critical Reading Essay 1
September 25, 2012
“Is Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our Brains,” by Nicholas Carr Computer technology has evolved dramatically over the years and has significantly changed society. As technology advances, it transforms and improves society. Computer-related technology allows for enhancement of social functions previously difficult or impossible to execute. Computers have also accelerated productivity. Much less time is required nowadays to research information. For too long, finding information about various careers was very difficult and painstaking, but the computer has revolutionized the job-search process. People now have access to virtually endless information on the career of their choice. This has permitted freer access to career opportunities that is appropriate for their lifestyle. People now can locate thousands of jobs opportunities from their personal computers. One other component of careers that has been influenced by computers is the development. Google is one of the particular websites that we can use to find these possible careers. In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” writer Nicholas Carr says that regular Internet usage may have the effect of diminishing the capacity for concentration and contemplation. This easy access comes at a cost. According to Carr, quickly retrieving mountains of data results in users quickly skimming content, rather than carefully reading and fully intellectualizing the result. The result? A shortened attention span, and a growing inability to concentrate on read long text. He also points out the website Google as his main subject in internet that people are using as alternative to read long texts. In response to the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” I disagree with Nicholas Carr’s idea that Google is making us stupid. Think of Google as life preserver, thrown to us in a rising flood. True, we use it to stay on the surface, but it is not for the
September 25, 2012
“Is Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet is doing to our Brains,” by Nicholas Carr Computer technology has evolved dramatically over the years and has significantly changed society. As technology advances, it transforms and improves society. Computer-related technology allows for enhancement of social functions previously difficult or impossible to execute. Computers have also accelerated productivity. Much less time is required nowadays to research information. For too long, finding information about various careers was very difficult and painstaking, but the computer has revolutionized the job-search process. People now have access to virtually endless information on the career of their choice. This has permitted freer access to career opportunities that is appropriate for their lifestyle. People now can locate thousands of jobs opportunities from their personal computers. One other component of careers that has been influenced by computers is the development. Google is one of the particular websites that we can use to find these possible careers. In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” writer Nicholas Carr says that regular Internet usage may have the effect of diminishing the capacity for concentration and contemplation. This easy access comes at a cost. According to Carr, quickly retrieving mountains of data results in users quickly skimming content, rather than carefully reading and fully intellectualizing the result. The result? A shortened attention span, and a growing inability to concentrate on read long text. He also points out the website Google as his main subject in internet that people are using as alternative to read long texts. In response to the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” I disagree with Nicholas Carr’s idea that Google is making us stupid. Think of Google as life preserver, thrown to us in a rising flood. True, we use it to stay on the surface, but it is not for the