While reading Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows, I am realizing that he is right in a lot of what he says. At this moment, I have my Facebook page open and I am going back and forth between tabs. He is correct when he says that attention spans and being able to focus is being ruined by the internet. I grew up with computers, but I can remember a time when I didn’t have or use one. I don’t recall a time when I realized my ability to focus was altered however. I have never thought about the internet as being harmful in that way before reading Carr’s book.
The internet is causing people to lose touch with humanity. Although it keeps people connected, it is also becoming the number one source to communicate. It is rare that I meet someone who does not have a Facebook or other similar website. If you don’t have one, people look at you oddly. I find myself using less and less of my Facebook though. It is filled with people I am not close to, so I really don’t care what they are doing. The reason I keep my Facebook is to see what my friends are up to in college, share pictures, and connect with those who live far away. I can’t text or talk on the phone with people I know in other countries, so it is a good source to be able to.
Facebook is also used for the wrong reasons, and it is part of why I don’t want to use it anymore. About a month ago, a 15 year old girl from where I am from killed herself by throwing herself in front of a bus because of Facebook bullying. Even after she died, anonymous people harassed her Facebook page with pictures of buses, or saying that she deserved to die. I think it is wrong that a page like that is allowed.