...as being a great deal more than previous generations. Does this increase in technological availability affect us, though? This question is at the heart of Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” In a study done in 2011 by the American Psychological Association, they found that “adults over the age of 55 who had had a black and white television set growing up had a higher likelihood of dreaming in black and white. However, younger users who had always had a color television . . . were much more likely to dream in Technicolor.” This is just one example of how the change of and increased use of technology can alter the way our minds think and function. Carr poses his thoughts and opinions about the effects technology is having on our brains, while...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...Summary, Analysis, Response “A Google, Google, Google, Google World” McCracken, Harry. "A Google, Google, Google, Google World." PC World Communications, Inc. 28.8 (2005): 17-18. Print. “A Google, Google, Google, Google World” by Harry McCracken, in PC World is an article that touches on the uses of Google as a search engine. McCracken states in his article Google’s slogan "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful”. But he goes on to mention that Google now, more than ever seems to be taking the far-reaching implications of those words quite literally. The article talks about all of the incoming innovations that are being created through Google such as the Picasa Pictures, Gmail, Google Print and...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...The Collapse of the Human Mind: A Rhetorical Analysis of “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Are we exchanging our intellect for easier methods of learning? In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, the issue of computers mediating our understanding of the world is discussed. Carr employs the rhetorical appeals of logos and pathos to build his argument that the internet is changing the way we think for the worse by limiting our intellectual capabilities. Through his effective use of logical claims and warnings of technical dependency, Carr has a strong argument that will convince his intended audience of liberals to support his compelling claim. Using an excerpt from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Carr makes a connection...
Words: 414 - Pages: 2
...stories are good for just one time read and some leave a great impact on how you think. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by NICHOLAS CARR and “Java Man” by MALCOLM GLADWEL are one of those impactful stories. These two stories share some similarities along with some differences. Both authors have a very similar approach on the idea of how the world is depending on other substance such as the “internet” and “Caffeine” way more than it should. However, the two story may differ with each other, the audience of each story may differ. Carr and Gladwell take different approach towards how a human mind was meant to operate. As a cultural analysis, both stories focus on how people are relying or depending more on other resources in order to be productive and be able to prosper. In “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” the idea of people using the internet way too much is mentioned because people believe...
Words: 906 - Pages: 4
...around technology it is easy to look at technology as a bad thing. A sly little tool to keep children quiet and distracted, keeping them from enjoying the outdoors and natural surroundings. All of that may be true, but what kind of tool is technology in the education system. Is it a helpful tool for young and adult students, or is it making us dumb? Nicholas Carr wrote an article named “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” In this article, Carr describes the way he perceives the internet. Carr speculates the idea that perhaps the internet has made him a poor reader and collects opinions from his colleagues and friends that support this idea. Carr states; “Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, being looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” Carr...
Words: 502 - Pages: 3
...that has been rooted into our culture, we need to ask ourselves: how is this technology effecting us? In his essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr tackled this very question. Carr has a very different answer than I do. Nicholas Carr will attempt to teach you to be skeptical of the internet’s potentially negative effects on your mind. Carr has taken the easier route of criticizing a relatively new technology without offering any alternative suggestions or...
Words: 744 - Pages: 3
...i Internet is Making Us Dumber During the past two centuries the world has witnessed an explosion of technological advances. There has been much debate about the Internet, and specifically about the effects of the wed search engine like Google. Many respected writers, a plethora of articles and books have been published lately arguing both sides of the issue. While many writers claim that the internet has a negative, damaging effect on the brain and cognition, others see the benefits of technology in helping us achieve the previously unachievable and freeing us from many time-consuming activities. Based on our research and personal experience, we have found out several reasons to support the argument such as the negative impacts on human behaviour, degeneration of human abilities and contradictory information. Therefore, we strongly agree that the sheer amount of information that we have access to nowadays is actually making us dumber. Information that we have access to is making us dumber because of contradictory information. Information can be defined as facts or details about a situation, person, or event. According to Wikipedia (2013), as the world moves into a new era of globalization, an increasing number of people are connecting to the internet to conduct their own research and are given the ability to produce as well as consume the data accessed on an increasing number of websites. Users are now classified as active users because more people in society are...
Words: 1702 - Pages: 7
...opposing the idea of excessive use of computers, for example: According to the National Endowment for the Arts, literary reading declined 10 percentage points from 1982 to 2002 and the rate of decline is accelerating. Many, including Patricia Greenfield, a UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles, believe that a greater focus on visual media exacts a toll. ‘A drop-off in reading has possibly contributed to a decline in critical thinking,’ she says. ‘There is a greater emphasis on real-time media and multitasking rather than focusing on a single thing. (Quote in Greengard 18) One important aspect of the computers is the Internet, and Websites such as Google and Wikipedia provide many people with information. Michael Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University of Science...
Words: 1805 - Pages: 8
...prices in connection to other video rental outlets. Blockbusters main competitors such as Netflix, Redbox, and many On Demand services seem to have a much better grasp of the importance of instant access at a lower price. (Blockbuster Inc. (SWOT analysis). http://www.yousigma.com/comparativeanalysis/blockbusterinc.html) * When should they have innovated or changed their plans to comprehend the perceived changes? Blockbuster’s biggest mistakes were that it failed to modernize its business strategy to include a multi-channel avenue for its customers to decide how they wanted to rent movies. Movie renters were and still are moving away from the traditional format of renting movies. Failure to adapt to changing consumer behavior and new technology helped companies like Netflix and Redbox gain considerable ground in the video rental industry. * What should they have considered when looking at their Porter’s Model? What do you think kept them from making timely changes? Blockbuster failed to differentiate the threat of substitute products or services when there are many alternatives to a product or service. This oversight made it is easy for new competitors to enter a market. * The last and newest article is about Google and their approach to business in a rapidly changing world. If Blockbuster followed Google's approach would they...
Words: 980 - Pages: 4
...Introduction to Computing Introduction For couple of years, futurists and computer scientists have provided arguments that a collection of evolving technologies—miniature computers named "smart dust" or motes, wireless telecommunication, software agents that are intelligent, antennas, stretchy electronics, and micro-level power systems— embrace the potentiality to convert the work and daily life (Farias et al. 2012). Anyone who eagerly willing in the social impacts and insinuation of new technologies is making intelligence out of this would impose a significant challenge to him. Such type of changes qualitative in nature requires something very different to the conventional tools of analysis for the engineer or economist. Actor-Network Theory (ANT): its definition and suitability in computing studies Actor-Network Theory had emerged from the researches done by Michel Callon and Bruno Latour. The progressive constitution of the network has been described by their analysis on a collection of negotiations where the identities are assumed by not only the human but with the non-human actors as well. In this context, representation is comprehended in its political facet, as a method to delegate (Fenwick et al. 2012). The most significant among these negotiations is the "translation," an interaction multifaceted in nature where the actors (1) build up the definitions and meanings that are common, (2) define representatives, and (3) co-operate each other in the quest of objectives...
Words: 2175 - Pages: 9
...As college students we spend a huge amount of our time sitting in front of our laptops working on school work. We are expected to use the internet to research, read, and learn on our own time. Spending all this time in front of the internet opens many opportunities to be able to learn and grow, but also opens many temptations to ‘surf the web’ and get side-tracked. 74% of Americans use the internet on a frequent basis, which makes up about 13% of the users worldwide. Many of Americans might not be able to make it through their normal day without that internet. Does this mean that as a society that the internet is making a noticeable impact in our lives? The internet came about so quickly and is still considered somewhat new to society. In Nicholas Carr’s (2008) article, Is Google Making Us Stupid he said, “For me, as for others, the Net is becoming a universal medium, the conduit for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind. The advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded.” This statement is correct in the sense that the internet is full of a lot of useful information that can help us learn and be put to good use. However, the internet may also often be used as an avid time waster, rather than a tool to help us gain knowledge. Using the internet in our everyday lives for work, school, and connection...
Words: 1543 - Pages: 7
...Letter of Transmittal Marc Sullivan CEO Chicago Tribune 435 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 Zora Bouadjenak; MBA Strategic Advisor Email: zora.bouadjenak@NEWSPAPER.com Tel: +1 437 555 670 Dear Mr Sullivan, I am pleased to present to you the report about the current effects of Applications and Ecommerce on newspaper publishers and furthermore strategic recommendations for your company. This report has been prepared according to the upcoming extraordinary session of Chicago Tribune Newspapers CEO’s, Strategic Advisor and the consultancy assistance of McKinsey Strategic Department. This report covers the current situation of circulations and subscriptions regarding the digital era as well as available technologies for newspaper publishers to increase their revenues. Also includes an evaluation of business strategies and activities regarding Chicago Tribunes’ major competitors. This report covers some recommendation for further strategic positioning and investments to create a competitive advantages. In presenting this report, I want to pay tribute to the work of every one of my colleague throughout the strategic department and all journalists within this newspaper. It is a pleasure to find strategies and solutions to keep our business alive and develop further goals. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time. Yours sincerely, Zora Bouadjenak; MBA Strategic Advisor Chicago Tribune 1 HOW DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION OF APPS...
Words: 4897 - Pages: 20
...Wearable Computing: The Next Big Thing in Smart Technology? Prepared for Edward Moss, Instructor ENGW 3304 Northeastern University Prepared by Varun Kukreja Northeastern University February 13, 2014 INTRODUCTION Ever since the development and introduction of wearable devices to consumers, much debate has evolved around its use compared to smartphones and other smart technology products. Dave Evans (2013) pointed out that while consumers begin to adapt to wearable technology, personal computing is getting even more personal, with electronic products and chipsets being attached to “clothing, jewelry, shoes, glasses, watches, and even on your skin” (Stedmon et al., 1999). Developments in wearable technology have indeed suggested that it is possible to fully integrate both physical and functional aspects of smart devices, thereby increasing their operational efficiency. These findings suggest that wearable technology has the potential to be far better than the smartphone...
Words: 4042 - Pages: 17
...robots. In his article ‘Why Robots Will and Take Our Jobs’, Kevin Kelly says that robots have already started taking our jobs in automated industries and they will soon start taking jobs in warehouses also. They will soon take over all the white collar jobs and also be used for newspaper stories for sports games as they will be having all the stats directly with them or generate an analysis of company’s stock performance every day. Robots would take over in all the industries such as medicine, law etc. Kelly thinks that robots are very smart and quick learners. In future, everyone may have a personal robot but that does not mean that it will guarantee success but rather success will go to someone who will be innovative. He further states that our job will be to keep making jobs for robots and that is a task that will be never finished. So that we will have at least one job. I do not agree with the author as I do not feel that robots should take over our jobs as human brain is much more efficient than robots. We have a different thinking pattern than them and sometimes when it comes to decision making our brain will be more efficient as we have more experience than them and we sometimes we may also connect our decisions with our emotions which might give us a competitive edge over them. In the coming years, our relation with robots will become even more complex. The author also feels that this is a race with the machines. Maybe in future you will be paid on how well you work with...
Words: 1178 - Pages: 5
...equipment, cameras, softwares, furnitures, groceries etc. The firm own several separate websites to provide and serve the different countries in which it operates: France, UK, Japan, Canada, Austria, Germany, China etc. For information, the French filial of Amazon opened in France in 2000. The company was introduced on the stock market in June 1997 and is today employing more than 51 300 employees through the world. Its dramatic and unstoppable growth since its launching especially after the 2000's make the firm being considered as one of the "Internet four biggest" with Google, Apple and Facebook. In 2011 the gross sales of the firms were around 50 billion dollars, and its net profit profit after tax was 556 million dollars, however since the 3 last year, Amazon sales and profitability are slightly decreasing (between 1 and 2%), we can mainly explain this little decrease by the economical crisis making the households consumed less, especially for the recreative or pleasure expenses such as the products that Amazon is currently selling that are not primarily necessity goods or products. What technology did the company use? When speaking about Amazon we usually first think of the book industry. This is because the book industry is the precursor of all the other categories that Amazon now deals with. In 15 years, Amazon went from one category (books) to 16 main categories. Jeff Bezos had three main ideas that lead him build such an empire on the...
Words: 1631 - Pages: 7
