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Is Google Making Us Stupid

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Using google too often can cause internet addiction which will affect to people concentration, and deep thinking become hard abilities. People seek for easy ways to avoid sadness, stress, and fatigue like drinking alcohol can be one of the approaches to avoid life issues. Likewise, surfing internet and browsing to web pages are simple way to get information. In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicolas Carr argues that internet is negatively changing the way our mind works, in that, we would abuse the internet and not let our brains figure things out without the need of searching on Google. Throughout his article Carr gave examples and different people opinions on the same topic, which made the article even more credible and successful. This was very a good way to get his points across to the non-believes. Carr achievement with the use of rhetorical appeal and serious tone to obtain the reader attention and persuade them that in today’s society, the internet causes many problems. The article’s tittle brings a tough question to mind of readers. By using a movie scene and arguments embedded with imagery and metaphor “someone or something that tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory.” (226). He also provides research on how other writers had agreed with him on the subject to help support his strategies of logos. He states that even as a writer his mind struggle to keep focus on a book. One example that he spoke about the research program done by the British Library in UK consortium for five years. People use “a skimming activity” (228) reading on the Internet doesn't let them read the entire article, users research sites power browse and skim through titles and selects to look for information that seems as if it might be important. Another appeal to logos that Carr makes comes from the philosopher Plato. In Plato’s Phaedrus, Plato worries that written word would “substitute for the knowledge they used to carry inside their heads” (233). Plato writing was too accessible at the time, when today it is the internet that is most accessible. Since the issue that Nicolas Carr brings up is significant, so the statistic used in this article are carefully checked and very specific. Ethos is appealed to not only in the narrator’s self-consciousness, but the comparison in condition he has to related bloggers and personal scholastic contacts. Car established that he is a well-educated man that used to enjoy lengthy read at the beginning by saying “Immersing myself in a book or lengthy article use to be easy” (226). Then he further support his deep reading habit have become struggle. Carr’s credibility continues to rise as he researched his topic well. With the use of historical reference, the author can make the audience actually believe on what he was trying to convey. For example “ Fredrich Nietzsche began a historic series of experiments at improving of the plant’s machinists and created a set of precise an algorithm” (231). Carr introduced an example far in the past to explain that technology throughout history is seen to have an effect on the way we think. If a hundred years ago technology was changing the way people write and think then maybe Carr’s articles has some truths to it after all. He frequently quotes professional writers or professors and prominent universities to show that he really knows what he’s talking about. In this article, he gives a brief example of how neuron can be made and broke depending on what things shape the way things are done. He thinks by using the internet so much, we will become more and more objective and quick thinkers, and ultimately emotionless computers. He declares, “But I worry about what Google is doing to our brains” (225). He wants the reader to recognize the harm that is being brought by Google. This quotation exhibits the author’s perspective. He is presenting his opinion on the issue and notifying that Google is not helping our education, the way we think, and or how we do things. Another technology to help support his discussion that Carr points out that changed the way we live is the clock. “In deciding when to eat, to work, to sleep, to rise, we stopped listening to our senses and started obeying the clock” (233). If a clock can change the way we think and live just think about the way the internet has changed us and what it can do as technology advances more. Carr uses pathos to make us feel like we are more connect to his argument. He trying to point out that the internet could be causing more problems than good and something should be done about it. He also uses the unsettling scene of computer to provoke the audience’s sympathy for his drifting concentration, habits, and struggle while brightening up his persuasion with images like tripping over hyperlinks and jet skiing over a sea of word. He may be informative, but he personalizes his article by calling himself a “worrywart” (234). I believe the way he went about using his tone I think really helped strengthen his article. He barely put in any of his emotions which make the writing sometimes weak. The use of Car’s language was also affective. He uses vivid words, phrases, and images throughout the article with quote such as “it so poignant and so weird is the computer’s emotional response to disassembly of its mind…I can feel it. I’m afraid – can only be called the state of innocent” (234). In “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” argues his concern on the use of the internet and how it is affecting out brain. Carr’s main argument is that the internet may well have damaging effect on cognition while reading, the ability of concentration and deep thinking. With the rely on the internet people are not using their brain as much as they should be. In this article Nicolas Carr not only does great job to get his point across through the use of rhetorical appeal and great use of tone but also provides good argument with much supportive details. His paper work would rank at level eight. Carr justifies how there is both a decline in intelligence, but also in effort from people with the addition of the Internet. “You can Google all the facts you want, but you’ll never Google your way to brilliance” (228). This quote is Carr’s main argument. The quote tells the reader that the author sticks to his own opinion about the topic, and one that is clear to understand. The tittle is a question therefore with good arguments, opinions and facts. Carr can help his audience to answer it.

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