As an online course, the writing that we do in English 305 is substantially different from a face to face course. As such, it is imperative that you understand the course style from the start. Nearly all of your work in this course will be posted on the course blog.
EACH WEEK YOU WILL HAVE THREE BLOG ASSIGNMENTS:
1. A BLOG ENTRY,
2. A READING, AND
3. A WRITING ABOUT THE READING. Your reading and writing on the blog must be completed by the Friday (by midnight) of the week in which the reading falls. You have all week each week to complete the reading and writing for that week, but there are no late assignments accepted, so be sure to be disciplined about the work from the start. Let me re-state that point; if you do the assigned work before or during the week it is due, you will receive full credit. If you do the work after the Friday of the week it is assigned, you will get zero credit for that week.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
WEEK TWO RESPONDING TO WHAT YOU READ
How is your online activity changing the way you think? Is, as the author suggests, google making you stupid?
The World Wide Web. Few, if any, go a day without accessing the vast world of the web whether at the office, home, or at school. The internet has become a way of life for individuals in the 21st century. We rely on the web to keep us connected through social networks, online dating sites, blog spots, etc., but does it go to say, that all this online activity lowers our IQ? I would argue against such. The advent of the internet in the late 20th and early 21st centuries provided a way for individuals across the world to connect with each other and share information. The evolution of the internet into what we know today has increased the standards individuals have regarding information accessibility. As users, we expect that within a short time of accessing the web and searching sites such as Google and Yahoo, the answer we seek will be presented. Does this make our society stupid? Internet has done everything but that. The internet has set a new standard for accessing and acquiring information. Through the evolution of technology and internet alike, our society has become ever busier and the need to stay connected and share information has increased. This increase in activity leaves little time to spend searching for answers in books and written texts when all one needs to do is obtain access to a computer, phone, tablet, etc. that has access to the internet. Technology has changed the way our society operates and those unable to embrace the change will be left in the dust unable to comprehend and influence society. By having access to an unlimited amount of information easily accessible through the World Wide Web, our society has become smarter than past ages. We are able to not only process information it once took years to gather in just a short period of time, but we are able to exponentially expand our minds by accessing vast amounts of information that one could not hope to gather within a lifetime without the use of the internet. No, the internet is not making society stupid. The internet has increased the standard society has in obtaining information and as such, typical of any drastic change to accepted standards, is leaving some members of society unable to adapt to change in the dust, frightened by a new frontier.
The internet web has brought the world easy access in one’s life. We use the internet as way of thinking and searching through sites for school, work, or just entertainment. The web keeps us connected with everyday use, such as blogs, social network, and news around the world. In answering the first question, my online activity does change the way I think but in a positive way. For instance, having to search for the news around the world dealing with projects at school or work is a good way to access the internet by just a click of a button. Sometimes we get lazy to read in our textbooks to find answers, so we looked through the internet and search for them. The internet does not necessarily bring a bad outcome in one’s life but it brings accessible information when we need it. The question that is brought is, Google making you stupid? The answer is No! Searching the net gives us knowledge and quick time to get the information we need. More and more technology is coming in to society which will influence our lives in many ways. We connect through the internet across the world and share information with one another. The internet makes our lives easier whether it is at home, work, or school.
Angelica, I definitely agree with the valid points you give, as a matter of fact, because of the internet we get to meet, reunite, and explore places and people all around the world that maybe we would have never had the opportunity to meet. By using the internet search method, information becomes more accessible to us.
The internet is definitely affecting the way I think. There is not a day that goes by where I'm not surfing the web for information. Whether it's research needed for school projects, engaging socially with others, or educating myself on general topics the internet is constantly being utilized at home and work. Ten years ago it required a lot of time, effort, and hard work to conduct research on various topics for school assignments. Now that I've returned to college in this world wide web era research is much easier, less time consuming, and can be completed in a matter of minutes. As the author points out reading a textbook or novel and remaining focused appears to be more difficult for me now, before the internet invaded our lives. I've often felt that the easily accesible plethra of information at our fingertips has caused our society to think less. I don't agree that google is making us stupid but that we are becoming lazy thinkers. We are not motivated to use our brains because we don't have to, and are more dependent on our computer for information than each other, books, or heaven forbid even our own knowledge. Overall, google is not making us stupid, it's simply another tool utilized for gathering information, knowledge, and answers.
I am beginning to take the tremendous amounts of information availability on the internet for granted. It’s difficult to remember when it wasn’t there! The idea that I can check out the weather in Lahore, Pakistan or Quito, Ecuador is assumed. News, business, and entertainment information is just a click away with various web browsers on my desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet. I get frustrated and impatient, when I have to wait for information or a web browser directs me to information other than what I was seeking. However, I don’t believe that Google has the capacity to make anyone “stupid.” However, it is making us complacent and numb to personal accountability! We blindly accept information obtained on the web; it is degrading the value of personal responsibility, critical thinking and personal problem solving. To be sure, Google and other search engines can HELP in these areas, but the problem is that many of us are blindly accepting the opinions of others as our own (To quote one of my professor’s friends, “If it weren’t for plagiarism, I would have no creativity at all.”) We are abrogating our rights to the ubiquitous man and woman that may or may not exist in the netherworld of technology.
I'd have to say online activity has changed the way I think and interact. It's amazing how much information is at our fingertips. It can be said that things like advertising or being redirected to a different site can be a distraction when searching information, but that still doesn't negate that availibility of useful information on the internet. This is espeicially useful when it comes to one's education or career. In a day of age where time is of the essence people want to get information as fast and effectively as possible. Could you say that the web has made us lazy or less affective, maybe. The fact of the matter is that we live in a technological era and we should be thankful for how much information is available to us and a moments notice. As for the question "Is Google making us stupid", I would have to say no. To me Google has been some what ground breaking in that it has allowed people to find information on just about anything in the blink of an eye. I will say, I don't feel completely comfortable about the idea talked about in the reading where they say there working towards a day where we would have information put in our brain, practically making people robots. I'm fine just seaching it on the web myself. Lastly, technology has changed the way I think,in that I have total access to tons of information on the web, whereas before I might of had to search for hours or days to find certain information.
Is Google making myself and those of my generation stupid? I don't believe so. I think Google is making us impatient, like taylorism made the workers that bought into it impatient. Everything runs tight now, and if something takes to long we get upset. Even while reading this article i found myself wondering when it would end, and jumping ahead to the question for the reading. Does that make me dumb? I say no. Not to brag but i have made deans list a couple of times at this school and have a GPA higher than 3.0 on the 4.0 scale. Google is great tool for society making mountains of information accessible at a moments notice. The world is getting faster and we are just attempting to keep up with it.
I believe that online activity has changed the way not only I think but also my peers. Not only Google but the internet as a whole has made it easier and easier for people to access data and have thousands or resources right at our fingertips. When reading this article, I felt myself saying "yes" and "I feel that way too." The author notes that while he used to be able to read long novels and passages and now no longer can read more than a few paragraphs without becoming distracted or impatient. While Google is a great resource I do feel that it has made our generation extremely impatient and easily distracted. If we get bored with what we are reading we can simply click on a link or open a new window. We are so used to being able to pull out our phone or laptop and find out the latest news within seconds. If anything takes longer than a few minutes to read or grab someone's attention, you have lost them. Unlike our parent's who had to wait until the next morning's newspaper or the five o'clock news, all we have to do log on. While I do believe that with the new technological advancements we have made there comes change in the way we think and interact, I do not think that makes us stupid. We are in a process of training ourselves to think and operate in a different way than in the past. We no longer need to be able to read long books and passages because we can absorb the same information in a different way or format quickly. The internet has become a tool that if utilized correctly can continue to make our lives easier and connect us in a way never before imagined.
Nowadays, all the advantages that the internet, a powerful computing system, offers the world are uncountable. For many, the internet has been a blessing in our lives since it brings numerous positive and convenient results. In particular, my online activity has change my philosophy in a positive way since it enormously facilitates most of my daily tasks, allows me to be aware of the world-wide events, enables me to communicate with acquaintances and more. For example, whenever I am looking for an specific topic, from national news to a soccer game result, just by typing some words I get immediate results to the information that I need. This is spectacular! Equally important, I disagree with the author's opinion, that Google is making us stupid because we have immediate access to almost everything.I see Google as a favorable tool that offers everyone an opportunity to reach a higher quality of life. In addition, I see Google as an educational source since it serves as an instrument where everyone can collect information that books do not offer. Honestly, I think that most of us have once utilize Google to benefit from it, and all the hopping from site to site has lead us to gain some knowledge.
After reading this article, I have come to the conclusion that the author is right. Author Nicholas Carr says, “The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” He’s absolutely true. As a child, I was a bookworm. I would spend hours reading—lost in my own universe. The thought of all these stories would play out in my brain. Growing up, technology became a part of my life. I would spend less time reading, and I would waste my time on the Internet. Now, as an adult, I do read. However, it’s harder for me to concentrate now knowing that there could be a smaller and more simplified version of the reading--online. The Internet is an amazing tool; however, I believe it’s up to us as individuals to control and limit our usage. In the article, Dr. Olds, a Neuroscientist, he believes that the adult mind is “plastic.” Our brains can be trained; however, we have let our brains become much slower thanks to passive Internet time.
This article was so awesome, and confirmed many feelings that I have had for quite some time now. Our society today is so robotic, I feel like I can never be expected to be a real person anymore. At work everything is go, go, go. Time is money. The invention of the clock really did screw us over. I can't tell how many times a day I look at the thing, and I feel that everything I do is never fast enough for anyone's liking. I mean, by God, it's a sin to take more than 2 minutes get a table's drinks, go take an order, and greet another table as they are sitting down, (i'm a server at chili's). I get glares as i'm trying to sell the margarita's, extra beans and rice, avocado, blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on. As for the reading, I agree that it's difficult to get into a deep read. I have found that only if a book is full of fantasy, adventure, and constant stimulation, I can't get through it. I laughed while reading the article itself, because there were times when I would catch myself skimming through it, but I forced myself to slow down and actually absorb it. It's a training process, and if people could actually take the time to start reading books again, they could rebuild what was lost. It's funny because kids these days are growing up on this technology. They are being fed this crap as babies, thus being hardwired at a very early age. And then we wonder, once their in grade school, why they don't have an attention span for longer than ten minutes, and we diagnose them with A.D.D. We think something is wrong with them. Or we ourselves think, gee, I can't concentrate like I used to. Something must be wrong with me, and suddenly we have A.D.H.D. I want to get myself off this sick bandwagon, but it's difficult when our society runs completely off of internet techonology. Can you sense anger in my BLOG? Blah! I think I need to go check my blood pressure and look at the clock one more time! Ha ha.
Remembering how things were before the internet and enjoying the convenience it provides today differs drastically. Searching for things today takes a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds online, but I don't believe it changes the way we think.It's a useful tool and even though it may turn up millions of results for us to read and process, I'm not convinced that it affects 'how' our brain processes information.If anything, google has made us impatient. I say this because people now would rather look online for things than do the old- fashion method and search through books especially when we can do it from wherever we are at and it takes way less time. Google was developed to help us do and search for things easily as well as help us communicate, and even learn, so to say it is making us stupid, I would have to disagree.
I think my online activity has drastically changed the way I think. At one point, I would always go to the library and just search for topics that interests me; however, with the access of the computer that has all changed. All the information I need is just at the tip of my fingers. Anything and everything I need to research on, I go straight to the World Wide Web. I do not think that google is making anyone stupid; however, it is the people themself. People rather go straight to the internet in order to research instead of doing the traditional method of reading through books. The technology we have today is making it more convenient for everyone to choose an easier way and a more time saving method of doing what is needed. I feel that sooner or later, everything we do will require technology because of the ease it allows.
I do believe that my online activity has changed the way I think. For example, when I was younger and was attending High School, I remember going to the library and spending numerous hours searching for information and gathering sources for school projects. I would get all my information from books, published articles, and encyclopedias. Having to look up encyclopedias and read more books allowed me to deep process the information more because it usually meant being in a library with a pencil in my hand paraphrasing and highlighting the important facts. Spending four hours in a library did not seem like a long time and I was able to keep focused without having any interrruptions of a new e-mail comming through. Today I get all the information I need from online search engines and I can look up dozens of papers and books in one hour. You can look up specific pages of a book, and you can find summaries to avoid reading the whole material yourself. Do I believe that Google is making us stupid? My answer is no. New technology allows us to receive correct information really fast. I think that it is up to people on how they want to use the World Wide Web. People can decide to be lazy and just read the summaries of a book, or they can read the book themselves and use the internet to look up other’s people’s reviews about the book. They can share their thoughts about the book on a blog, and learn more about the book from each other. Google is there to assists us with correct information fast, and storing correct information in our brains does not make us stupid.
Google is a tool I sometimes use to enhance my knowledge when there is no time to go to a library or no one to go to, to find that information I need in that instant. I believe that information could be access directly from a library, but since there is limited access to one and on the other hand Google can be accessed to twenty-four hours and seven days a week, which becomes an alternative in finding information. But also you as the reader need to determine if what you are reading is something that you can make sense of it because not everything on the internet is intelectually written. Google doesn't make us stupid, it's the way our enviroment and culture has limited us in some ways like for instance one factors that impedes intelligence is economic status if you don't have the means you are less likely to go or finish getting an education.
Retrieving information through the internet has changed my way of thinking on multiple tiers. The most basic and the scariest is how easy I trust what I read is true, now books might not have been truthful either, but it takes a lot more effort to create a book then a page on the internet. Although now I have painted myself in the corner, with information being so readily available wrong information on the web has many chances of being corrected by others. With that said, I guess neither the book or internet can be more truthful or wrong then the other, other than the fact that It is easier to check the truth of the information by comparing it to other sources, which in case involves another Google search. The second tier of how my mind is changing is how sadly I must agree with the many sources in the assigned reading in how it’s difficult to read long passages in a book or on the web before The itch becomes overwhelming difficult to ignore resulting in either skimming the subject or switching to something else altogether. The last tier is how my mind wants everything in a bullet type formation. I want the facts of the subject in a sentence or least in bold print that sums up the entirety of what I’m looking for. This desire for chopped bits of information leads me to skimming most textbooks, webpage’s and written word looking for the clues that will provide me with the facts I need. I used to be an avid reader, but now rarely read more then what’s required, I have thought long and hard about this and thought to blame it on not having the time to read anymore. This wouldn’t be true if I did, I simply lack the concentration for it. I actually did read all the material in the required reading only to see if the itch appeared and the desire to do something else, and it did appear and became a struggle of will to finish it.
My online activty has changed my thinking in some ways for instance, internet provide me information instantly, whereas finding information in the library is time consuming. Online activity has changed my thoughts about communication being face to face with another person, whereas now Internet allows me to chat with whoever and wherever in the world. The author suggests that Google is making us stupid, but only to some extent because internet effects people differently. For instance, I can read and concentrate for a long time when I really need to but I can not deny the fact that sometimes I can not concentrate it just depends on what I am reading. I prefer reading from books because its easier to concentrate and be focused. Furthermore, online activity has made use impatient and less focused compared to reading from a book.
In my opinion, my online activity helps me a lot because it makes my research easier by providing multiple articles and information needed for my research, but it also makes my life harder in that I need to read a lot because I do not like to just skim my article. The classes at California State University of Bakersfield requires to us to read books and accredited journals not just the articles on the Internet for research papers. I do not think Google makes me stupid because I love to read. I know some people like to just skim, but really I cannot do it. I believe that when you look up something on Google you need to take the time to see if the information is valid. I believe that everyone needs to be careful and not be gullible when finding information on Google, however, I do not believe that a search engine on the Internet can make anyone stupid. Maybe because English is my second language I need to read the whole article more careful, but even in Spanish I like to read the complete book or article in its totality not just the summary of it. I use Google as a search engine for basic information, but I am careful in making sure the article or what is posted is valid I do not think that I am stupid because I use Google.
Online activity changes the way you think in so many ways! I have a facebook account but I am constantly deleting people. I don't want to hear about their hang nails, bladder infections, court dates, whatever! That is just too much information and I couldn't care less. My point is by reading my facebook and seeing dumb comments like that I have just wasted my time and thought space in my brain. Also, if questions arise how many of us go to google to find out about it? I do! I should buy some Google stock! I am still a real book lover, so I will not buy a nook. I still would rather have a real phone call than have you on my facebook. I would love a verbal birthday than to see it posted in an e-mail or text. My answer is Absolutely! Google IS making us stuuuuupid! :p
Online activity has definitely changed the way I think and live my life. I do not, however, believe that “google” as an entity in itself is making people stupid. It’s technology as an entire lifestyle that makes people lazy. In an age of texting and Facebook, we spend less time with our peers and more time in front of a screen. The art of conversation has almost been lost to texting. If ask young people, the majority of them will say that they would rather text than make a phone call and actually talk to a person. While this does save time, people become less connected with each other. I will admit, I don’t read as much as I used to, and my attention span is shorter since I’ve become more addicted to the internet. Who would want to spend time going through books and periodicals in a library when you can just look on an internet database? I even got a kindle to encourage myself to read more, but after a few paragraphs I have to put it down and do something else. Change is inevitable, especially in a society so technologically advanced. The people who are completely against the internet and cell phones are the same ones who would have called television the antichrist in the 1950’s. When technology changes, it’s necessary for the people to change along with it.
"The art of conversation has almost been lost to texting. If ask young people, the majority of them will say that they would rather text than make a phone call and actually talk to a person."
This comment is really sad, but so true. Now a days people just want a quick conversation with no feeling involved. No more face to face and no more phone calls. No wonder people get tired of each other so fast since they can't communicate.
I think my use of the internet has changed the way i think. I think the article "is google making us stupid?" is informative and interesting as it included relevant information about the topic of the internet's influence on one's cognition, and brain functions and adaptations. I liked how the writer, Nicholas Carr, combined both rhetorical and psychological analysis of the issue of internet influence on human brain. Also, the article referred to the evolution of our reading, writing and even thinking habits in such a organized manner. My personal opinion with google and technology over all is that it has made us less self sufficient and very impatient. People don't know how to read a book anymore they go to the internet for instant results and skim through the material getting only bits and pieces of the information.
The net has definitely changed the way I think and has reprogrammed my mind. I do agree with the author, Nicholas Carr in his example of not being able to read a whole book in its entirety without getting anxious and impatient. I look for the "shortcut" instead of reading a book I go to Mr. Google and get the gist of the book in seconds. The new mindset is the faster the better and it's apparent with the amount of money we pay internet providers for their fastest high speed internet like 40mps. In addition, this idea of Google creating this artificial intelligence that will make us better off really disturbed me since we all have a brain so we can be different, have free will of what to perceive, and engage in. The truth is that if Google can pull off such an innovation of creating a new brain for anyone that has the money to buy one we will become robots and lose our uniqueness. Google is not making us stupid its making us depend on it's technologies which means they are in control. This article has really opened my eyes to the bigger picture of technology which has evolved to a whole new high.
Wow! I can see why Nicholas Carr would say Google is making us stupid. I can relate to some of the behavior changes in the way I use to study before and they way I do now. When I was younger I could sit down and read for a long period of time but it seems like now that I am older it becomes more difficult to keep my train of thought. I use to blame it on my self-diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) but Carr makes a good point that our brains plasticity is in charge of adapting down the biological level and if we are over exercising the areas of the brain that focus on short term memory we will loose the ability to store long term memory and develop critical thinking skills. I hope maybe I can make changes that will allow me to gain more of my discipline to just sit down and read with out wanting to go check my email, Facebook, or television.
The internet today has made it very easy for people to access vertually anything they want. From scholarly reports for school to something as simple as movie times for your night out with friends. I don't believe that the internet or websites such as google have made us "dumb",I believe that it is up to us to use it as we wish. If you know how to use the interent for useful things then it can be very helpful and a great resource for information. On the other hand it could make you lazy if you choose to use it for things that are irrelevant. We make the internet what we would like it to be in order to accomidate our daily uses. Use it effectivly and you will get great results. Just like everyting in life, technology has its positives and it's negatives. Over the last couple of years technology has changed very much and I believe that it is a good thing. Technology changes are made due to the way of living. Our times have changed, and we have the technology we have because it is necessary to keep up with busy lifestyles.
Online activity and the use of the internet have changed my way of thinking and have made me lazy, not stupid. Instead of trying to think something out myself, or maybe just make an educated guess I immediately go to my I-Phone and search it on Google. In retrospect I do come out of the situation with more knowledge and in a timely fashion. As for reading, I cannot quite sympathize with the author. I have a hard time reading in the first place, and I have never been a fan of long articles or books; I enjoy simple and condensed readings. If anything I think that texting has made me stupid. I find it hard to go from the abbreviated texting world to the grammatically correct writing world. If I haven’t written in a long time I will catch myself writing in text mode. So to me I don’t quite agree with the author that Google makes people stupid, I think it makes people lazy.
I can definitely relate to some of the examples the author gives when relating his past “pre technology” era with our current era. I love to read books, I recall being able to sit in one spot and read until the book was over or I had to do something else. Now, I can’t sit in a chair and read, read, read without stopping myself to text, check Facebook, or even Google the most random thing I have seen or heard while reading. I would definitely agree with many that the technology has not made us stupid yet it has made us rely on an easier way to obtain the information needed in a matter of seconds rather than hours or even days when using books.
The internet has made me so impatient that it has effected everything I do on a day to day basis. Because I do not "normally" have to wait for any amount of information, I find myself becoming so impatient that I have a hard time sitting at a red light without wanting to reach for my cellular phone to see if anyone has text me. Sometimes when I drive home, I want to talk to someone because I am "bored" and want to have something to do while I drive. Of course now that it is illegal, I try my best to put the cellular phone down and focus on the road. I can admit that I am not always perfect, but I do my best because I know how dangerous it is.
I believe that google and it's similar online web pages has made me less intelligent. I think that often times I rely on sources for important information, and these sources are not reliable. I sometimes make judgements, whether they be political, medical, financial, or professional based on what the internet tells me. The fact of the matter is, anyone can build a website, and I am sure many people would believe that the information is accurate.
yes!, i believe google makes us stuoid or is just another route for laziness. I find myself numerous times trying to read the book but cant find the answer for hours so i get some help off google to help me further go that answer. I feel google isnt teaching us alot that we need to know in the world either, the internent that we use nowadays can easily be edited and be made up sources like wikipedia. People believe what they see on internet now that its just twisting with peoples heads on what they really believe in or not. so my answer to this reading is yes google is a faster and easier way out of the education world
The World Wide Web. Few, if any, go a day without accessing the vast world of the web whether at the office, home, or at school. The internet has become a way of life for individuals in the 21st century. We rely on the web to keep us connected through social networks, online dating sites, blog spots, etc., but does it go to say, that all this online activity lowers our IQ? I would argue against such. The advent of the internet in the late 20th and early 21st centuries provided a way for individuals across the world to connect with each other and share information. The evolution of the internet into what we know today has increased the standards individuals have regarding information accessibility. As users, we expect that within a short time of accessing the web and searching sites such as Google and Yahoo, the answer we seek will be presented. Does this make our society stupid? Internet has done everything but that. The internet has set a new standard for accessing and acquiring information. Through the evolution of technology and internet alike, our society has become ever busier and the need to stay connected and share information has increased. This increase in activity leaves little time to spend searching for answers in books and written texts when all one needs to do is obtain access to a computer, phone, tablet, etc. that has access to the internet. Technology has changed the way our society operates and those unable to embrace the change will be left in the dust unable to comprehend and influence society. By having access to an unlimited amount of information easily accessible through the World Wide Web, our society has become smarter than past ages. We are able to not only process information it once took years to gather in just a short period of time, but we are able to exponentially expand our minds by accessing vast amounts of information that one could not hope to gather within a lifetime without the use of the internet. No, the internet is not making society stupid. The internet has increased the standard society has in obtaining information and as such, typical of any drastic change to accepted standards, is leaving some members of society unable to adapt to change in the dust, frightened by a new frontier.
ReplyDeletevery good points here
DeleteThe internet web has brought the world easy access in one’s life. We use the internet as way of thinking and searching through sites for school, work, or just entertainment. The web keeps us connected with everyday use, such as blogs, social network, and news around the world. In answering the first question, my online activity does change the way I think but in a positive way. For instance, having to search for the news around the world dealing with projects at school or work is a good way to access the internet by just a click of a button. Sometimes we get lazy to read in our textbooks to find answers, so we looked through the internet and search for them. The internet does not necessarily bring a bad outcome in one’s life but it brings accessible information when we need it. The question that is brought is, Google making you stupid? The answer is No! Searching the net gives us knowledge and quick time to get the information we need. More and more technology is coming in to society which will influence our lives in many ways. We connect through the internet across the world and share information with one another. The internet makes our lives easier whether it is at home, work, or school.
ReplyDeleteAngelica, I definitely agree with the valid points you give, as a matter of fact, because of the internet we get to meet, reunite, and explore places and people all around the world that maybe we would have never had the opportunity to meet. By using the internet search method, information becomes more accessible to us.
DeleteThe internet is definitely affecting the way I think. There is not a day that goes by where I'm not surfing the web for information. Whether it's research needed for school projects, engaging socially with others, or educating myself on general topics the internet is constantly being utilized at home and work. Ten years ago it required a lot of time, effort, and hard work to conduct research on various topics for school assignments. Now that I've returned to college in this world wide web era research is much easier, less time consuming, and can be completed in a matter of minutes. As the author points out reading a textbook or novel and remaining focused appears to be more difficult for me now, before the internet invaded our lives. I've often felt that the easily accesible plethra of information at our fingertips has caused our society to think less. I don't agree that google is making us stupid but that we are becoming lazy thinkers. We are not motivated to use our brains because we don't have to, and are more dependent on our computer for information than each other, books, or heaven forbid even our own knowledge. Overall, google is not making us stupid, it's simply another tool utilized for gathering information, knowledge, and answers.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to take the tremendous amounts of information availability on the internet for granted. It’s difficult to remember when it wasn’t there! The idea that I can check out the weather in Lahore, Pakistan or Quito, Ecuador is assumed. News, business, and entertainment information is just a click away with various web browsers on my desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet. I get frustrated and impatient, when I have to wait for information or a web browser directs me to information other than what I was seeking. However, I don’t believe that Google has the capacity to make anyone “stupid.” However, it is making us complacent and numb to personal accountability! We blindly accept information obtained on the web; it is degrading the value of personal responsibility, critical thinking and personal problem solving. To be sure, Google and other search engines can HELP in these areas, but the problem is that many of us are blindly accepting the opinions of others as our own (To quote one of my professor’s friends, “If it weren’t for plagiarism, I would have no creativity at all.”) We are abrogating our rights to the ubiquitous man and woman that may or may not exist in the netherworld of technology.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say online activity has changed the way I think and interact. It's amazing how much information is at our fingertips. It can be said that things like advertising or being redirected to a different site can be a distraction when searching information, but that still doesn't negate that availibility of useful information on the internet. This is espeicially useful when it comes to one's education or career. In a day of age where time is of the essence people want to get information as fast and effectively as possible. Could you say that the web has made us lazy or less affective, maybe. The fact of the matter is that we live in a technological era and we should be thankful for how much information is available to us and a moments notice. As for the question "Is Google making us stupid", I would have to say no. To me Google has been some what ground breaking in that it has allowed people to find information on just about anything in the blink of an eye. I will say, I don't feel completely comfortable about the idea talked about in the reading where they say there working towards a day where we would have information put in our brain, practically making people robots. I'm fine just seaching it on the web myself. Lastly, technology has changed the way I think,in that I have total access to tons of information on the web, whereas before I might of had to search for hours or days to find certain information.
ReplyDeleteIs Google making myself and those of my generation stupid? I don't believe so. I think Google is making us impatient, like taylorism made the workers that bought into it impatient. Everything runs tight now, and if something takes to long we get upset. Even while reading this article i found myself wondering when it would end, and jumping ahead to the question for the reading. Does that make me dumb? I say no. Not to brag but i have made deans list a couple of times at this school and have a GPA higher than 3.0 on the 4.0 scale. Google is great tool for society making mountains of information accessible at a moments notice. The world is getting faster and we are just attempting to keep up with it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that online activity has changed the way not only I think but also my peers. Not only Google but the internet as a whole has made it easier and easier for people to access data and have thousands or resources right at our fingertips. When reading this article, I felt myself saying "yes" and "I feel that way too." The author notes that while he used to be able to read long novels and passages and now no longer can read more than a few paragraphs without becoming distracted or impatient. While Google is a great resource I do feel that it has made our generation extremely impatient and easily distracted. If we get bored with what we are reading we can simply click on a link or open a new window. We are so used to being able to pull out our phone or laptop and find out the latest news within seconds. If anything takes longer than a few minutes to read or grab someone's attention, you have lost them. Unlike our parent's who had to wait until the next morning's newspaper or the five o'clock news, all we have to do log on. While I do believe that with the new technological advancements we have made there comes change in the way we think and interact, I do not think that makes us stupid. We are in a process of training ourselves to think and operate in a different way than in the past. We no longer need to be able to read long books and passages because we can absorb the same information in a different way or format quickly. The internet has become a tool that if utilized correctly can continue to make our lives easier and connect us in a way never before imagined.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, all the advantages that the internet, a powerful computing system, offers the world are uncountable. For many, the internet has been a blessing in our lives since it brings numerous positive and convenient results. In particular, my online activity has change my philosophy in a positive way since it enormously facilitates most of my daily tasks, allows me to be aware of the world-wide events, enables me to communicate with acquaintances and more. For example, whenever I am looking for an specific topic, from national news to a soccer game result, just by typing some words I get immediate results to the information that I need. This is spectacular! Equally important, I disagree with the author's opinion, that Google is making us stupid because we have immediate access to almost everything.I see Google as a favorable tool that offers everyone an opportunity to reach a higher quality of life. In addition, I see Google as an educational source since it serves as an instrument where everyone can collect information that books do not offer. Honestly, I think that most of us have once utilize Google to benefit from it, and all the hopping from site to site has lead us to gain some knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I have come to the conclusion that the author is right. Author Nicholas Carr says, “The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” He’s absolutely true. As a child, I was a bookworm. I would spend hours reading—lost in my own universe. The thought of all these stories would play out in my brain. Growing up, technology became a part of my life. I would spend less time reading, and I would waste my time on the Internet. Now, as an adult, I do read. However, it’s harder for me to concentrate now knowing that there could be a smaller and more simplified version of the reading--online. The Internet is an amazing tool; however, I believe it’s up to us as individuals to control and limit our usage. In the article, Dr. Olds, a Neuroscientist, he believes that the adult mind is “plastic.” Our brains can be trained; however, we have let our brains become much slower thanks to passive Internet time.
ReplyDeleteThis article was so awesome, and confirmed many feelings that I have had for quite some time now. Our society today is so robotic, I feel like I can never be expected to be a real person anymore. At work everything is go, go, go. Time is money. The invention of the clock really did screw us over. I can't tell how many times a day I look at the thing, and I feel that everything I do is never fast enough for anyone's liking. I mean, by God, it's a sin to take more than 2 minutes get a table's drinks, go take an order, and greet another table as they are sitting down, (i'm a server at chili's). I get glares as i'm trying to sell the margarita's, extra beans and rice, avocado, blah, blah, blah. The list goes on and on. As for the reading, I agree that it's difficult to get into a deep read. I have found that only if a book is full of fantasy, adventure, and constant stimulation, I can't get through it. I laughed while reading the article itself, because there were times when I would catch myself skimming through it, but I forced myself to slow down and actually absorb it. It's a training process, and if people could actually take the time to start reading books again, they could rebuild what was lost. It's funny because kids these days are growing up on this technology. They are being fed this crap as babies, thus being hardwired at a very early age. And then we wonder, once their in grade school, why they don't have an attention span for longer than ten minutes, and we diagnose them with A.D.D. We think something is wrong with them. Or we ourselves think, gee, I can't concentrate like I used to. Something must be wrong with me, and suddenly we have A.D.H.D. I want to get myself off this sick bandwagon, but it's difficult when our society runs completely off of internet techonology. Can you sense anger in my BLOG? Blah! I think I need to go check my blood pressure and look at the clock one more time! Ha ha.
ReplyDeleteRemembering how things were before the internet and enjoying the convenience it provides today differs drastically. Searching for things today takes a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds online, but I don't believe it changes the way we think.It's a useful tool and even though it may turn up millions of results for us to read and process, I'm not convinced that it affects 'how' our brain processes information.If anything, google has made us impatient. I say this because people now would rather look online for things than do the old- fashion method and search through books especially when we can do it from wherever we are at and it takes way less time. Google was developed to help us do and search for things easily as well as help us communicate, and even learn, so to say it is making us stupid, I would have to disagree.
ReplyDeleteI think my online activity has drastically changed the way I think. At one point, I would always go to the library and just search for topics that interests me; however, with the access of the computer that has all changed. All the information I need is just at the tip of my fingers. Anything and everything I need to research on, I go straight to the World Wide Web. I do not think that google is making anyone stupid; however, it is the people themself. People rather go straight to the internet in order to research instead of doing the traditional method of reading through books. The technology we have today is making it more convenient for everyone to choose an easier way and a more time saving method of doing what is needed. I feel that sooner or later, everything we do will require technology because of the ease it allows.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that my online activity has changed the way I think. For example, when I was younger and was attending High School, I remember going to the library and spending numerous hours searching for information and gathering sources for school projects. I would get all my information from books, published articles, and encyclopedias. Having to look up encyclopedias and read more books allowed me to deep process the information more because it usually meant being in a library with a pencil in my hand paraphrasing and highlighting the important facts. Spending four hours in a library did not seem like a long time and I was able to keep focused without having any interrruptions of a new e-mail comming through. Today I get all the information I need from online search engines and I can look up dozens of papers and books in one hour. You can look up specific pages of a book, and you can find summaries to avoid reading the whole material yourself. Do I believe that Google is making us stupid? My answer is no. New technology allows us to receive correct information really fast. I think that it is up to people on how they want to use the World Wide Web. People can decide to be lazy and just read the summaries of a book, or they can read the book themselves and use the internet to look up other’s people’s reviews about the book. They can share their thoughts about the book on a blog, and learn more about the book from each other. Google is there to assists us with correct information fast, and storing correct information in our brains does not make us stupid.
ReplyDeleteGoogle is a tool I sometimes use to enhance my knowledge when there is no time to go to a library or no one to go to, to find that information I need in that instant. I believe that information could be access directly from a library, but since there is limited access to one and on the other hand Google can be accessed to twenty-four hours and seven days a week, which becomes an alternative in finding information. But also you as the reader need to determine if what you are reading is something that you can make sense of it because not everything on the internet is intelectually written. Google doesn't make us stupid, it's the way our enviroment and culture has limited us in some ways like for instance one factors that impedes intelligence is economic status if you don't have the means you are less likely to go or finish getting an education.
ReplyDeleteRetrieving information through the internet has changed my way of thinking on multiple tiers. The most basic and the scariest is how easy I trust what I read is true, now books might not have been truthful either, but it takes a lot more effort to create a book then a page on the internet. Although now I have painted myself in the corner, with information being so readily available wrong information on the web has many chances of being corrected by others. With that said, I guess neither the book or internet can be more truthful or wrong then the other, other than the fact that It is easier to check the truth of the information by comparing it to other sources, which in case involves another Google search. The second tier of how my mind is changing is how sadly I must agree with the many sources in the assigned reading in how it’s difficult to read long passages in a book or on the web before The itch becomes overwhelming difficult to ignore resulting in either skimming the subject or switching to something else altogether. The last tier is how my mind wants everything in a bullet type formation. I want the facts of the subject in a sentence or least in bold print that sums up the entirety of what I’m looking for. This desire for chopped bits of information leads me to skimming most textbooks, webpage’s and written word looking for the clues that will provide me with the facts I need. I used to be an avid reader, but now rarely read more then what’s required, I have thought long and hard about this and thought to blame it on not having the time to read anymore. This wouldn’t be true if I did, I simply lack the concentration for it. I actually did read all the material in the required reading only to see if the itch appeared and the desire to do something else, and it did appear and became a struggle of will to finish it.
ReplyDeleteMy online activty has changed my thinking in some ways for instance, internet provide me information instantly, whereas finding information in the library is time consuming. Online activity has changed my thoughts about communication being face to face with another person, whereas now Internet allows me to chat with whoever and wherever in the world. The author suggests that Google is making us stupid, but only to some extent because internet effects people differently. For instance, I can read and concentrate for a long time when I really need to but I can not deny the fact that sometimes I can not concentrate it just depends on what I am reading. I prefer reading from books because its easier to concentrate and be focused. Furthermore, online activity has made use impatient and less focused compared to reading from a book.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, my online activity helps me a lot because it makes my research easier by providing multiple articles and information needed for my research, but it also makes my life harder in that I need to read a lot because I do not like to just skim my article. The classes at California State University of Bakersfield requires to us to read books and accredited journals not just the articles on the Internet for research papers. I do not think Google makes me stupid because I love to read. I know some people like to just skim, but really I cannot do it. I believe that when you look up something on Google you need to take the time to see if the information is valid. I believe that everyone needs to be careful and not be gullible when finding information on Google, however, I do not believe that a search engine on the Internet can make anyone stupid. Maybe because English is my second language I need to read the whole article more careful, but even in Spanish I like to read the complete book or article in its totality not just the summary of it. I use Google as a search engine for basic information, but I am careful in making sure the article or what is posted is valid I do not think that I am stupid because I use Google.
ReplyDeleteOnline activity changes the way you think in so many ways! I have a facebook account but I am constantly deleting people. I don't want to hear about their hang nails, bladder infections, court dates, whatever! That is just too much information and I couldn't care less. My point is by reading my facebook and seeing dumb comments like that I have just wasted my time and thought space in my brain. Also, if questions arise how many of us go to google to find out about it? I do! I should buy some Google stock! I am still a real book lover, so I will not buy a nook. I still would rather have a real phone call than have you on my facebook. I would love a verbal birthday than to see it posted in an e-mail or text. My answer is Absolutely! Google IS making us stuuuuupid! :p
ReplyDeleteOnline activity has definitely changed the way I think and live my life. I do not, however, believe that “google” as an entity in itself is making people stupid. It’s technology as an entire lifestyle that makes people lazy. In an age of texting and Facebook, we spend less time with our peers and more time in front of a screen. The art of conversation has almost been lost to texting. If ask young people, the majority of them will say that they would rather text than make a phone call and actually talk to a person. While this does save time, people become less connected with each other.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, I don’t read as much as I used to, and my attention span is shorter since I’ve become more addicted to the internet. Who would want to spend time going through books and periodicals in a library when you can just look on an internet database? I even got a kindle to encourage myself to read more, but after a few paragraphs I have to put it down and do something else.
Change is inevitable, especially in a society so technologically advanced. The people who are completely against the internet and cell phones are the same ones who would have called television the antichrist in the 1950’s. When technology changes, it’s necessary for the people to change along with it.
"The art of conversation has almost been lost to texting. If ask young people, the majority of them will say that they would rather text than make a phone call and actually talk to a person."
DeleteThis comment is really sad, but so true. Now a days people just want a quick conversation with no feeling involved. No more face to face and no more phone calls. No wonder people get tired of each other so fast since they can't communicate.
I think my use of the internet has changed the way i think. I think the article "is google making us stupid?" is informative and interesting as it included relevant information about the topic of the internet's influence on one's cognition, and brain functions and adaptations. I liked how the writer, Nicholas Carr, combined both rhetorical and psychological analysis of the issue of internet influence on human brain. Also, the article referred to the evolution of our reading, writing and even thinking habits in such a organized manner. My personal opinion with google and technology over all is that it has made us less self sufficient and very impatient. People don't know how to read a book anymore they go to the internet for instant results and skim through the material getting only bits and pieces of the information.
ReplyDeleteThe net has definitely changed the way I think and has reprogrammed my mind. I do agree with the author, Nicholas Carr in his example of not being able to read a whole book in its entirety without getting anxious and impatient. I look for the "shortcut" instead of reading a book I go to Mr. Google and get the gist of the book in seconds. The new mindset is the faster the better and it's apparent with the amount of money we pay internet providers for their fastest high speed internet like 40mps. In addition, this idea of Google creating this artificial intelligence that will make us better off really disturbed me since we all have a brain so we can be different, have free will of what to perceive, and engage in. The truth is that if Google can pull off such an innovation of creating a new brain for anyone that has the money to buy one we will become robots and lose our uniqueness. Google is not making us stupid its making us depend on it's technologies which means they are in control. This article has really opened my eyes to the bigger picture of technology which has evolved to a whole new high.
ReplyDeleteWow! I can see why Nicholas Carr would say Google is making us stupid. I can relate to some of the behavior changes in the way I use to study before and they way I do now. When I was younger I could sit down and read for a long period of time but it seems like now that I am older it becomes more difficult to keep my train of thought. I use to blame it on my self-diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) but Carr makes a good point that our brains plasticity is in charge of adapting down the biological level and if we are over exercising the areas of the brain that focus on short term memory we will loose the ability to store long term memory and develop critical thinking skills. I hope maybe I can make changes that will allow me to gain more of my discipline to just sit down and read with out wanting to go check my email, Facebook, or television.
ReplyDeleteThe internet today has made it very easy for people to access vertually anything they want. From scholarly reports for school to something as simple as movie times for your night out with friends. I don't believe that the internet or websites such as google have made us "dumb",I believe that it is up to us to use it as we wish. If you know how to use the interent for useful things then it can be very helpful and a great resource for information. On the other hand it could make you lazy if you choose to use it for things that are irrelevant. We make the internet what we would like it to be in order to accomidate our daily uses. Use it effectivly and you will get great results. Just like everyting in life, technology has its positives and it's negatives. Over the last couple of years technology has changed very much and I believe that it is a good thing. Technology changes are made due to the way of living. Our times have changed, and we have the technology we have because it is necessary to keep up with busy lifestyles.
ReplyDeleteOnline activity and the use of the internet have changed my way of thinking and have made me lazy, not stupid. Instead of trying to think something out myself, or maybe just make an educated guess I immediately go to my I-Phone and search it on Google. In retrospect I do come out of the situation with more knowledge and in a timely fashion. As for reading, I cannot quite sympathize with the author. I have a hard time reading in the first place, and I have never been a fan of long articles or books; I enjoy simple and condensed readings. If anything I think that texting has made me stupid. I find it hard to go from the abbreviated texting world to the grammatically correct writing world. If I haven’t written in a long time I will catch myself writing in text mode. So to me I don’t quite agree with the author that Google makes people stupid, I think it makes people lazy.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to some of the examples the author gives when relating his past “pre technology” era with our current era. I love to read books, I recall being able to sit in one spot and read until the book was over or I had to do something else. Now, I can’t sit in a chair and read, read, read without stopping myself to text, check Facebook, or even Google the most random thing I have seen or heard while reading. I would definitely agree with many that the technology has not made us stupid yet it has made us rely on an easier way to obtain the information needed in a matter of seconds rather than hours or even days when using books.
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ReplyDeleteThe internet has made me so impatient that it has effected everything I do on a day to day basis. Because I do not "normally" have to wait for any amount of information, I find myself becoming so impatient that I have a hard time sitting at a red light without wanting to reach for my cellular phone to see if anyone has text me. Sometimes when I drive home, I want to talk to someone because I am "bored" and want to have something to do while I drive. Of course now that it is illegal, I try my best to put the cellular phone down and focus on the road. I can admit that I am not always perfect, but I do my best because I know how dangerous it is.
ReplyDeleteI believe that google and it's similar online web pages has made me less intelligent. I think that often times I rely on sources for important information, and these sources are not reliable. I sometimes make judgements, whether they be political, medical, financial, or professional based on what the internet tells me. The fact of the matter is, anyone can build a website, and I am sure many people would believe that the information is accurate.
yes!, i believe google makes us stuoid or is just another route for laziness. I find myself numerous times trying to read the book but cant find the answer for hours so i get some help off google to help me further go that answer. I feel google isnt teaching us alot that we need to know in the world either, the internent that we use nowadays can easily be edited and be made up sources like wikipedia. People believe what they see on internet now that its just twisting with peoples heads on what they really believe in or not. so my answer to this reading is yes google is a faster and easier way out of the education world
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