...In today’s world, the usage of technology and internet is significantly increasing in our daily life compared to the nineteenth century. That’s because technologies and internet are extremely functional for us. Among those, search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo are especially popular among computer users. However, some critics believe that these websites are making us stupid. Among those critics, Carr in “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” focuses on how Google is making us lose concentration. On the other hand, computer users like me, writer Zimmer in “How Google Is Making Us Smarter,” and author Chamorro-Premuzic in “Is Technology Making Us Stupid (and Smarter)?” think otherwise. I believe that website such as Google is making us smarter by providing information in a quick way. Carr (2016) argued that our generation relied too much on technology, and as a result, our brains are starting to think like computers. He made a statement by saying, “The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing” (Carr, 2016, p.737). That’s what his friends respond when he asked his friends what they feel after browsing the web for so long and reading a long pieces of writing. As a result, they felt bored and...
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...The article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by Nicholas Carr, was fairly well written. The article as whole was well researched but when getting to the specifics some parts were incorrect such as blaming the search engines for people’s poor research skills or lack thereof. The article as the title states is about how the author believes that because of advancements in technology and the availability of search engines, which eased the research process, makes us use our brains a lot less thereby making us stupid. The author uses supporting facts to help back up his case such as Marshall McLuhan who was a media theorist in the 1960’s that believe media wasn’t just something that was there if you wanted to read, but shaped how we think and sometimes...
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...Throughout many different generations, technology has slowly taken over our lives. The goal was to make life easier for human beings, which led to the invention of Google. Nicholas Carr wrote an article called “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” to explain how he feels about the Internet ruining his everyday life. In the article, Carr talks about how he cannot focus and eventually gets fidgety while reading a book. He continues on to say how no matter what, his life is surrounded by the internet and blames the Internet for not being able to read text as well, but then says that the Internet is actually a huge lifesaver. While using different rhetorical devices, Nicholas Carr argues that accessing information through Google has caused people to no longer keep focus while trying to read text. With the use of pathos, logos, and ethos Carr is able to make is point clear to the reader. In order to instill fear into the reader, Carr demonstrates pathos when saying, “The human brain is just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive” (325). Using the comparison of the human brain and a computer causes fear to take over the reader. With Carr saying the brain is outdated, the reader assumes that the brain is being taking over by the computer,...
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...the internet to attain knowledge, we can choose and modify the ways that we want to learn, and he does not mention any facts that Google making us stupid. Nicholas Carr states that in his article that he feels in some way that the use of Google is demeaning his learning abilities, or using the internet for our own intellectual gains is solely ones decision. There are public libraries across the nation, even at schools the libraries are open to the public. Whether we take advantage of these resources is simply one’s own fault. Even if one was to use the internet, we do not have to use Bing. There’s other websites like Bing, Yahoo, and Ask. Google is a website that is open and free for anyone to use. With Google being available to me, I have passed a multitude of tests, quizzes, and have gotten good grades on my homework. There are very few times that I have actually used a textbook to learn something. Or even if I do, I will use search engines to clarify the material that I recently covered. So claiming that “Google makes us stupid” is absurd if one can’t prove that Google is the issue. As I aforementioned, one can choose the method in which material is...
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...According to statistics conducted by statsita.com, last year in 2017, there were a recorded 2.32 billion smartphone users. Everybody has a computer in their pocket nowadays. Humans are constantly checking social media, texts, and email. Rarely do we take a step back a think about what the consequences of this constant, technological stimulation is doing to our brains. An article by Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” makes the claim that the internet is dulling or changing the way our brains think and operate. Carr explains these changes saying how he is having problems focusing, and gets fidgety when reading. He continues by explaining how prevalent the internet is in his life and he cannot focus on a text conversation. On the other hand, he says that the...
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...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...
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...Introduction Technology has been increasing its use in our day to day lives for years now. The amount of technology that kids are using and are exposed to can easily be concluded 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...
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...Is Google making us stupid? Nicholas Carr doesn’t believe so, In his essay Is Google Making Us Stupid? From his article in the Atlantic magazine in 2008, he explains that Google does not make people stupid. Although he does go through and explain how Google has effects on an individual via personal anecdotes, historical references, and current studies. Biggest idea is that Carr wanted to present is that Google hasn’t made humans smarter or dumber, they have just become more dependent on the internet which has consequences. Personal anecdotes helped make Carr’s point relatable to the effects of Google. He went on and told many stories. One in particular to focus on is how his attention span has gotten shorter, “I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin...
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...In Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” He address the social topic of the effect of technology on our brain, more specifically certain processes that occur within our brain such as thought process, attention span, mental capacity, and so on. Throughout this article, Carr attempts to use many different rhetorical strategies to bolster the argument of his essay and its purpose. These rhetorical strategies include tone, Carr’s specific use of diction, and the overall organization of Carr’s article. All of these rhetorical techniques are used to effectively expose the argument of the article to the reader and lead the reader to the same conclusion as Carr fulfilling his purpose as the author. First, Carr uses the tone of the opening passage and article to set the basis for the article and establishes how the rest of the essay is going to be. Carr seems to be using a ominous, foreshadowing tone that is shedding a public light on a darker topic. The tone, matched with the theme of the article, is best expressed in quotes such as one found on page 3 of his...
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