“Is Google making us stupid?” In addition to being the title of Nicholas Carr’s article, this is also just simply a great question. I find that my opinion actually quite differs from Carr’s. Carr, of course, is writing the article to prove that Google is making us more stupid. He argues that because of the fast paced atmosphere of the internet with ads popping up here and there and multiple links they may include the right answer, people tend to speed red and scan over a couple paragraphs here and there, looking for key words that indicate the information they desire may be present. Carr focuses on the idea people no longer slow down and read more than a couple paragraphs in depth. I won’t argue with this point. I’m guilty of scanning as well, but does that mean Google is making me dumber? Our minds have become professionals at seeking the information we desire with the aid of Google. I believe that the combination of focused minds and developed internet programs can actually help develop the human mind.
One example carr uses in his article is from Plato’s Phaedrus. In this, Socrates is worried and complains about the development of writing because he fears it will hinder the human skill of memory and cause people to be too heavily reliant on construction. I see the internet age as just another new development in the information sharing world. Though writing was once doubted as something that will hinder memory, it is now often associated most with helping memory. Think of all those notes you’ve taken in class over the years. I believe that Google will prove to be just as beneficial in time.
Carr’s approach at making his point is very unique because of the medium in which he went about making it. His point includes that humans can’t slow down and fully red more than a few paragraphs because of Google, yet he wrote a 12 page article about it. For the most part, the people who read this article will be people who aren’t as affected by Google as those who Carr is worried about. One might argue that this is hindering Carr from reaching a target audience.
While I tend to doubt his claims about Google because I don’t feel like it has made me stupid, those who would never pick up an article might be more likely to agree.
Lastly, I would like to give a specific example of a way in which I feel like Google gives me the opportunity to challenge and expand my mind. Google is a great tool for learning math. There are countless websites with notes on many topics, and there are also instructional videos that teach the material. Sometimes these videos are more helpful than the actual lecture. Learning from the video requires just as much concentration and participation as reading, and without Google, watching them wouldn’t be possible because they would be too hard to find. Yes, sometimes it is easy to be a passive Google user who types in everything and waits for things to pop up that they could have found out in other ways. Google also, however, provides the tools necessary for some to be an active and engaged learner with endless knowledge at their fingertips.
