Topic > Analysis of the article by Nicolas Carr Is Google Making Us Stupid

Is Google Making Us Stupid by Nicolas Carr, a 2008 article, discusses the effects that technology has on cognitive exercises, such as attention span, critical thinking and knowledge acquisition. And how the use of technology and the Internet radically changes the way we process and understand knowledge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe article begins with Carr recounting a scene from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the dismantling of the supercomputer is carried out Hal, who claims to feel his mind fading away. The insinuation of such a scene illustrates the parallel Carr draws between Hal's mind and the human one; stating at the conclusion of his article: “…people have become so machine-like that the most human character turns out to be a machine…it is our own intelligence flattening into artificial intelligence.” The Internet provides access to a wealth of resources and information. However, the more time you spend online, the more difficult it will be to concentrate on longer texts. Feeling as if someone had reprogrammed his brain, Carr finds himself with symptoms of decreased critical thinking and shortened attention spans. Our transaction between acquired intelligence and the superficiality of the Internet since "the reading promoted by the Net... puts 'efficiency' and 'immediacy' above all else", leads us to believe that Google has the ability to answer all our questions, not there is no effort or need to research ourselves “weakening our capacity for the kind of deep reading,” critical thinking argues. Carr analyzes the work of Maryanne Wolf, who explores theories regarding the role of technology in learning to write new languages; supports the innate ability of the word that arises from the brain, but disputes that reading is taught and conscious. In Wolf's work it is informed that the neurons of the brain begin to adapt to the environment, asking to develop into new problem areas. Carr also refers to the supposed change in style of Nietzsche's writing from his typewriter, introducing the idea of ​​how the human brain conforms to the very quality to which it is exposed, mirroring patterns and functions, such as Nietzsche's, " our writing equipment participates in the formation of our thoughts,” he concludes “…we inevitably begin to take on the qualities of those technologies.” Carr interprets the Internet as another environment to which the brain will eventually adapt more ubiquitous and life-changing in our world, changes in the mind are evident, but Carr also argues for changes in human behavior The network supports cognitive distractions with a multitude of pop-ups and ads, along with easy hyperlinks access and intriguing titles However, hyperlinks are not the only culprit, we crave knowledge and the net is there to present our weaknesses. Our malleable brains are a silver lining, but Carr opens up the idea of ​​the downsides. The rapid accessibility of the Internet allows us to go from site to site without fully understanding the information. The experiences we live shape our brain and influence it in one way or another. The conclusion of the article introduces the skeptical ideas that people have held throughout history, such as that of Socrates who feared the transition from writing to printing. The inevitable development of technology changes human cognition, but also leads to new innovations that still thrive in our modern world. Socrates “not.