My Position

The use of the internet has become commonplace and almost necessitated in the modern society of today. Its effects on the people that use it, and the future it holds for us as a human race is debated by several different authors. Nicholas Carr, author of "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", takes on a skeptical perspective of the internet's long-term effects on the human mind. He points out that the use of the fast-moving, all encompassing source of information that is the internet will eventually mold our way of thought and wear away at our concentration, focus, and ability to interpret. Jamais Cascio, author of the article, "Get Smarter", believes almost the opposite; that utilizing the technology we have around us is the key a bright future in the intellect of the human race. Clay Shirky contemplates the pros and cons of internet usage and the effect it has on the society around us in his article, "Does the Internet Make You Smarter or Dumber?"As he sees it, starting way back when the printing press was first invented, the development of technology that allows for the circulation of ideas and opinions has "increas[ed]...the intellectual range and output of society."

My personal opinion contains a little from the ideas of all three authors. It is often said, as in Carr's case, that the way the internet displays information - short and to the point, without much elaboration and depth - is beginning to succeed in transforming the minds of its users into looking for information of that form instead of focusing, slowing down, and digging for it in books. Carr, in his article, is right to some extent that the internet has started to cause a decline in its users ability to pay attention. But I wouldn't go as far as saying it will break down our memory or capability to interpret and contemplate. At the same time that I acknowledge that the internet is slowly affecting people as a whole, perhaps negatively in terms of intellect and attention span, I also believe that the internet is an incredibly resourceful and useful tool, placing all kinds of information at your fingertips. It definitely has made life easier, especially for research and academic purposes. It does seem like it could hold great promise for the intelligence of all humans. But in terms of what it can or can't do, my opinion is on the same track as Shirky's. You would think that the internet is useful now, and will most likely stay useful in the future, but no one can say it is fully developed. The way Shirky sees it, the internet today has undoubtedly produced stupid things and stupid people. But, by the way it conveniently allows for the freedom to express one's opinion, the future can only get better. The world will have to adjust to the new amounts of information and accessible knowledge the internet provides, as well as how easily it distributes that information, just like how the world adjusted to the rise of the printing press. With all that is out there, there will be the people that don't produce something useful with it, but there will definitely also be the people that do. As for now, keep trying.