blog 4.3 CAT "The Shallows"

The Shallows: What the internet is doing to our brains

In an article I recently read titled “The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to Our Brains” written by Nicholas Carr. He talks about how Google to him is making people stupid. And he gives some good points to why he makes such a statement. He goes into what makes us as humans intelligent, and he states that it is by thinking deeply on whatever information you are trying to learn about. Mr. Carr also talks about what could be distractions when you are trying to gain knowledge.

While reading the article that Nicholas Carr courageously released about Google he asked a question. Is Google making us stupid? And my claim is that I agree with him, it is making us stupid and should be used less and for more serious needs. Even though my opinion is that Google is making us stupid I got to admit that I use it about ten times a day and I like it very much. But the evidence that Mr. Carr talks about in his article opened my eyes. It also worries me that Google is doing many things to our minds and I know it wasn’t there intention to be a huge distraction for a great multitude of people.

When I read the article and saw what really makes us intelligent is our ability to think deeply about the information we are trying to learn about, that was so simple and so true. Mr. Carr talks about how brain Scientist has discovered that; that can only happen when our minds are calm and attentive. And you got to be honest with yourself when you’re on Google or on your cell phone you most likely would not be calm and attentive. Cause when I’m doing home work online and use Google for a little fast help I end up getting distracted from what I was doing because I would just keep going deeper and deeper into the links of whatever got my attention. Nicholas Carr even talks about it when he says “that’s the problem with Google and with the internet in general. When we use our computers and cell phones all the time, we’re always distracted”.

I feel that Google is making us stupid because I tend to look around me and see that when I’m in school some students have trouble thinking in class. Let’s say the teacher asks a questions it is always the same two or three students that answers mostly because they are very good thinkers and as Mr. Carr says “The greater our concentration, the richer our thoughts” and those good thinkers are very calm and attentive and therefore can give answers and debate with the teacher. I remember one time my class was asked a question that was hard and I had a thought why not Google the answer. It’s funny cause I even saw someone doing what I had thought sitting next to me Googling the answer. I was being one of those people distracting myself from deep thinking and trying to find the information quickly. I was depriving myself from gaining intelligence.

As I said in my claim Google should be used less and for more serious needs. Because if you’re trying to get work done you shouldn’t be on Google unless you have to find an answer you can’t seem to answer. You should just turn off your cell phone and sit somewhere quite to concentrate on your work because you will keep getting texts or calls that will distract you. And as Nicholas Carr said “if we’re distracted, we understand less, remember less, and learn less”.  After reading this article I plan to truly do my best to focus and not use Google so much because I agree with Mr. Carr when he says that “it’s also encouraging us to think superficially. We don’t even bother nowadays to try and understand our work we just Google it up and rite the answer. We all need to understand that we’re making it a necessity in our lives. Just imagine you have a major test one day and you never really focused but got most of your answer from Google for the class work. And when you’re there with that pen in your hands and that blank sheet you’re going to be sitting there all scatterbrained as Mr. Carr puts it wishing you could go on Google for help.

To conclude my essay I want to point out the last paragraph in the article “The Shallows” when Nicholas says “you’ll never Google your way to brilliance” it’s funny but very true. He ends his article by telling you if you’re interested in developing your mind you should turn off your computer and cell; and just begin to think, really thinking.  That is how I choose to end mines also go out in the world and think, really think deeply to whatever it is your thinking about.