Google and the Neo-Intelligence
In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, the author plays the role of the harbinger of bad news about the internet’s imminent dangers to our intelligence. It’s an interesting piece but I have to disagree with the author because while the internet does change our thinking, it’s more positive than negative. More studies are proving the intellectual benefits of the internet, also the author’s view suffer from what’s known as cultural lag. And finally, we need the internet to help solve the increasingly complex challenges in our world.
In his original article, Mr. Carr noticed that his and many friends’ focusing ability when reading has been particularly weakened by virtue of their internet use, he says “The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing” (Carr). He explains that it’s the internet’s inherent design providing concise and quick information when needed without needing to read many long pages of text, accordingly that design slowly influences and shapes our attention making us lose focus and prefer the quick short snippet over the pondering that’s usually …show more content…
I believe the reason for this is “cultural lag”. It is the phenomena where the material part of new inventions arrives first which causes fear and disruption, and then followed years later by accepting its idea and place in society (Ogburn, “Cultural Lag”). As a society we are still in the first stage, the fear will eventually subside (for the most part). As the ideas are accepted it becomes normal to use these “technologies”. New inventions always change us (not unlike the internet); however, its negative impact is exaggerated and the positive ones usually overshadow it (as the above studies showed). Tanya Goldhaber, of Cambridge University did a “literature review” on the subject finding
In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, the author plays the role of the harbinger of bad news about the internet’s imminent dangers to our intelligence. It’s an interesting piece but I have to disagree with the author because while the internet does change our thinking, it’s more positive than negative. More studies are proving the intellectual benefits of the internet, also the author’s view suffer from what’s known as cultural lag. And finally, we need the internet to help solve the increasingly complex challenges in our world.
In his original article, Mr. Carr noticed that his and many friends’ focusing ability when reading has been particularly weakened by virtue of their internet use, he says “The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing” (Carr). He explains that it’s the internet’s inherent design providing concise and quick information when needed without needing to read many long pages of text, accordingly that design slowly influences and shapes our attention making us lose focus and prefer the quick short snippet over the pondering that’s usually …show more content…
I believe the reason for this is “cultural lag”. It is the phenomena where the material part of new inventions arrives first which causes fear and disruption, and then followed years later by accepting its idea and place in society (Ogburn, “Cultural Lag”). As a society we are still in the first stage, the fear will eventually subside (for the most part). As the ideas are accepted it becomes normal to use these “technologies”. New inventions always change us (not unlike the internet); however, its negative impact is exaggerated and the positive ones usually overshadow it (as the above studies showed). Tanya Goldhaber, of Cambridge University did a “literature review” on the subject finding