For over a decade now, the World has relied upon the global Internet as a tool and means of survival. From looking up your favorite recipe on Google to checking your beloved sports teams score on ESPN, the Internet has served as a lifesaver to our existence. However Nicholas Carr, author of the short essay “Is Google Making us Stupid?” states that while the Internet may be a “lifesaver” it also has its downfalls. Carr uses personal stories and tells of his extensive research in the area to make his readers believe in his credibility. This appeals to ethos, combined with his friendly tone, create an effective argument for why the Internet might actually be making humans stupid.…
The efficiency of the web has forever changed our lives, although it might not be for the best. Ever since the invention of ways of communication, people have been talking down about them and saying they are not good for us, finally society might listen. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” written by Nicholas Carr, Carr asserts how the internet is depleting our abilities to read deeply as well as explaining how our concentration abilities deem nonexistent while trying to read anything more than a few paragraphs. The essay is written towards people who feel the effects of the efficiency of the web; loss of concentration and lack of ability to retain information. Nicholas Carr is not persuasive in his essay due to his overuse of assertion and lack…
In the essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr. Carr speaks on how over the last decade his focus and ability to concentrate has been declining due to the fact that he has a plethora of knowledge available to him on his smartphone or computer, thus he is not able to focus on a task at hand for as long as he could before the age of information. Carr claims that his mind is changing for the worse and backs his evidence with first hand accounts of respected scholars who also share the same fate as he does. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is an article that delves deep into the age of information and can explain why it is much easier for people to procrastinate today than it was a decade ago.…
In “Is Google Making us Stupid”, an article published in Atlantic Monthly 2008, Nick Carr writes that Google has made it easier for us to take in information, quickly at great volumes, the effect of the mechanical clock, along with the algorithm, and finally he finishes his essay writing about Google being a perfect search engine. Carr states that the technology is changing the way that society reads and writes; the Internet is shaping the process of thought.…
In his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr, a Dartmouth and Harvard graduate, and member of encyclopedia Britannica’s editorial board of advisors, poses the argument that the constant use of sources such as Google can reshape the thought process in a negative way. Although, the Internet has brought many advantages to the user, these advantages could be detrimental to the brains thought process.…
It is far easier to accept data on the internet superficially than it is to be skeptical of information. Carr asserts that this ideology that information collection should be based on efficiency rather than skepticism may be detrimental in the future as artificial intelligence (AI) software develops. The brain will be seen by the public as a computer, much like that of an AI, that should transmit information hastily, rather than seen as a being that should ponder and question sources. He inquires on the safety of such an ideology and encourages readers to analyze that which they read and research. People are capable of deep thought and analysis, so accepting information superficially is dangerous.…
In “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” Nicholas Carr expresses his concerns on how the Internet is changing the way his mind works and how it’s affecting him in a negative way. Carr suggests that the Internet offers us the benefit of quick and easy knowledge. However, he goes into details about how we merely rely on Google that makes us process information differently from the past and how it’s degrading our critical-thinking skill. Moreover, he touches upon his own experience how accessible the Internet is with hyperlinks and flashy ads that can divert his attention from reading. With this, he noticed that his capacity on concentration for reading has been taken away. Carr proved that others have experienced the same thing that he did…
“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” author Nicholas Carr said “Immersing myself in a book used to be easy. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages”(Carr, n.pag). Reading short stories, headlines, and blogs on the Internet has changed the way we read. When on the Internet it is so easy just to read short stories, or emails, because they are short, and…
Search engines such as google are making our society’s IQ go down faster every year. An everyday human being relies on google to help them find simple answers that most people should already know. Nicholas Carr makes various points on how google or other programs are making people stupid. Carrs essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid” shows us how search engines are in fact making us dumb.…
The piece, “Is Google Making us Stupid?”, by Nicholas Carr provides an interesting view from a writer's perspective of his change in processing information due to the growing digital world. He reflects on how the internet has made his life easier but also caused his attention span to shorten. He believes that while the internet is very helpful, it is changing the way people think. Carr relates his struggles to those of many of his intellectual colleagues and how it has changed their lives as fellow consumers of text. He explores the changes within the mind and the way that, in turn, it has changed a person's response to reading. To further his explanations, he uses in depth descriptions of various technologies and their…
The internet is a technology which has had a significant impact on the way many people conduct their lives. Information once contained in massive volumes at libraries or in private collections is now available by typing words into a search engine and clicking “search.” One must no longer pick up a phone to call a friend, relative or colleague; e-mail, instant messaging, Skype and the like, have enabled people to communicate in non-traditional ways and across boundaries previously inaccessible. Nicholas Carr addresses the wonder that is the internet in his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The general direction of the article is a discussion of how intelligent thought patterns seem to be changing; attention spans and critical thinking once required for thoughtful analysis appear to be moving towards a status of extinct. One particular passage of interest states:…
The internet has become the number one source for information. It is quick and easy. Some argue that it is a distraction, while others argue that it is the best thing since slice bread. In the article “Is Google Making us Stupid?” by Carr he used a form of ethos and factual evidence to help get his point across to his readers. He argues how technology is hindering people and causing them to become lazy, therefore causing harm towards today’s society. Throughout the article “Mind Over Mass Media” Steven Pinker, also uses a form of ethos and factual evidence to help voice his opinion on how technology is serving more of a benefit. Some believe that people are becoming more intelligent because of the use of…
The excessive use of computers has drastically changed the lives of many users. As a multifaceted tool, the computer is used for tasks to include research, homework, business related activities, and even communicating with distant friends and family. Although computers can serve many useful purposes, they can become a reason for procrastination as well as cause people to retract from “real life” social activity. “As changes occur in technology, we must also contemplate the effect these changes will have on individuals. We must realize that individuals are vulnerable to the virtual world and that they can get lost,” (Computers and Their Impact, California State University Northridge, n.d.).…
Nicholas G. Carr has written an abundance of articles about technology. Some of his work includes: Does It Matter? Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage, and The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google. One of Carr’s achievements, “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” smoothly persuades the reader to believe that the Internet is taking over the human mind. The article’s title brings a tough question to mind for readers. By using a familiar movie scene and arguments embedded with relatable analogies, imagery and metaphors; Carr casually and acceptably leads his audience to a reasonable answer.…
Since the development of Google, there has been a vast amount of information available on various topics or subjects. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” explains and examines the different ways that the internet has been more useful and beneficial, according to the words of the author, Nicholas Carr. According to the readings, the author represents and expresses his thoughts and ideas using logos. Take for instance when Carr expresses that he once was a scuba diver in a sea of words, but now he zips along like a guy on a jet ski (Carr p. 534). Carr expresses that he once was a person who hardly used the internet but now he is one who uses it on a regular basis, making feels that someone has been tinkering with his brain, making it change. No longer does he enjoy reading a book of any length because he cannot sustain concentration on the book. Carr feels that all the time he now spends online is affecting his abilities to concentrate and recognizes that the Internet has been a useful tool for him to search for information and communicate. Carr notes that, unlike footnotes, links send you to the information rather than just refer to it.…