Is Google Making us Stupid?

Nicholas Carr’s article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid? is extremely eye opening. The points that he makes prove to be very valid and astonishing. Over time, technology’s effect on society has grown more and more rapidly. It is now nearly impossible to live without technology. Some people even shake when they do not have their phone. It is terrifying what our world is becoming because of the influence technology is having. Nicholas Carr discusses the question of, is the easy access to technology making us “stupid?” Personally, I think it is dependent on the person and how much they rely on technology. Sometimes, it is helpful in the way of finding small research or information. It could be approached in a totally different way however, in which a person never thinks for themselves. Carr’s article

      Carr raises many questions throughout this article. I believe that is his goal. He wants readers to question themselves. His goal is reflection from the readers. He asks if the readers recognize that their intellect level is going down due to the internet. He does ask the obvious question of the title, “is Google making us stupid?” In context, Carr is referring to Google as well as the internet in general. Search engines make it difficult to soak in information because we look for an answer and quickly move on. It is the question of if technology is affecting us in such a way that we can no longer function in the ways we used too, or not. Carr states that, “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes.” I think that this is an important concept to comprehend. Carr is asking the question of, are the readers aware of this dilemma and what is happening to our lives. He does this by stating facts to make readers think.

In terms of Nicholas Carr’s intended audience, I would say all ages. However, specifically, I would say it is intended for students of all ages, or people involved in research. Students struggle to comprehend everything these days because they get their answers with the click of a button and don’t care if they read it fully or not. People who do research for a living, google has become a staple for them. To me, this is dangerous because websites often do not give specific details that could change the data without their knowledge. This article is also applicable to other people though because it is a message everyone should be aware of. Even though technology is mostly used by teenagers or young adults, they are not the only groups that should be informed on this topic. Technology is helpful in the way that it keeps us connected with people far away, and also assist us in the quick things. Carr did a great job in being neutral to all ages and situations getting this message.

Carr does an impeccable job in providing evidence to support his thesis. By using his personal experiences, his points were more humanized. He wrote about how he struggled to read a book because he cannot seem to concentrate anymore. To make it even more real, Carr shared that many of his friends also struggle with that problem. He stated that, "The more they use the web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing." The average attention span is rapidly decreasing. Personally, this article made me more cognizant of my actions. I go to Google something, and quickly get an answer. I recognize that I am an example of this now, and plan to be more aware. I now notice how dependent I am on the internet. Like Carr, I find it harder to read now due to my low attention span. I find it so hard to merely concentrate on books or long articles. I quickly become bored and irritated and find myself checking social media.

Nicholas Carr is able to hook the reader's interest and them reading in a variety of ways. First, the title grabs some people's attention. I find that when a title is a question, readers are interested in how the author will answer it. In this case, I did not recognize what technology is doing to me and society before I read this article. The title has the ability to hook readers and get the important message.The points in which Carr continues to bring up, keep the reader entertained. He ties in how things are more connected than you would initially think. Society recognizes what is happening with technology, however not to the full capacity in which they should. By Carr being able to grab readers attention, he is effectively spreading this message.

  “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is credible to the intended audience, because Carr makes it clear that he is educated on the topic. It is beneficial that Carr himself is so invested in this topic. He feels so strongly about this message, and the reader can sense his personal passion. He has also done numerous amounts of research, and with that he is able to provide accurate points. In the article, Carr includes quotes from other writer’s blog posts who have done similar research to his. He explains how they all have come to similar conclusions. Carr is able to include information from other research done around the world that support his claims. By these two factors joining together, Carr is able to make the reader believe more in the message he is trying so desperately for them to grasp.

Carr’s values and beliefs expressed throughout this article seem real to me. I agree with the points he makes throughout. By not attacking readers, he is able to keep them interested instead of heated. His intention was not to cause protests, which I believe was a beneficial route to go down. His points have made me think, and I was better able to understand why I do some of the things I do. I would have never assumed my lack of concentration was connected to my technology. We are slowly ruining our futures by no longer being able to focus while we read. Through this article, I am able to understand that I am creating my own risk for the future. Carr took a topic that most would view as trivial, and explained how it needs to be viewed as more than that. I now see that he is trying to stress that we are at serious risk if we do not change our paths. Carr aims to educate readers on the causes of why they act the way they do. This article was able to better educate readers on this important dilemma, and stress in reality, how serious it is.

I respond to this article with a mix of shock and a state of renewal. I am enlightened and feel more safe with how I go into the future because of this reading. It has brought my attention to many things I had not even noticed before. This article not only explained the issue, but it dug into the why. Most writers on this topic tend to leave out the why. In reality, the why is what makes it stick with the reader. It is the light bulb moment that makes the article real. Thanks to the why, I feel more confident and self aware. Some people get defensive on this topic because they become self conscious and feel like they need to protest. However, this is an article that is hard to argue with. I believe that I responded positively due to the way that Carr presented the information. By writing in a neutral and calm state, the article remained informative instead of controversial for me.

Carr’s main purposes for writing this blog, is to inform without offending. My purposes for reading correlate with that. He wrote to share undermined information, while I read to learn about that information. I read to receive the information he set out to provide for me as a reader.  This issue is rarely understood, and Carr sets out to make this message heard. No one would connect things the way Carr does, and society does not realize the caution they should have.  By lack of education on this topic, society is only harming itself more. It needs to be recognized that technology has many beneficial qualities, however some other qualities could be more harmful than they appear to be.

      Overall, Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making us Stupid?” is extremely informative. The article was able to open my eyes as well as educate me on the precautions society needs to take in order to avoid a downfall. Our world is in more danger than we appear to be in. Showing readers the negative effects of the internet and the influence it is having our minds was extremely beneficial. However, Carr’s ability to not attack any person, made it easier to concentrate on the information given versus opposing his points as defense. Carr’s experiences from his own life, and his struggles, provided real evidence that most readers probably connect with. The article was able to inform readers on how the internet is affecting us in more ways than we could understand on our own. Carr was able to successfully explain the complex issues we as a population over look. This article has the ability to enlighten readers, if they commit to the message Nicholas Carr is sending.