"The net is re-programming us"

An article in the New York Times describes a man who managed to miss an important e-mail where someone was offering him a large amount of money for his Internet Start-up company for over 12 days.  His usual ability to multi-task somehow failed him on the day that e-mail arrived, and he almost missed this life changing opportunity.  According to this article, “scientists are discovering that even after the multi-tasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist.  In other words, this is also your brain off computers.” 

Nicholas Carr argues that Google is making us more stupid.  Instead of sitting down to read a nice long book or article, we’re busy skimming the results Google found for us, while also debating which personalized links to click on next to our results.  There’s no longer a need to spend hours skimming encyclopedias hoping to find what we need.  Why bother, when Google has been created to do that for us?  I completely agree with Carr’s argument.  Google is making us stupid.  I will not say though, that I hate it.  I love the convenience of Google in my everyday life, but I completely understand how it’s taking away from my potential research abilities.  Carr says that, “The net is re-programming us” and I’d say that’s absolutely true!  It’s telling us which stories or articles to read, and then showing us what products to purchase, based on all of our previous online searches.  It’s making us do whatever it wants! 

The idea that we can have numerous tabs open while we’re working is something inconceivable for say, my grandparent’s generation.  I can be listening to music, bidding on an eBay product, chatting with friends AND doing my homework.  The New York Times article argues that this is NOT good for my brain.  They argue that I have no focus because I enjoy multi-tasking so much.  Perhaps in class I won’t be able to concentrate on my professors without having Facebook chat open.  To be completely honest, I believe I’m a victim of this.  I don’t know that I would go so far as to blame Google for my recent stupidity, but I definitely believe that the Internet is changing my generation.  I work better when I am multitasking.  I rarely watch TV anymore without playing solitaire simultaneously on my iPod.  I get fidgety when asked to sit down and focus for long periods of time.  I need to have more things going on at all times – and this isn’t good! 

Another reason I agree with Carr’s position that Google is making us stupid is that it’s making us too dumb to realize what we have without the internet.  The NYT article talks extensively about a family who is being severely affected by their technology.  They can’t even go on vacation without their devices, and had to seriously work on spending time together without being plugged in!  This has totally happened in my family.  At the end of the night when my mom and I sit down together, we immediately turn on the TV and usually have our computers turned on at the same time.  When we go out together, I have to make a conscious effort to leave my iTouch at home because I know I wouldn’t pay attention to my own mother if I had it with me!  This is absolutely STUPID.  I love my mother and I want to spend as much time with her as possible.  I shouldn’t be dumb enough to waste our valuable time together with my head glued to my technology. 

Richtel, Matt. "Attached to Technology and Paying a Price - NYTimes.com." The New York         Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 06 June 2010. Web. 04 Feb. 2012.             <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?pagewanted=all>.