The clock “disassociated time from human events and helped create the belief in an independent world of mathematically measurable sequences.” -Nicholas CarrI think that Nicholas Carr believes that Google is not necessarily making us stupid but changing the way we think and forcing us to adapt to an increasingly connected world. Carr notes how tools interfere with and shape the way we think. For example, the typewriter and printing press brought fast, cheap, mass production of popular books. This eventually allowed for those without large sums of money to become literate as well. Also, when the written word was first introduced philosopher Plato warned that it would account for people relying less on their memories and allow for people to have large amounts of information without truly being wise. I think that this statement has some validity in that people who are on the Internet constantly lose the opportunities to develop critical thinking skills or even an appropriate attention span. That being said, Carr counters his point that Google is changing the way we think, mostly for the negative, but that there are significant gains to be made from utilizing the Internet.
I found it ironic to be reading this post for a Writing class that involves blogging because of all the web activity that the article refers to. However, I think that Carr does make a good point in highlighting the advantages and potential that the Internet has. Yes, the Internet isn't always safe. Yes, the Internet is distracting. Yet I think that the Internet has become a fundamental part of American society and will continue to grow and shape the way we think until we have fully integrated it into our daily lives. I thought the concept of time mentioned in the quote above was fascinating because it points to the social constructions that can limit thought and action. I think that the Internet is well on its way to becoming a social construct that influences daily lives and especially how people read and write.
No comments:
Post a Comment