Nicholas Carr

Nicholas Carr, posed the question, “Is Google making us stupid”, and asks his readers to give it some thought. The article made suggestions such as the internet changing the way the mind works and that the internet has negative consequences on the human brain. Carr wants everyone to be cautious of the internet because of the many different ways it has affected and will continue to affect the way we think. When I think about this article, I can see the many different tactics Carr used, such as fact vs fiction, cause and effect, and the clearly stated argument.

There are few places on this Earth, if any, where the possibilities are truly endless. However, if you detach yourself from the physical world and emerge into the “online” world, you find that this just might actually be accurate in this realm. The World Wide Web has had so much to offer to us since the early 1990s, but with this comes controversy. Unleashed onto a plane of seemingly immeasurable freedom of anonymity, was the world ready for such responsibility? Since those early days when new emerging technology changed our lives immensely, have we at all become a better place, or have we bitten off more than we can chew, and doomed our human relations forever? Exploring these concepts are three in-depth articles, including: “Growing Up Tethered” by Sherry Turkle, “The Loneliness of the Interconnected” by Charles Seife, and “Cybersexism” by Laurie Penny. Although it is thought that the Internet brings the world together, it actually does not help us politically, culturally, and economically like one would believe, as it makes us unable to be independent, isolates us from different points of view, and encourages real-world violence against women and other minority groups.

While Tapscott argues that we share “almost minute-by-minute data” (119) about ourselves, I do not see people sharing as much as he claims we do. People like the author of Public Parts, Jeff Jarvis, may say, “‘I’m a public man...My life is an open book’” (Tapscott 117), but I highly doubt that Mr. Jarvis has time to post every moment of his life online. He does share major life events in his book Public Parts, albeit he wrote the book in order to promote sharing. That is not quite the minute everyday details Tapscott surmises to be floating around the Internet.

Nicholas Carr’s essay, Is Google Making Us Stoopid?, makes the assumption that technology is deterring are cognitive skills, specifically reading skills. The more we’re introduced to advanced technologies the lazier we become mentally. Carr goes even farther to suggest that he has been affected as well, “my mind isn’t going…but it’s changing…I’m not thinking the way I used to think.” (510)

Fifty years ago, pen and paper were the main tools used to communicate. Thirty years later, computers became more prevalent and individuals began using computers more regularly. Today, computers, tablets, and iPhones have become almost a necessity due to the various jobs and schools that require their usage for communicating or turning in assignments. Most people in the United States could agree that they use technology on a daily basis however, compared to fifty years ago, this was obviously not the case. But many individuals today are wondering the same question: how is our increasing use of technology affecting us?

In the article, “What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains”, by Nicholas Carr, he seems to be making the argument that while the internet is a helpful thing it is affecting our attention spans and how we process things. In the article Carr cites some of the many helpful things that the internet has given to us. This includes anything from banking to booking trips or even reading a book. However in this article Carr also explains how many of his author friends and he himself are noticing that they are having trouble keeping focus and aren’t taking in the information the same way they had been. For example in the article Carr states, “And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.

The article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr is a discussion on how the use of the internet is affecting out thought process. Carr and his fellow colleagues have no-ticed a change in their ability to focus and how their minds function. Carr states in his essay that “Something has been tinkering with his brain, remapping his neural circuitry and repro-gramming his memory.” While he once could lose himself in a book, he has found his mind wondering very quickly. Carr believes that as the years pass and we begin to rely more and more on the internet, that our brains are beginning to physically change. A new way of thought and information processing is starting to happen within us.

Social media has taken over the modern day world. It has helped us to communicate,

Nicholas Carr’s, Is Google Making Us Stoopid?, essay is organized using the compare and contrast pattern. The author compares the past and present cognitive abilities among readers, including himself. He states, "I'm not thinking the way I used to think…the deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.“ (510)

In less than two decades, social media has revolutionized modern communication and information sharing. What began as a simple form of social networking has turned into innumerable platforms for people around the globe to share ideas, create and share businesses, promote brands, read news from various sources, as well as share and find vast amounts of information, among many other uses. Thus, with a few clicks of a button, people are now able to interact with someone on the other side of the world. The capabilities created through social media’s many uses have forever changed global politics, business, and interpersonal communication.

Throughout the last decade, social media has drastically changed the way people interact with others. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have taken the world by storm. It has never been easier to have a conversation with family members, friends, or even strangers who live millions of miles away. Due to the rise of social media, people have become more aware of social issues and have become aware of the world around them. They can easily read the news online or catch up on the latest celebrity drama. Social media improves the way humans communicate because it allows ideas to be spread quickly and efficiently to a global audience.

The social media is one of the most common ways of communication and pretty much of knowing anything and everything around the world these days, and it is growing very rapidly. It changes and affects each person in a different way, or ways. Some may argue that social media has a bad influence on children and young adults, and that it negatively effects their brains, character, or personalities, while most people see that the social media has a more positive effect on them than a negative one. Moreover, social media has helped many people around the world to connect, or re-connect, with each other, easily. Social media is basically the new way of keeping in touch with everything and everyone, and of even strengthening bonds between each

Social media is a controversy topic in today’s society. Some people think that social media destroys human interaction and real life human relationships. While others think that social media is a bless to humanity. Social media makes human interaction much more convenient and much faster than real life human interaction, it makes globalization a reality, it gives a chance for introverted people to express themselves, and it also benefit develop international relationships whether its business or social.

Social media is any website that allows social interaction. Social media is growing rapidly throughout the world. More adults and teenagers are joining sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to interact with friends, family, and strangers. The introduction of social media has changed the world in many ways. It affects each individual in different ways. Today it can be used as a very helpful tool in changing a person’s life, but at the same time cause such conflicts which can negatively impact a person. While there are some negatives associated with social media, the positives in communication all around, has made the world stronger and a better place to live in.

The world has never before been connected as much as it is today. One’s ability to communicate through various mediums is rapidly advancing, and this is much thanks to social media.