Response to Articles

When it comes to the topic of the Internet, most of us will readily agree that it is extremely convenient and changing our world. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of “Is this change beneficial or disadvantageous?”. Whereas some are convinced that it is good, others maintain that it is bad. I believe that this change is good.

Although Nicholas Carr admits the Internet is a great tool for everything from research, to communication, to entertainment, but is convinced that the Internet’s way of changing the way we think is a disadvantage. In an essay entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, he emphasizes that the Internet is changing the way we think so that we cannot concentrate on one thing for a long period of time and do not “make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply” or in other words, think deeply. He admitted to not being able to do these things as well since “spending so much time online”.

On the other hand, I believe that the shorter attention spans, although they seem problematic now, will benefit future and not worsen it. We are changing how we think to adapt to the new way we obtain information just as many people of different eras did when there was an advance in technology. Each advance has profited society overall. This is why I feel we should embrace new technology and the vast amount of data available to us. Jamais Cascio, a person for the changes, also explains his theory about the shorter attention span. In the article “Get Smarter”, he calls the shorter attention spans are like an “induced form of ADD” but that he is convinced that when we develop “the ability to find meaning in confusion to solve new problems” it will give us a way to think deeply. I also believe these things and think that we should not be afraid or worried about the change in our way of thinking. Like I pointed out before, every major advance in technology has brought a tremendous amount of change and each time, our world has moved along well.

In conclusion, I feel that the Internet is changing the way we think is a positive thing. With good skills and tools we will be able to navigate through the vast amount of data and can to become a smarter or more intelligent race in the end. I want to emphasize the fact that change is never comfortable, but it is usually for the better.