For Friday’s class, please read Joseph Harris’ “Coming to Terms” and Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”
In “Coming to Terms,” Joseph Harris describes this project on page 24:
“The next time you need to come to terms with a certain text in your writing, try approaching the task this way:
- Begin by restating the writer’s project in your own words. Don’t consult the text at this point; work instead from your memory and understanding of what its author was trying to do. Keep this summary to a paragraph.
- Draw on your summary and list to write an account of the text that makes use of both paraphrase and direct quotation.
The point here is to create an account of the text that does not simply rehearse what its author wrote but rather expresses your understanding of the project.”
In a response of around 300 words, I would like you to attempt to “come to terms” with Carr’s essay. Start off with the paragraph restating his project and then move onto writing your account. Come to class prepared to discuss both texts.
In “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, Nicholas Carr is trying to say that because of the internet and search engines people read less and read less attentively. Carr is stating that even though people can get research done much faster than before, they are not examining the information thoroughly and just skimming through. When trying to find out new information people tend to look at multiple links and glance at the information in order to find what they need. He believes this is problematic because people aren’t educating themselves and aren’t taking in what they read, but instead find what they need and get their work done. He also makes the claim that it is unsettling that Google and other large software companies are developing artificial intelligence and it will soon replace human brain power. It is worrying that Google collects so much information about people based on what they search and where they surf the web. When people use the web it makes their brains operate as if they were “high speed operating machines”, so it skips the actual part of using our brain to take in and remember information.
I agree with what Carr is saying because I have noticed from my own experience in doing research that I don’t tend to remember everything but what I need to finish my work. This has opened my eyes to understand that I need to spend more time reading and understanding information before interpreting it. I agree with the fact that it is alarming how much artificial intelligence has grown especially today, much after when this article was written. It is scary to think that soon enough in the future the need for people will be gone and computers and robots can get tasks done. Carr’s article has opened my mind to have the desire to learn more and comprehend what I’m reading then to just find answers to questions.
This is a solid assessment of Carr’s article and a concise presentation of his claims. I’m glad this piece spoke to you–it could be a sign that this might be a productive text to work off of in your critical analysis.
In Nicholas Carr’s, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” he describes how he feels about search engines and its effects on the human mind. He doesn’t devalue the idea of a continuity of A.I. He is aware of the benefits and cons of search engines. Carr lists a myriad of examples of people such his colleagues and acquaintances and begins to describe how they were “voracious book reader” but have gradually strayed away from doing so. One of his colleagues admitted he couldn’t read for very long without losing his attention span and was prone to “skim read” if the article had more than 3 paragraphs. He pays respect to Google by listing its founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page and their unique goal of creating a system in which a search engine has all the information that a person needs from the click of a button. But there was a similarity to how Nicholas Carr and Joseph Harris mentioned the idea of ambiguity in their projects. Ambiguity is the opening of insight and allows for one to readjust their knowledge. Like the words of Harris, “ambiguity is richness.” Ambiguity allows people to ascertain information and to view it in a more discerning viewpoint. You’re able to look at the other side of the problem not just yours.
Carr tries to answer the question, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?,” and by using relevant examples in history like Friedrich Nietzsche’s difference in writing with an ink pen to that of a typewriter. This difference, Carr explains, is from our brains not remaining the same through adulthood. As adults, our neurons continue to change in ways similar to when we were kids. With this, people can change their habits, beliefs, and even personalities. Like Nietzsche, a person who spent his life painting on canvas will change his or her style of painting if he or she is subjected to paint using a painting software. I agree with how Carr explained his project. He believes the Google along with other search engines are making texts and information too simplified that human minds will absorb as much information from different places and thus lose focus. He views it as a negative aspect of search engines, while Page and Brin may view it as a necessity with today’s age of information.
Joseph Harris’ “Coming to Terms” shows his readers how to be a great analysis when it comes to writing an analytical essay or piece of writing. Throughout Harris’ project of showing a reader what makes an exceptional writer he gives the readers many excerpts from famous writers. These writers wrote about texts they either agreed with or disagreed with and they dissected the piece of writing. The examples he gave were little summaries that furthered explained what he argued in his writing. Joseph Harris believed that for a reader to have a relationship with a text they have to be able summarize it in their own words to really understand the meaning.
Joseph Harris touched on the point of how quotes can either be detrimental to an essay or beneficial. He stated how writers should not use quotes to restate their argument but writers should use quotes to further their argument, express the writer’s ideas,and create new questions. For example Harris states, “If we all read a text in the same way, there’d be little need for us to argue over the meaning of its specific lines or phrasing.” This furthers Harris’ argument of the power of quotations, and how a quotation can develop an essay. Joseph Harris’ project was to give references and tips for future writers who have to write about complex literature. Harris showed that in the world of writing their is never an answer always opinions. I will be using this Harris’ text to help me write the draft to my essay.
In the online article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr the main point that he is trying to hammer into his readers is the fact that “The Net” is ruining the way we retain information and reverse engineering everything that “deep reading” has wired our brains. He states that as technology becomes smarter we are becoming less intelligent. Carr brings up a lot of previous examples of “cutting-edge” technologies of a specific time period and even acknowledges his own opinion towards his own skepticism about the advancement of technology. From the printing press to the creation of handwriting Carr notes that there has always been skeptics when it has come to new and unheard of technology and states that maybe he might be wrong about this “pancake people” philosophy that states that there is no way for millennials to learn anything of substance but just summaries of major topics. By the end of the article Carr still does not have an answer to the question that is asked by the title but leaves the reader ironically “deeply reading” an article that states the skill has been lost due to the rise of “The Net.”
Although I feel Carr did not leave me with a satisfying answer I have to agree with all the points that he brought up throughout the text. He states that by using google our own brains are being wired to be similar to the search engine. When using the web it makes our brain be wired into “high speed operation machines” that don’t sift and contemplate information but rather just believe and store information at face value. I agree that by not having to research answers the point is kind of defeated and we do follow the “pancake philosophy.” But at the same time I believe that there are a lot of advantages that still can be found. I would love to discuss them but I’m afraid I am well past the 300 word limit that was given by Ms.Basson.
James, this is a good “coming to terms,” and an excellent use of quotation. You make a great point about the irony of close reading an article about the demise of close reading, and I like that you are taking his argument as a platform to confront new ideas of your own. You may have been at the word limit here, but you might find a way to channel these points into your critical analysis paper.
In Nicholas Carr’s, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, Nicholas Carr describes Google as a sort of “cheating tool” that is slowly deteriorating our ability to focus. Nicholas Carr continuously describes the use of Google as a shortcut to traditional ways of information gathering. Carr, a user of the Google himself respects and values greatly the experience and accessibility but denounces the way it affects our thoughts. Carr lists many examples of other literacy majors that are also feeling the effects of continuous use of Google affecting their attention span toward larger passages and articles. He also describes that though studies have shown that society today tends to read more, he explains that it is different types of reading, mainly such as text messages and emails instead of traditional books and articles. He also explains this as a “new form” of reading that is emerging alongside the rise of technology due to increased uses of cell phones and text messages. I feel that Google is deteriorating our abilities to stayed focused, as Google offers short summaries of articles that may take a much lengthier time to read, thus enhancing productivity but reducing the knowledge gained from reading the entire article. Google also collecting data from us also affects our browsing experience that can lead to a tailored experience of what articles appear for our search. Personally, Google has made my research into many subjects much simpler, by providing me short and precise articles of the topic I’m researching, Google made a lengthy task much less time consuming. Though Google may be affecting our minds and thought process, it has also provided us a lot of knowledge that we seek in shorter periods of time, making information gathering less tedious. As proven by many studies provided by Carr, Google is most certainly affecting our minds and through process, however I feel that it affects it both positively and negatively.
In “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, Nicholas Carr discusses how advanced technology has become and its negative effects on the human brain. Carr believes technology such as the internet has changed the way we think and has made it difficult to actively read and absorb information. Due to how much time we spend on technology and how easy and simple it is to find information on the web, Carr supposes that our brains are “re-wired” to skim read. Although, the internet is extremely efficient, Carr believes it weakens the ability to fully comprehend information. Carr also discusses how the brain is extremely “malleable” and how quickly it can adapt to different circumstances. The brain is never “fixed” and is always subject to change when possible. Lastly, Carr goes over the idea of our minds becoming machine-like. The more we rely on technology and the web, the more like “high speed operation machines” we become.
I fully agree with everything Carr has stated in the text. Our brains neural circuitry is being modified as we rely on computers and search engines, and this also causes a change in the way we think. From personal experience, as time progresses my ability to concentrate on a text has lessened and I believe this is due to my heavy reliance on the web. Our brains are so adapted to simply having all the information in front of us by using search engines, that when presented with a text that challenges us, we begin to lose concentration after a few paragraphs. I also believe that our style of reading has a major impact on our ability to comprehend information. Nowadays, the internet prioritizes efficiency which decreases our capability to “deep read”, since all we have to do is skim the text. As time and our reliance on the web progresses, our intelligence will be turning artificial and the more robotic we will become.
When Nicholas Carr wrote “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” he was very concerned with how the search engines and the ways of the internet influence the activity and habits of peoples minds. With Carr being a holder of a degree in English literature he was presenting himself as a first hand testimony that he was loosing touch with making as many “rich mental connections” when compared to the times when he had to extract research from library books. Even long before Carr wrote the article the thoughts of Socrates complement the authors beliefs on the issue, “the conceit of wisdom instead of real wisdom”. It is as if the readers of the web are only examining the tip of the iceberg of their studies when they use search engines to quickly find references for any given topic. Carr would likely agree with the idea that a reader must have the proper definitions in his or her words to help make connections to really understand any given topic. Most of the time by taking the longer route and actual reading a book or a substantial article you might remember the information better and not have to use search engines to refresh your memory as much. Also, by fully understanding one specific topic you would not have to keep googling the smaller questions over and over, and as always where there is human activity opportunists are there to advertise their products or services, as stated in the article “The internet becomes all consuming its our map, clock, calculator”. I support Carr in his stance because its as if our use of the internet defeats its true purpose which is to truly add more knowledge to our minds, due to all of the distracting factors that are out there on the web, and while Google is excellent if you want a simple answer to almost any problem, we as a human race cannot stay fully dependent on one source for all of our issues.
In “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, Nicholas Carr points out that in the networking information times, people spend a lot more time than before on searching and surfing online, so people pay less attention in real life. Network comes up with telephones, computers, calculators, printers, and others, they really help people to do their research efficiently and immediately. Carr says he can finish his research in a few minutes by searching keywords and clicking some hyperlinks, it does increase efficiency, but it is a struggle while he wants to got down to read articles because his concentration is always moving around. Also, the media is progressing fast, the traditional media has to move to a new way, they have to simplify the articles by cutting out unnecessary details to make people find their answers as fast as they can. In addition, Google and other companies will get more information about our minds while we are surfing and researching online, so they can put many advertisements on the web pages to profit. Therefore, what Carr trying to say is that the internet is cutting down our capacity of deep reading, and that is the question to people. When I am doing a research online, I will type some key words to search to make my work easier and faster, I will read them roughly too. I’ve never say to myself that “I have to memorize these stuff”, and I am impatient at reading books now. So I totally agree with Nicholas Carr’ opinions in “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, maybe in the future, computers, and robots will take place of us, we should be aware of it.
Jingyan–this is a good recap of his argument. I’m glad that you brought up the harvesting of information done by companies like Google, as that is a minor part of his argument but a big debate happening right now. Nice work!
Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is an article regarding various search engines as well as the Internet in general and how they are causing us to evolve into people who read a lot less. Carr is stating that with the constant need for the internet we have developed into a society that wants to know everything and surf for plenty of information in a short amount of time. As a result turning into people that could only read summaries rather than full texts, and struggle with focusing with tasks at hand because of the need to click on the next link or advertisement. Overall, I related with Carr’s argument that as a society we have been degrading in the sense that our attention spans are short. Personally, I had my own problems with constant procrastination and it’s no joke. It is very easy to lose focus especially considering all the means of exploration that we have and that are so simple to retrieve. However, one thing that I disliked from Carr’s argument was that he formed his argument in a way that it seem that there is no going back. For example, Carr gave examples of colleagues that are well educated and stated how they admitted that they gave in and can’t focus as well anymore. I believe that this statement is demeaning to students and overall younger people because if we see that people like this are facing the same problems as us and they can not go back to the days where they could put all their focus on a book, then what is the point for us to try to snap out of this phase. Ultimately, I found this part negative and discouraging, especially for a college student like me. Another thing that I found interesting in Carr’s article was when he said, “the human brain is just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive.” I found this interesting because I believe that although the invention of the computer was brilliant and it practically knows everything that was ever created and thought of, I don’t think that it surpasses the human brain. Personally, I believe that the human brain is the most powerful “object” on this planet, since it allows every single person on this planet to think, to innovate, to create, to make changes throughout the world. Yes, the computer could impact the world, but in the end what developed the idea of a computer and made it become a reality, a human brain.
The world is ever changing, since beginning of human civilization, human has learned to adapt and invented new ways to satisfied their needs in life. Human might have been on Earth for thousands of years, but one thing is for certain we’re ain’t the same especially from decades to even a year ago. One reason you may ask, is the thing that has became necessary in our daily lives, the internet and technology. In Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, explorer the belief that the internet is affect of mental intelligence in a negative way as we become very dependent of the internet. Throughout the article Carr uses many examples from history to recent research to make his argument. Throughout history humans has created many technological and also philosophical achievements from the invention of the printing and mechanical clock to how human should work efficiently and maximize work. All this was from the result of incredible mind of the human being. However as Carr describes it, we can fall victim to our own progress. We created the internet in order to help us find information and communicate with the world which could’ve have taken days. But now we have became so addicted” to it that we have developed a short term attention span. With email, breaking news, to ads, the human brain has developed to take in short and effective information and than move on to the next thing that pops up on our phones or computers. It might sound good as we are trying to be effective and quick but we are losing our true value and intelligence as giant corporations such as Google are just gathering our information to make a profit in order for us to come chase the contacts we want online, “Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives—or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts—as the Internet does today.” There’s no doubt that the internet has changed our world forever as each day it brings many great changes, however the bigger question is to how far are we going to let the internet be a part in our society, as in the movie “2001: a space Odyssey” Artificial Intelligence can really leave a mark on us.
You’re doing some good “coming to terms” here, Matt. You’re pointing to some interesting tensions between the individual consumer/user of technology and the larger corporations that host/profit off of us. One thing to keep in mind is that while it is important to think about his piece in its context, you don’t have to start with such broad strokes–on your next response, try beginning with the text and going from there.
In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, the author, Nicholas Carr, is expressing his concern for the intellectual changes that humans are currently facing. Carr expresses that the use of the internet is like a double edged sword. On one side, the internet is a great tool. The internet provides a “universal medium”, a pathway that allows the maximum amount of information to enter your mind. But, on the other side, being immersed in this technology has changed the thinking process of many of its users. Studies completed by the University College London show that people have created a new way of “reading”. This new method includes the “power browse” or “skimming” of paragraphs and titles. People are no longer becoming engaged with reading as they are just looking for the fastest answer to whatever question they may have.
I agree with the thought process of Carr and I support his argument. The internet has spoiled us, in a way. As stated in the article, research that required days of reading stacks of papers has now been reduced to minutes of searching and “skimming” for the answer that you need. But, while we can acknowledge the benefits of this system, we must also recognize the harm that it has caused us. As I have experienced, the first thing that I do when I am given a piece of literature to read is, I “skim” it for the information that I deem to be important and necessary. All that time of researching and being on the internet, however, has shorted my attention span and, it’s not just me. In the article, Carr references many of his colleagues to have the same problem. Unfortunately, the problem does not just include the loss of focus when reading. This problem affects the way in which you interpret the information that you’re reading. Before the time of the internet, you would read a book or piece of text in a quiet room, or somewhere with no distractions. With the internet, however, there is a distraction in every corner. These distractions have hindered our ability to draw our own unique conclusions or questions and to really interact with the text and not just summarize it but to gain a deeper understanding of the author and his/her ideas and thought process. Unfortunately, I don’t see a solution to this problem as the internet and its surrounding technology has been advancing at exponential rates.
You’re doing some good coming to terms here, Darren, and have produced a comprehensive assessment of Carr’s argument. Although it’s depressing, you make a good point that there is really nothing to be done. So if we were to agree with you about this inevitability, what questions does that raise for you? What will be the consequence of this panoply of distraction? And what can we do to prepare for it?
In his article – Is Google Making Us Stupid? – Nicholas Carr explores the idea that technology is changing the mechanicals of our brain. Although, Carr admits that it is not yet clear how technology is redesigning our brain, it is apparent that changes are occurring and have been occurring since the early stages of technological advancements. He accomplishes his agenda by supplying a variety of evidence, ranging from his personal experiences to experiments performed by a considerable amount of people. For instance, Nicolas Carr identifies an incident where an aging author, on the verge of losing sight, began using a typewriter. Consequently, the author’s style of writing drastically changed; a phenomenon that suffices Car’s argument that technology has a strong influence on our brain. Carr also notes that, contrary to the belief that our brains are fully developed by adulthood, the brain is constantly changing; neurons are forever breaking and forming new connections. A reality that not only presents the possibility but practically verifies Carr’s argument that technology has impacted our mentality. It is evident, then, that Carr uses a variety of evidence to convince his audience that technology is changing the way we think, but it is up to us to discern for ourselves whether or not this is productive.
Nicholas Carr provides many examples to make known his point. He discusses how the clock changed the way humans made decisions, “we stopped listening to our senses and started obeying the clock.” This example especially resonates with me because it is something I do on a daily basis. On a particular day I might crave pizza from my favorite restaurant but I know that it would take a shorter time to get something else so rather than getting the pizza, I obey the clock and ignore my senses. It is very important to recognize that, although, the article is titled with a question-“Is Google Making Us Stupider?”- Nicholas Carr does not supply an answer. Instead, he provides evidence that shows technology has altered our mentality but he is careful not to support or oppose the idea that technology-like Google- is making us stupider. I believe that Nicholas Carr wants us, the readers, to make this decision for ourselves, using the article as a source of information.
Nicolas Carr is someone who is dissatisfied with the way search engines, like Google, have changed the way we read, which he expresses in the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” It is here that Nicolas dives deep into his thoughts and arguments as he attempts to convince us that “The Net” is harmful to our minds. He starts off with a comparison of the search engine and A.I, like the one from an old movie from the 2000s that most teenagers nowadays haven’t seen. Following that, a discussion about how he used to dig into books and “get lost in the pages.” He then argues that because of the internet, his brain has been reworked to shy away from large texts and stick to simpler, quicker reads, most of which can be found on the internet. He then adds on to say that his fellow writers (and readers) have experienced the same issues and how some feel they went from being “a scuba diver in the sea of words” to “zip lining along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” He continues this trend of sophisticated writing with another sophisticated quote from Maryanne Wolf, a psychologist at Tufts University. “We are not only what we read,” Wolf states, “We are how we read.” Now, as someone who is a fan of technology and how far it has come these days, I am quite aware of how much artificial intelligence knows about us. I am also aware of who created artificial intelligence, humans. The creators of Google made the site what it is today because knowing more and more at quicker speeds is useful. Yes our brains change to adapt to this style of reading and absorbing information, but it is also our brains that can balance out the ability of being able to absorb quick and simple information and be able to maintain ones focus in a book. Google is simply a tool to help us keep pace in today’s day and age, it is our responsibility to counteract that and sustain our own levels of focus and deeper thought.
“Is Google Making Us Stupid” reveals how much the mind has been rewired in accepting information. Rather than become more critical of work, technology has hindered us in the how much we read to how analytical we are of the information read. Technology has certainly made quite the big impact on us both positively and negatively. He gives the example of himself and how he used to be able to read hours on end however, now finds himself being unable to. This is rather true, on my own personal account. Although my education has been around in the times where computers were already instituted, I find myself lacking the analytical element that I used to have. We tend to receive and never question what we are given, as if we’re being spoon fed information and not given an opinion of any sort.