Matt Greco
English 2367.01 -- Blog Response
It's a tad long, 577 words.
In Nicholas Carr's article:
"Is Google Making Us Stupid?" numerous points dealing with the
ever-changing relationship between humans and the Internet are brought up. Not
only does he go into detail about the way our brains absorb information, but he
also discusses the efficiency of companies, which has evolved into the
“Googleplex” that is the heart and soul of Google today. As Carr states: “Research that once required days in the stacks or
periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” thanks to Google,
which has revolutionized the way scholars study different texts.
Several
anecdotes testify to Carr’s point: The idea that the combination of Google, the
world’s most powerful search engine, and the boundless plethora of information
on the Internet is changing the way humans analyze written information. For example, Maryanne Wolf, an author and
psychologist mentioned in Carr’s article, worries that the style of reading
encouraged by the Web could be linked to our lowered mental capacity for deep reading.
While I
agree with Carr and Wolf, that Internet skimming might be associated with the
ability to concentrate on a lengthy written article, I tend to stray away from
the subject of Google, and more towards the subject of Twitter, Instagram, or
Snap Chat. I’m talking about social media. Not only has the way research is
conducted changed its course, but the way people interact is slowly converting
too, into something purely media-based. Through the social media listed above,
and the power of the smart phone, I have observed a radical transformation in
the way people interact with each other. Twenty years ago, the most common and accepted
way of communicating, other than talking in-person, was done over a telephone.
Now, with the combined power of smartphones, the Internet and social media, it
is possible to reach someone via call, text, picture, disappearing picture,
tweet, hashtag, Facebook message, etc. While I choose not to be a part of the
Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat game, I have noticed to impact it has had on
today’s generation. I suppose that the need for face-to-face communication
between people is diminishing due to the rise of social media. For example, I
went to the Ohio Union one day for lunch in between classes. As I sat down with
my food, waiting for my friend, I looked around and noticed that almost
everyone around me was looking at his or her phone. Not only were the people
who dined alone arching their neck, but groups of people sitting together were looking
down too.
Even
though that example might be extreme, it is accurate, and seems to be
commonplace among this generation; the constant need to look at your phone. I
am in the “igeneration,” the group who seems to be mesmerized by technology.
But personally, I don’t see the need for it. While the benefits and luxuries of
smartphones are abundant, I don’t want to be enslaved by a glowing screen like
many of my peers are.
Like Carr
states, in reference to the movie 2001, “as
we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is
our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence” So what do you
think? Do you believe that Google is making us less attentive? Do you think
that Social Media is making our generation more anti-social? Or do you believe
that these aspects of our evolving virtual environment are tools that improve
our lives intellectually and socially?
I can see both sides of this argument. On one hand, I think that the ability to google anything and find the answer instantaneously causes people to not retain the answer as well as if they had invested real time into investigating it. I also feel that, while social media is convenient for communicating with people, it by no means replaces actually talking or hanging out in person.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I also believe that the internet is a great tool that can improve anyone's life. The vast amount of information makes the internet a fantastic source of learning, and it is has significant advantages over traditional methods. No other single source contains nearly as much material on nearly as many topics. for this reason, the internet has the potential to greatly improve our intellectual lives.
"The idea that the combination of Google, the world’s most powerful search engine, and the boundless plethora of information on the Internet is changing the way humans analyze written information", a.k.a. quickly satisfying that random question someone asked while at happy hour. I feel like this follows the recurring idea of reading to gain an answer to a general question rather than actually tearing the text apart, seeing not only what point is being made, but how a text was constructed to make that point.
ReplyDeleteI do love that Google, though...
Almost forgot this gem I found in the second reading:
Delete"Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access." (beginning of paragraph 4, "What Makes Us Intelligent?" by Tom Stafford)
When you ask the question, "Do you think that social media is making our generation more anti social?" I kind of feel that it can go both ways. Certain forms of social media can lead us to stray away from society, things like television and the internet. Also the amount of usage can lead to a disconnect from society. Social media can also allow us to interact in multiple ways in order to keep in touch with others through things like facebook, twitter, email, etc... This is a beneficial and highly effective way to use social media in order to be more social. It just depends on how and why we use it.
DeleteI think this topic of social media/google can go both ways. I think the internet is a great tool in which has helped benefit us in so many ways. Within a second you can find answers to almost anything. Social media has been an effective method for many to allow you to connect with thousands of people, to share and possibly find/come across information that you may never have, and so on. Although it has its benefits, I do also see where the internet makes us less attentive. It makes one not put in as much work to do proper research, as well as fully comprehend information and retain it, and without having to move or interact with others you have everything right in front of you. I agree with Tommy though, it really just depends on how, why and how much of it we use.
ReplyDeleteI don't think search engines such as Yahoo and Google are such a bad thing in our society. Google can allow people to access information about different cultures or places in the world that they would never be able to visit or easily access a book on anyway. However, when people allow themselves to be absorbed so much as to only access information through Google, it becomes more of a dependence. I do agree with the fact that we are more likely to skim text now because we are used to going through internet pages quickly without reading anything in depth. Like anything else, you can have too much of a good thing.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the speedy development of technology does change our world and our life style. It brings sundry conveniences to the modern society undoubtedly.
ReplyDeleteLike the article points out, the search engines like Google, saves much time for us to find the research source we need. Instead of spending tons of time to shuttle in the library, we can find the source we want for just few seconds by typing on the computer. It’s a fast-paced generation now. Internet assists people to improve our work efficiency. However, Internet, on the other hand, also builds the habit of procrastination and increases our inertia. For instance, people become more and more used to read online. However, reading online can cause the eyes become dry easily and people end up by inpatient for the long readings anymore. From my own experience, I cannot focus on the online reading for long time comparing with the time I read on the paper. I always read for a while and cannot control myself not to open the Facebook or check the e-mail. It then results in more time has been wasted and I have to gallop through the later part of my reading, let alone to do some repetition or spend time to think about the content. Therefore, since the original intention of invention of the Internet is to make the life better, we should use the Internet intelligently. Do not rely on the new technology too much and lose our talents, but using them as tools to improve our life quality.
While I can understand the viewpoint of the authors, I believe that in the fast-paced world of today, search engines like google are a sort of 'necessary evil'. While the ability to search for many articles at a time can increase the tendency to skim through articles quickly to find the big idea, the fact of the matter is that very few people actually have the time to sit down in a library and search through an endless number of texts for their information. As others have mentioned, I believe that social media (Twitter, Facebook, and even texting) are more detrimental to our society by increasing a person's tendency to procrastinate or get distracted. Even while writing this, I have felt the urge to check my phone and twitter page. Overall, google is still a valuable resource, and has too many positive aspects to fully condemn.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I'll just toss in my $0.02. I feel that both authors are right in their essential messages. Carr is correct in asserting that easily accessible information is weakening inherent knowledge while increasing reliance on technology, but Stafford responds to that by saying it's not necessary to have information stored at all times. All one needs to possess in order to function is the ability to acquire whatever information they need. So I agree with both of their points, and I feel they are more intertwined than opposing.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't have said it better myself.
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