Post by jacobwinkler on Aug 8, 2011 15:52:54 GMT -5
Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” asks a very simple question about how the internet presents information to us. Nicholas Carr feels that because we have so much information readily available to us, in such simple and short forms, that we have lost our ability to focus on something for more than a few minutes at a time. Carr also mentions colleagues and acquaintances of his who have recently started experiencing similar symptoms. Bruce Friedman was quoted as having said, “I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print.” So we must ask, is the internet and technology in general really to blame for this sudden deficit of attention?
In all honesty, I feel that technology is very much responsible for any lack of attention among people across the globe. I spend the majority of my days engrossed in technology, and find myself using the tools Carr mentions in his article at almost all hours. For instance I used google just now to pull up numbers on the increased growth of ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. From the year 1997 to 2006, an annual growth in ADD diagnosis of 4% has been observed within the teenage demographic. (12 to 17 years of age) Now, within the past decade we have seen hundreds of notable technological advances which have significantly impacted society. This leads leads me to believe that there is some correlation between the growth of ADD diagnosis and the growth of technology as well. People today have so much on their minds and so much they want to do, that concentrating on any single task for more than a few moments is a challenge. So, we then label this lack in concentration as a disease and then proceed to pump patients full of drugs to help them concentrate.
Anyone who knows me well understands just how heavily I am associated with technology. They're probably thinking that I'm a huge hypocrite right now for casting any sort of negative light on technology. However, the way I see it, technology isn't directly responsible. As I've stated before, I'm surrounded by technology at all hours, and I use google more times per day than I have fingers and toes. With all of this technology constantly surrounding me, I have no issues with concentration in any form. Once I get to work, I stay at work until the job is finished. All it takes is a little initiative from yourself. Of course getting things done is going to be difficult if you keep your phone next to you at all times while you work. Take the initiative to isolate yourself from technology. In thought, the task of removing oneself from technology may seem daunting, but in actuality, it's typically nothing more than the press of a button. Once you acquire self control, everything else is trivial, and suddenly concentration isn't a difficult task to master. Thus, google isn't what's making us stupid. We're doing that ourselves.
In all honesty, I feel that technology is very much responsible for any lack of attention among people across the globe. I spend the majority of my days engrossed in technology, and find myself using the tools Carr mentions in his article at almost all hours. For instance I used google just now to pull up numbers on the increased growth of ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder. From the year 1997 to 2006, an annual growth in ADD diagnosis of 4% has been observed within the teenage demographic. (12 to 17 years of age) Now, within the past decade we have seen hundreds of notable technological advances which have significantly impacted society. This leads leads me to believe that there is some correlation between the growth of ADD diagnosis and the growth of technology as well. People today have so much on their minds and so much they want to do, that concentrating on any single task for more than a few moments is a challenge. So, we then label this lack in concentration as a disease and then proceed to pump patients full of drugs to help them concentrate.
Anyone who knows me well understands just how heavily I am associated with technology. They're probably thinking that I'm a huge hypocrite right now for casting any sort of negative light on technology. However, the way I see it, technology isn't directly responsible. As I've stated before, I'm surrounded by technology at all hours, and I use google more times per day than I have fingers and toes. With all of this technology constantly surrounding me, I have no issues with concentration in any form. Once I get to work, I stay at work until the job is finished. All it takes is a little initiative from yourself. Of course getting things done is going to be difficult if you keep your phone next to you at all times while you work. Take the initiative to isolate yourself from technology. In thought, the task of removing oneself from technology may seem daunting, but in actuality, it's typically nothing more than the press of a button. Once you acquire self control, everything else is trivial, and suddenly concentration isn't a difficult task to master. Thus, google isn't what's making us stupid. We're doing that ourselves.