Carr vs. Cascio

Nadia Rangwalla

July 26, 2011

Carr vs. Cascio

In this day and age, technology is rapidly developing. New models and software’s are being invented on a daily bases, and humans have started to depend on these technologies for every day obstacles and dilemmas. But is this constant reliance on technology altering the human mind and its ability to focus, or simply just giving us a helping hand to discovering more knowledge? Nicolas Carr expresses his opinion in his article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” He is skeptical on whether or not the Internet is as helpful as it first appears, he writes about how it may affect the way humans think and weaken our concentration skills. With a completely contradicting idea Jamais Cascio writes his ideas on how the use of technology helps us through challenges and gives us a boost of intellect, in his article “Get Smarter”.

I have mixed feelings on this current controversy in the world. I agree with Nicolas Carr’s claim that the Internet is conveying us to drift off, and lose focus more easily. My own experiences have given me evidence that this may be true, I constantly find myself struggling to get through long readings and articles about topics I am rather interested in. When reading I often fidget, and begin to zone out without control. This lack of focus may be because of my immense use of the Internet and search engines like Google. Although I agree with one of Carr’s claim, I am mainly a supporter of Jamais Cascio’s ideas. I am a firm believer that the advancements in technology will be a major factor in helping us survive on this forever-changing planet. The Internet is providing the world with a lot of new information instantaneously that helps professionals make medical advancements, find cures to pandemics, and even discover facts about our galaxy.

There are many different opinions on how this digital generation is affecting the world today. Authors like Nicolas Carr, and Jamais Cascio are letting their voice be heard on this issue through their blogs and articles. To an extent I agree with both ends of the spectrum. Though the Internet may be affecting the human mind and its capability to stay concentrated; it is a resource to the world that is currently helping people make breakthroughs in all aspects of education, and even saves human lives.