Ellie's Reading Response #2

Ellie Garcia
Reading Response #2


A topic that has risen among many is the effect of technology in our educational systems. It is a question of how it can advance our education and aid us, or whether it is actually slowing us down and creating barriers for thought. Is there a fine line between the technology and learning? If so, what is this line and do we need to control it? In Nicholas Carr’s excerpt titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nick makes many claims and uses evidence to explain his rationalization with how technology is changing us as a society. He writes on how Google is changing our habits. These changes in habitual patterns affect him as well as the next person. He says, “I’m not the only one. When I mention my troubles with reading to friends and acquaintances-literary types, most of them- many say they’re having similar experiences.” This is a glimpse into how Google and other related media are affecting us. The excerpt that Nick writes serves to ponder and discuss the overall question. How is Google changing us wholly, and are these changes positive, or will they only bring about more problems and chaos? Many would stand on the side of the argument that shows how technology is advancing us because of time restraints and restrictions. However, others would stand at the opposite end stating that Google is only making us more inefficient and taking away our ability to think for ourselves and research adequately.
I would gather that he is, in a sense, claiming that Google is encouraging laziness. I do not mean that to say that we should stop using Google as a search engine. Or even that it is Google’s fault for or lack of in depth research processes. I am merely agreeing with Nick when he says, “What if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I’m just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed.” In my opinion this is the central and most important claim that Nick Carr makes in this excerpt. I believe this because it is what his message is throughout the reading. It is how Google is changing us and how we act. We do seek convenience in researching the web. An example of this convenience is a trip to the library. You walk in on a fine Wednesday afternoon and you look up the book that you know you need in the computer system. You then grab a piece of paper and a pencil and write down the location of the book in the library, and then you begin your real search, the sole hunt for a book. You walk up and down the aisles looking for author’s names and book titles. There are those numbers that you know correspond with that one system, oh right, the Dewey Decimal System, but that won’t seem to do you any good because, if you are anything like me, you will have forgotten all about that from the fourth grade. You are now lost and you just want the book you came in to look for. You seek assistance from the nearest person that looks like a legitimate librarian. She kindly helps you find your book and brings you to the checkout counter. You see the light at the end of the tunnel when you come to find that you have eight dollars worth of late fees. All of this time and frustration is saved when you are in the comfort of your own home researching on the World Wide Web. So, I can understand Carr’s stance on the matter. He has strong claims and backs up his opinions with evidence. His excerpt helps distinguish the ties between us and technology. It helps answer the questions about control and whether that is necessary. I understand that reading long papers and books can be quite challenging, but f there is a stand that I could take on the issue it would be this. I do not believe that book research should be taken out of schools. I do not think that we should ever be subjected to using only one form of research or another. I think that it is crucial for generation after generation to practice the research methods of libraries. So while we will continue to search for convenience, and while our habits change with the rapidness of technology, we should be able to analyze the effects of technology on each of us individually and I think that this will help us determine for ourselves the benefits of technology personally.