Is Google Making Us Stupid - Essay Example

Lecturer: Is Google Making Us Stupid? The article of Nicholas Carr, “Is Google making us stupid? What the internet is doing to our brains,” argues that the Internet and other technologies have changed the modern generation. It has made many people lazy and changed the way people perform their daily life activities. Carr is right when he argues that the Internet and social networking sites have changed the way people think. This is because having access to information faster through the use of the Internet has contributed to significant changes. For instance, many students nowadays use Internet for carrying out research studies. They no longer use their brain to find solutions to the issues, but rather use Google to find information faster; thus Google is making students lazy and stupid (Carr 341). Technology is making the society move towards a positive, direction, but too much dependent on technology is creating more harm than good. Carr views many changes the Internet is causing as a loss rather than a benefit; thus he raises awareness on the impact that the Internet is creating in the contemporary society. He attempts to reveal the way Internet is changing the ways students are writing and learning in the current generation. Carr reveals the way skills of many people have been eroded thus he says, “am not thinking the way I used to think” (Carr 340). Therefore, these changes have contributed to poor concentration in reading books; thus spending much time on the Internet. Although the Internet has contributed to positive changes, over reliance on the Internet has changed the way the brains of students function; thus affecting cognitive memory of the Internet users. The Internet has changed the way students perform their work in school; hence, many of them have become lazy because they cannot read books for a long time. The age of globalization, which is contributed by the increased technology development, has created more harm than good. Many students no longer perform effectively in school because many of them spend much time in social networking sites. Students also do not read hard because of much time spent on the Internet (Carr 340). Carr further argues that the Internet has changed the brain of many individuals; thus contributing to varied changes. For instance, Carr notices that many students cannot read books for more than one hour, and this has led to poor performances in many schools. This means that the minds of students have nowadays changed in that one cannot read a book for more than three pages before turning into the Internet. This has become just like an addict because many students cannot spend their entire day without using technology for varied activities. For instance, the increased social disorders that have risen are contributed due to more time spend on social networking sites and the Internet. Additionally, Carr notices that many students have become lazy because over dependent on the Internet for varied activities. Many students do not work hard by reading their books, but rather spend time in the Internet or social networking sites. Google is making many of them lazy and stupid because they depend on the Internet for carrying out their research or assignments. Students do not spend their time in the libraries reading printed books because they believe that, with Google, everything is possible. They use Google for carrying out research work because it is easier and saves time than searching books from the library categories. Although, this is crucial because Google directs them to the required material, but it is making many students become lazy. Wellmon (78) argues that Google search engine is making us stupid or smart; thus giving way to complex and productive questions. Thus, the time students spend in social networking sites than books have impacted performance of many students in their various learning institutions. Internet has contributed to the new form of writing and reading styles. Many students spend much of their time interacting with their friends such as writing text messages to their friends. Hence, the method of writing styles have significantly changed because of the way they shorten messages in ordered to send many messages in the shortest time possible. For instance, many youths nowadays use short texts such “I luv u” meaning that I love you, and all such simplified text messages. This writing style has contributed to increased grammatical errors in schools; thus, many students do no longer perform effectively in language subjects such as English subjects. Even the reading styles have profoundly changed because of new forms of reading styles that have emerged due to emerging “power browsing” across the page contents and abstracts for quick wins (Carr 342). It seems students use online books; thus, the new way of reading is a way of avoiding the traditional sense of reading. Carr (342) argues that the student may be reading effectively unlike the 1980s, and the popularity of text messaging is shifting; thus, he asserts that “behind these varied styles of reading lies unusual way of philosophy.” This thinking capability may perhaps be the new sense of self. One of the development psychologist known as Maryanne Wolf reveals that people are not what they read, but rather the way they read. The reading style encouraged by advanced technology that makes effective and quicker reading have undermined the ability for the deeper reading and thinking capability. Students tend to become mere information decoders when they read online materials (Carr 342). Thus, their reading capacity contributes to rich psychological connections when reading intensely without any interruption; thus remaining extremely disengaged. Reading is one of the instinctive skills for human beings; thus, it enables one to develop effective knowledge for future needs. However, with the increased use of Internet, the reading style has significantly changed; thus making people poor readers (Carr 343). People need to teach their minds on the way of translating the symbolic characters that they see into the language they can easily understand. Moreover, the Internet plays significant roles in influencing the neutral circuit inside the brain of human beings. Researchers demonstrate that ideograms readers develop psychological circuitry for reading that is remarkably dissimilar from circuitry, which is found in alphabetical language readers (Carr 343). These reading variations extend through different parts of the brain such as those that help in cognitive functions for memorizing and interpreting visual or auditory stimuli. The Internet can interweave these circuits from the way people read books or other printed materials. The Internet has exerted broad influence over the way people think; thus, there is little concentration on books. Google is one of the increasing search engines and many people use it collecting all sorts of information. However, it has increasingly controlled the minds of many people; thus changing the way their brain functions. People have become the products of Google because the more one use Google in collecting information, the more he or she becomes the product of Google. This is because Google achieve benefits through collecting data about people; thus feeding them as advertisements. Most Internet search engines collect information that users leave behind as one flutter from one link to another. Many companies encourage leisurely reading because of their economic benefits; thus driving the mind of people to distraction. Plato in his Socrates development of writing argued that technology will make people depend heavily on it for writing; thus substituting their knowledge, they carry in their brains. Overreliance on Internet will make people become absentminded and use their memories effectively. They can also think that they are quite conversant when in the real sense they are not, but rather quite ignorant. This is because of receiving information lacking appropriate instructions. Plato’s argument was correct when he asserted that “technology will fill public with conceit knowledge instead of real knowledge” (Carr 345). The emerging styles of reading and writing haves spread; thus impacting human knowledge. The Internet is not the alphabet, but it will replace the printing press; thus producing something different. The deeper reading promotes valuable information, not just information that one gain from the words of the writer, but the rational vibrations of the words set off from the mind (Carr 345). Badke (52) argues that Google does not make us stupid, but it affects the cognitive memory. The scientific study carried out indicated that the Internet has contributed to more damage than good. This is because many Internet users have shown a high rate of brain activity due to increased technological advancement in decision making skills. For instance, short memories deteriorate over time due multitasking, and this affect the cognitive skills of an individual. The Internet worsens the situation because it allows people to multitask; thus increasing the accessibility and electronic media. Multitasking deteriorates the cognitive memory because of distractions that are linked to multitasking; thus affecting the thinking capability of a person. Badke (53) argues that many Internet users are likely to lose their memory or ability to remember things because of multitasking. The Internet has altered the way the brain recall things. For instance, people are likely to forget information, but recall where they can retrieve or find the information they have already forgotten. The brain can adapt to any environment; thus whenever one struggles to become successful, the brain deal with the issues. Wellmon (67) asserts that Google is neither making us stupid nor smart but rather making changes to the brains. The advancement of digital information enables scientists to interpret the individual genome and even spot the financial trends. Technology is just a mere extension of human knowledge; thus, proper use of it will benefit the society. Some scholars claim that the digital efforts have contributed to the unification of knowledge across the globe. The digital age will interconnect world ideas, a form of knowledge without distinctions or differences (Wellmon 68). Therefore, the current information age is unique, but many scholars claim that technology is undermining the ability to read and write with any depth or mind. The Internet has changed the brain of many people on the way they read because of creating a superficial form of writing. Internet does not only change the reading habits and styles, but also the way many people think. What the Internet seems to be doing is chipping out the capacity of people from concentrating and contemplation; thus, the brain takes information the way Internet distributes it (Wellmon 68). The innovative information is demeaning the way public pay unrelenting consideration to depth reading of books. True knowledge should be extracted from reading in depth and paying attention to reading materials; thus improving knowledge and skills. However, the Internet in the digital era encourages quantity over quality; thus Google is making people more stupid than smart (Wellmon 68). Despite varied changes that have taken place due to increased technology, Carr fails to notice the fact that a wide range of reading printed materials has contributed to reading habits and styles. Some scholars discourage printed materials arguing that they are to be tested, others are consumed while others are digested (Wellmon 69). Different reading styles existed in the printing era and other printed books required consultations in order for an individual to understand them. Even the reading forms of printed books weakens the memory; thus contributing to habitual distraction. Kant, one of the Socrates scholars argue that printed books facilitated a wide range of new technologies and innovation that were deeply interwoven with the new forms of technologies. Google and print do not work independently, but it interacts; thus making constant modifications just as the way human does not exist independently without technology (Wellmon 74). It is not that Google is making people lazy, but the fact is that the age of revolution is making the mind and body not to spend excess energy in various activities. The mind of many people does not want to spend excess energy; thus, many people cannot do without Internet in their lives. For instance, in the ancient generation, kids spent their time reading and narrating stories they read from books, but this is different in the modern age. This is because the modern kids depend on technology for various activities including playing games, interacting with friends and many other activities. Therefore, they multitask with various activities, but they do not want to spend much of their time reading books in depth. In addition, the technology has impacted the lives of many students rather than benefiting them because of over reliance on the Internet. One cannot say that Internet is harmful, but this depends on the way it is being used. Over reliance on the Internet contributes to social disorders such as stress, depression and even high blood pleasure. The current generation does not want to think, but they want instant information, which they do not even apply in their daily lives. The benefits or the consequences of the technology depend on the way people utilize it. The instant information from Google and other technologies has fed people with adequate information; thus many are left with little to solitary their time for deeper thinking. Hence, many people are unable to develop their own ideas because of too much dependent on the Internet for information. Even though, Carr argue that Google makes people stupid, I think Google is not making people stupid, but rather making them lazy (Carr 340). The task of Google is to grant users access to helpful information, and its aim is to offer easy access to worldwide information. It is the role of people to make wise decisions on the way they can use this information, and the way they can utilize Google to become more smart than stupid. One cannot abstain from using Google or any other technology but the way one utilizes Google can be beneficial. It is only the fact that people in the modern age are busy multitasking in that they lack the time for concentrating in reading books. They just want to gain adequate knowledge when in the real sense they are not gaining anything. Proper use of Internet can benefit an individual because technology contributes to significant changes in the life of human beings. Although Internet has contributed to positive changes, over reliance on the Internet has changed the way the brains of students function; thus affecting cognitive memory of Internet users. Carr is right when he argues that Google is making people stupid. This is because it has changed the way students perform their work in school; hence may of them have become lazy. Many students have become lazy because they over rely on the Internet for varied activities. It has contributed to the new form of writing and reading styles. Despite varied changes that have taken place due to increased technology, Carr fails to notice the fact that a wide range of reading printed materials has contributed to changes in the reading habits and styles. It is not that Google is making people lazy, but the fact is that the age of evolution is making the mind and body not to spend excess energy in various activities. Even though, Carr argues that Google make people stupid, I think Google is not making people stupid, but it is rather making them lazy in reading and concentrating on printed books. Work Cited Badke, W. "How Stupid Is Google Making Us?" Online Weston Then Wilton. 34.6 (2010): 51- 53. Print. Carr, N. Is Google Making Us Stupid? What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains (2009):340-347. Print. Wellmon, C. "Why Google Isn't Making Us Stupid...or Smart." Hedgehog Review. 14.1 (2012): 66-80. Print. Read More