The
article, by Nicholas Carr, entitled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” made me
really sad and almost mournful of what our world has become. People have
completely stopped reading—yes, have terminated the use of—books, Books! My
favorite childhood pastime, of only 10-15 years ago, is becoming a figment of
historical dust. As Carr suggests, this is all because we want information
quickly, without desiring to invest a lot of time in acquiring knowledge.
In the last decade,
many questions have emerged regarding the advancement of technology. One of the
key concerns is the fact that Generation Y has become so invested in the internet that we no longer think critically nor
use a main resource of self-development, each other.
A
good friend of mine and I recently had an in-depth conversation about modern
children; how when they have a problem, rather than thinking critically to fix
the dilemma, they go straight to the Internet for answers.
In support of this
claim, author, educator, and CNN Special, Gregory Ferenstein, agrees, while
shedding a more positive light on the situation. He says, “Google's coveted day
care is founded on the Reggio Emilia method, where students collectively
determine which unexplained phenomena about the world fascinate them most, such
as how rainbows work, and then cooperate with teachers in the online and
scientific investigation. In the process, students learn teamwork and research
skills. And, most importantly, they get a glimpse of how fun learning is when
they're unchained from a desk.”
This means that rather
than asking their peers or parents, or really racking their brains for answers
to these everyday childhood fascinations, kids nowadays simply have to type
their questions into an Internet browser, where the answer will just pop up
with little brain power at all.
Yes, the children are
learning research techniques that will be useful in the future, BUT, are they
actually learning anything useful at all? By forcing kids to think outside the
box and determine their own conclusions, we are allowing the full potential of
brain development to occur, as many different parts of the brain are active
when this occurs.
So, as we are
progressing faster and faster into this great new world of technology, the
consequences of such are taking their toll. Are we, Generation Y and our decedents,
prepared to deal with the outcomes of this—which may include smaller brain mass
and capacity, the sole option of life as a simpleton? While we may not turn
into what Carr calls “pancake people,” we need to at least be aware that our
overall betterment as people and society is,
in fact, failing.
Because the joy of
reading has now become what seems a chore, we are afraid of the unknown, which
may indicate that a much broader range of mental functions will also be cut
short in the very near upcoming years. Some people may be okay with their
children’s children’s children evolving into near-vegetables, but I certainly
am not. We are HUMANS, for goodness’ sake! We have the most complex brains of
any living creature; so why are we cutting short our abilities and not using
them for their intended purpose?
Sources:
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us
Stupid?” The Atlantic. Jul./Aug.
2008.
Ferenstein, Gregory. “Will computers replace
schoolteachers?” 9 June 2011. 3 Feb. 2012. CNN.com.<http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/06/09/computers.replace.teachers/index.html?iref=allsearch>
It may be a negative effect that children these days are not thinking as critically as before and instead turning to the Internet for answers. However, Internet use is also expanding our curiosity and interest in various topics. We can now expand our knowledge about virtually anything with the use of the Internet, which I think is a great thing.
ReplyDeleteI feel your beginning reaction is very interesting. Your reaction really surprised me when you used words such as "mourn" and "sad". I like how your used personal experiences to prove your point. I completely agree with you when it comes to seeing reading as a chore. Being in college I also feel reading seems a chore. I really hate reading and I feel this maybe because of having to read so much for schoolwork in things I am not interested in. Maybe schools could let students pick books to read for projects and papers instead of assigning them in order to promote a positive attitude towards reading. This would also be hard for professors and grading reasons, so it is a hard situation to solve.
ReplyDeleteThis goes back to a lot of our previous conversations about the difference between children now and children in the past. Just like many technologies, such as Facebook, texting, and video games, Google and its kin are a useful tool for those of us who have experienced the struggle of finding answers for ourselves, and being creative in those answers. However, I do agree that children, in general, should be encouraged to find their own answers to their questions rather than turning to the internet immediately, whether those answers come from within themselves or from another valuable resource, like books, teachers, parents, and adults. There is an amount of connection and implications of some kinds of information that cannot be easily gleaned from a simple search.
ReplyDeleteI would like to stick to my guns and respond by saying that although the web might make research a bit too easy, developing research skills and ingenuity are something necessary whether Google exists or not. Kids who only ever use Google will always be one-trick ponies, and because they overestimate the power of Google, they limit themselves. Essentially, they are misusing their tool, treating it like a toy (Which, in this case, may be partially okay every once in a while.) However, it would benefit us to connect those who remember the days before Google with children who never experienced a world without it.
ReplyDeleteIt only makes us stupid if we allow ourselves to misuse it, but boy, are people misusing it.
I'm not sure I agree that people have stopped reading. College kids still read a ton of material. That takes as much attention and focus as ever. I also know kids who still read. The problem solving point you bring up about kids not have those skills is a good one I think. However, one could argue that has less to do with technology than parents coddling their children more than in recent generations.
ReplyDelete