Synthesis Essay On Technology

I must admit that I have Google set as my homepage and before actually thinking how much I know about a particular topic, I automatically “google” the topic. I realized how much it has affected my cognitive ability and overall concentration. Our brain is constantly making new connections, therefore taking on qualities of the technology around us. The way humans explain themselves to others is changing because of the way we are unconsciously adapting to “intellectual technologies.” This means that we are allowing the information we read on the internet to alter the way we view not only ourselves, but the world around us as well.

In Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, he shows us how and why technology is changing people’s brain and the way they think. Carr establishes credibility by giving examples from professors knowledge. He uses different maxims such as quantity and relevance to show is points. With each of these maxims he paints a good picture about the struggles of how technology is making people become less capable of retaining information. He even goes on to describe how the neurons can rewire themselves to have a different function. Each of his examples go on to further prove that google is in fact making us stupid.

I kind of agree with him, although he made some valid points. He said that people are not interested as much in reading and how he finds himself skimming through articles that are more than few paragraphs. I also do find myself skimming through articles sometimes when it comes to reading the article. When I was back home, we didn’t had access to internet and we need to find something or do research about something we would go to the library and read a lot of books and try to find information that was required for the assignments. We even had to write it down on the paper because there were no computers as well. But when I came to United State everything was so different I learned about computer and how we can find any kind information by looking it up. In high school, everything was on the computer email, homework assignments and even presentations. As time pass by I did started noticing the difference I started using the computer more and paper less to form my thoughts because I felt it was to much. For example, Fredrich Nietzsche, a writer sometime in 1882, Carr explained Nietzsche got the typewriter when writing was becoming a huge task for him, until him and his friend started noticing the change in him “Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts.” It made me wonder that how I use to think when I was back home. I did notice change in me, as time pass by I stopped going to the library and started using google for every little information that I needed. As Carr mentioned ““Someone or something has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory.” I believe that it’s giving us all the answers that we need without even working hard for it. When we need something, or don’t understand something, the first thing people do is look up on the google and I also use google multiple times in a day. We can find so much

Nicholas Carr, the author of the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” illustrates various ways that the internet is negatively affecting our brains. He explains how people are growing dependent on technology every day, and he claims that the internet is a resource that can be used for anything, including reading and learning. According to Carr, the internet distracts people from the real world and it is a waste of time. He writes that the media is a shortcut to information and it is making people get used to having information quickly and conveniently. The author states that Google and the internet are trying to replace our brains with an artificial brain that can be faster in some contexts. Moreover, Carr’s article sparked debate for others to research the topic, thus creating an ongoing debate whether we are weakening our brain when it comes to internet searches. Overall, Google and the internet in general are, for the most part, helpful with the information they offer, the communication they make possible, and the virtually limitless technology they provide.

Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid” questions the motif of technology and if it is making us smarter or if it has made us so dependent on technology and its facility to do things that we are losing our own ability. Carr asserts “my mind expects to take in information the way the net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles… The more they use the web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing,” to emphasize the detriments technology has created and its constant environment of perpetual interference. Though because of technology, and the internet, people have become more efficient and are able to attain information faster. Carr concludes that some people tend to forget is that information is not knowledge, that knowledge is the transfer for short memory to long term memory, and the problem is that people tend to take in too much too fast, and overload the short term memory with constant new information and push out other short term memory to make room. But

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)

The use of technology has brought many changes to the way we live our lives every day. It has been said that technology has only brought new and better aspects into our lives. While others may say that our lives have been over taken by the invention of technology and that it is all we ever think about, also that it brings great risks. This statement is true. We have been sucked into technology and has brought risks such as distractions, loss of focus, and trouble processing information.

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.

Did you ever wonder if technology is making us smarter or making us stupider? Google was invented in September 4, 1998, since then people argue that our lives have gotten easier making us lazier. I believe after reading the articles provided, that Google has made humanity lose some brain cells. Due to the fact that we are becoming lazier, we are thinking less, and we are becoming less social.

In the Atlantic Magazine, Nicholas Carr wrote an article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr poses a good question about how the internet has affected our brain, by remapping the neural circuitry and reprogramming our memory. Carr states, “My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell-but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the say way I used to think.”

American writer, Nicholas G. Carr, in The Atlantic July/ August 2008 Issue titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” argues that the amount of time we spend online, especially google, has caused us to lose our minds by “tinkering” with our brains, “reprograming our memory,” and changing the way in which we process information. Carr’s purpose is to contribute to the idea that “Google” along with other online tools, is programing us to be less attentive and to the inhibition of our critical thinking skills. Guided by personal experiences, subjectivity, presumptions, Carr concludes that our reliance on google and other online apparatuses has caused us to become “machinelike,” claiming that the understanding we have of the world and is “mediated” by computers, flattening our intelligence and converting it into artificial intelligence with no value. Carr’s theory is un-logical because it is based on presumptions that overgeneralize the role that online tools like google play on our lives, based on the experiences and opinions of a few. By ignoring the complexities of these tools and the numerous features they have to offer which help enable us to expand our way of thinking and analyzing information, Carr incorrectly assumes that because the amount of information we are gathering and attaining from online apparatuses like google, that we are becoming hollow computer like entities with little to no intelligence.

While reading a famous article by Nicholas Carr titled “Is Google Making us Stupid?,” I have concluded that it is not. I disagree with Carr’s argument because his view point corresponds with how technology is advancing. The way that the internet has shaped our lives has taken a great toll on the way we view the world now. There are a couple of ways that technology is improving. One would include books that are paperback turning into nooks and kindles along with blogging and texting. Another study shows that our brains are also changing and growing along with the internet. This shows that technology had advanced from the 70’s and 80’s when there wasn’t widespread access to the internet.

The evolution of technology has changed society in both positive and negative ways. People all over the world use and benefit from modern technology. Technology has simplified the access to many tools people need in education, medicine, communication, transportation, etc. However, using it too often has its drawbacks as well. In most cases, the time of finishing projects is cut by more than half with the help of technology. Many people do not realize that technology has its negative affects society as well, and its rapid advances has changed life for worse in a number of different ways.

Our world has undergone two stages of technical revolution which made our community develop rapidly. Entering the third millennium, we’re living in a modern society which is significant development in ICT. Technology has become an essential factor that has created a great revolution on all aspects of our lives such as education, medical, economy, politics, etc.…and connects us together. Technology has made our lives easier which results in the changing of other sides in our society. The technology plays an important role which is clearly shown in the achievements of many countries in the world. However, technology also consist drawbacks and has negatively effects on all fields in our society which people do not realize.

In today’s society, modern technology is evidently developing rapidly and it is portrayed as a negative impact. It can be seen that technology is a substitution of all characteristics of life. The purpose of every technological invention is to benefit the lives of mankind; thus re-enforcing the positive connotation of technology. However, in long term it may not be beneficial; such as, education, work and leisure are all becoming dependent on technology; cyberspace is dangerous and child obesity is increasing.