Amusing Ourselves To Death Postman

The Internet is something that some consider their lifesavers, while others believe that it takes their life away. The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr is a novel that explores the different areas of how new technologies affect humans in different ways, regarding multi-tasking and distractions, to how new technologies make us lose a little part of ourselves. Throughout the book Carr puts forward very strong arguments, but then loses creditability with his use of fallacies in argument.

Ever since technology began so prominent in the modern world, can anyone remember going outside for more than 30 minutes and not see a cell phone or computer? Probably not, as these pieces of technology have become so ingrained in people’s lives, no one wants to leave their home without still being connected. And there is no reason to, as friends, family, and strangers share the same sentiments. Unplugging from technology is not only a decision people don’t make for personal reasons, it simply isn’t conducive to a productive life, as many people’s work and social lives wouldn’t be the same, if exist at all, without being connected to other people or the internet with just a single touch.

According to Nicholas Carr, the internet has had an effect on how we read, think and live. He provides examples of this throughout his essay. In one of his statements he says “the net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information [we receive]” (732) He gathers this information from other colleagues and friends he knows. People can access the internet and in a few clicks to have all the information they need and more. We are no longer limited by local sources to gather our data. At the speed of light, the voices of millions can be heard by all. It is the quick access and our human desire for knowledge that feeds the need for the internet. It has damaged our level of patience and causing our minds to wander. “And what

Media and technology are permeating and changing every part of our lives, but are there consequences to these changes? Nicholas Carr questions if the Internet is helping people as much as it is believed to in his essay, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” With an increased reliance on the Internet, Carr has found patterns of shortened attention in himself and among others. Carr points out frightening changes occurring in human behavior and the workings of the brain that have now become evident in our society’s younger generation and could have devastating consequences.

Each and everyday around the world there are new advances in technology attempting to make life more simple. In the article by Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, Carr explains his beliefs on how the internet is causing mental issues in today's society. Carr starts with his own opinion, he says the Internet is causing him to lose focus quickly. He cannot stay hooked to a book. He writes about his life being surrounded by the internet and how it has created problems, like not being able to stay focused on a reading; but it is interesting how he says the Internet has been a ‘godsend’ in his chosen profession. Carr uses a great deal of rhetorical appeals to try to connect with the audience. He compares the past and the present and how it has altered the

In the novel The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr, he argues that the internet is slowly limiting our physical and emotional interactions with both ourselves and our loved ones. Although in some aspects, people might believe this is true, we cannot possibly classify the internet as a negative platform in total. To look at it in another perspective, the internet is also a positive tool. There are two sides to everything and however the author, Nicholas Carr, did acknowledge that the internet has its perks, he didn’t go further in detail. The internet is a place where everyone can interact with other people living all over the world, be socially aware of current news, and it’s a part of evolving as a species.

Not only is the way we view the world being altered, but also the way in which we receive information. Because the internet makes finding the answer to a question so easy, humans are beginning to want everything in an instant. I think the Internet has changed our expectations of comprehending text by reading and analyzing the text, to get it quickly and with giving little to no effort, or as some call it, “brain sweat”. Although it may seem that there is nothing wrong with taking a more efficient way, computers can only do so much. We must be able to recognize social ques and communicate with others. I agree with Carr’s statement that “if we lose those quiet spaces, or fill them up with “content,” we will sacrifice something important not only to ourselves,

Over the years, technology has developed into something that we cannot live without. Society is constantly being dictated and reshaped by the newest technology. In Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, he expounded on the uncomfortable sense that someone, or something was tinkering with his brain. He realized that he’s not thinking the way he used to. Additionally, he explains how our brains aren’t familiar with critical thinking anymore. He also introduces the idea that the Internet is doing more harm to us than good. I believe Carr’s ideas on the negative effects of the Internet are well founded. The validity surrounds us daily.

I feel as though Nicholar Carr succeeded in demonstrating the importance of how the Internet changes our brain’s ability to absorb information. The opposing views of his claim would be that there is not a change in our thinking or that the Internet is not what is responsible for that change. My position is most closely aligned with Carr’s. I believe that the Internet’s convenience has altered the expectations we have for how easily information should be presented. We prefer information to be short, to-the-point, tidbits that are easy to

Give from both writings, they each present their claims in a positive and enthusiastic manner. Postman uses a tone of enthusiasm throughout the chapter. In the examples he suggests in chapter four, he can only infer what was going on. He claims that the people in colonial times were more aware of their surroundings and into a wider range of subjects such as politics. Using common sense it’s not possible to know whether or not that each person personally knew their neighbor deeply or into politics. So from using logical thinking Postman only uses positive examples to confirm his claims. These examples may or may not be true but it is also the same thing Thompson does. Thompson claims all the positivity of how the internet affects a person’s mind. The only difference between Thompson and Postman is that Thompson states negative effects but explains how it is misunderstood. Another difference among the writings I that Thompson is able to refer back to other mediums such meanwhile Postman has nothing to refer back to because he is limited to his example and primitive

People think that technology is their life but in reality it is not. Technology is just something that entertains you. It is not the most important thing in life you can literally go at least a month without your phone even though you think that you cannot. I have had to do it before for six months. People can live without their phones and one example of putting our phones down is when I went to Altitude last night and we were all on trampolines playing dodge ball and throwing and dodging during the game and being active and none of us had our phones out texting or looking at social media so it really was not that hard to put down my phone. In Fahrenheit 451 there was a character named Montag

If you were to ask somebody what a computer was sixty years ago they would look at you look at you puzzled. Now days it is hard to find a household or office in America that does not contain at least one personal computer. With all of this information at our finger tips, we have to ask ourselves if we are becoming too dependent on technology. Imagine if we were to wake up tomorrow with all electronic devices disabled. Everybody’s life would be impacted in one way or another. We would lose what has become the largest portal for communication. We would also lose countless information that has

Where would we be without technology? The number of things that we are now capable of doing is infinite because of the technology we have access to. This technology is also changing the way we think, write and concentrate. Cell/ smart phones along with texting and being able to Google practically everything have all played a role in the way we think and do things in today’s society.

I chose to write about technology partially because at the time that I was writing that essay, a close family member in my household was experiencing health issues when they were around technology. And so I had to live with very little-to-no technology for about a year. And that probably sounds like I was living in a different time era, and sometimes it felt like that. It was really a drastic time for me and my family. Because in this world, technology is used for everything. And so we had to adapt to not being with it when we were home. It was a really different experience. But it happened for a reason. And I learned how to live without constant technology.

As I sit here and recall my last nineteen long years on this planet and my various interactions with different mediums of technology, it has become very obvious to me that I, like most people where I am from, have had really no major interactions with technology compared to others in my age group. I sit in coffee joints at night and watch people become more introverted than a turtle, ducking into their little shells of technological safety. They look at you through their faux, so-call trendy DKNY knock-off glasses, dressed in their Abercrombie clothes, hiding behind nothing but the glow of a laptop or in the corner talking to someone on their cell phones which just happens to match what they are