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  • Essay / Critical answer to the question “Is Google making us stupid?” » by Nicholas Carr

    In the article “Is Google making us stupid? ” by Nicholas Carr, he argues that the Internet is changing the way we think and work for the worse. I have to disagree. Even if the Internet changes us, it's for the better. First, the Internet has become a great equalizer in terms of education. Second, communicating on the Web allows for cross-cultural experiences that were once impossible without a plane ticket. Third, while Carr may feel uncomfortable about his brain being shaped by the Web, the younger generation has only known the Internet and is therefore better adapted to its vastness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay To begin with, in Is Google Making Us Stupid, Carr's entire argument that the Internet is making us stupid is easily refuted when looking at the resources. available for us now. We have Wikipedia, online school and library databases, and even college courses all delivered on the web. At one point, Carr discusses the view of Richard Foreman, a playwright, that we will become "pancake people – scattered everywhere as we connect to this vast network of information." What they don't realize is that although the Internet contains an infinite amount of information, the user is not necessarily trying to access all of it. On the contrary, just like in traditional reading, we are drawn to what interests us and what is useful to us. The hyperlinks that Carr mentions during our “quick browse” are actually much more useful for delving deeper into a topic. If someone is reading an article, say on Wikipedia, and they come across a hyperlink to a topic they are not familiar with that will help them better understand their current topic, why wouldn't they follow it and wouldn't he gain more? information. This allows a student to learn more about particular topics, giving them more knowledge faster and making them less stupid. Another benefit that the Internet has brought us is the ability to communicate across cultures without leaving our homes. On sites like Reddit or Facebook, people around the world can read about a topic and discuss it not only with other people in their area, but also with people who actually care about the topic at hand. Whereas before it was impossible to see candid photos of the aftermath of a war or storm; Now people in the affected area are posting their own photos on the web and sharing them with the rest of the world. This is something Carr fails to mention in his article. Cultural experiences are part of our education. How can something that makes this experience so accessible to everyone make us stupid. Unless the person is using the Internet to blunder, in which case it can be argued that they would blunder even if the Internet were available to them, then we must admit that the Internet is a treasure trove of communication. We are able to have real-time conversations across the world with billions of people at the same time, gaining perspectives that were previously impossible. Finally, my entire argument in this essay is of course coming from someone who has had the Internet for most of their life. . Carr mentions that Socrates “deplored the development of writing.” Socrates feared that people would “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful.” No one will dispute today that the development of writing was a bad thing for our society..