The mere title of Mr.
Carr’s article, Is Google Making Us
Stupid?,
has a negative connotation. As his audience, I felt as though he was leading us
down a path to convince us that aspects of modern technology are detrimental to
our well being, specifically, the wealth of information at our fingertips.
However, after hearing Ms. Jardine’s podcast, I began to stray from the path
that Mr. Carr led me down.
I began to see the internet as
a giant library, that is a medium to preserve the vast amounts of information
that the human race has acquired over time. As Ms. Jardine mentioned, there are
two things that have scared us the most: the worry of not being able to learn
everything and the worry of losing resources. I believe the internet and modern
technology have alleviated these worries by allowing the curious and the
intellectual to utilize the resources at their fingertips and learn what they
want to learn. It is also a vast reservoir for information. Instead of just a
single book or oral presentation that may have been the sole source of
information in times past.
However, this wealth of
information, distributed by governments, corporations and individuals, can also
present serious issues. The term ‘information overload,’ first coined by Alvin
Toffler in Future Shock, refers to
one’s inability to process information as a result of being overwhelmed by its
excess. In other words, if you go to the store looking to buy something that
you don’t know much about, and there are dozens and dozens of different brands
and types, you are going to be very overwhelmed by all of the options. However,
as we have discussed before, I believe that if people utilize the internet, and
Google, appropriately, they can be “smart shoppers” and find the correct
information, be curious, and smarter.
Schumpeter, . "Too much information: How to cope with data overload." The Economist. http://www.economist.com/node/18895468.
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ReplyDeleteThis is definitely an interesting way of looking at the internet, but you make an excellent point. Google has become such a large part of learning and, I feel, has replaced many (but not all) of the largest centers of education from the past...libraries.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some really interesting points. I really like your positive outlook on technology. It really opened my eyes to a more positive scene instead of the negative scene that Dr. Carr brings into play. Your introduction was also very interesting. It really grabbed my attention quickly and made me want to read the rest of your blog. Nice blog! Very interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points you bring up in this blog. You articulated the way I view the Internet very well. If we use the Internet in a smart way we will be able to find correct, useful information. I liked your comparison of using the Internet as a resource and being a "smart shopper" in your last paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that the two major worries you bring up have been alleviated by modern technology, and most certainly to our benefit. However, I also think that the internet and modern technology have added some new worries and stressors to our lives, for instance, the constant need to check Facebook, or news sites, or Twitter, for changes and updates and new information. With everything else going on in life, this just creates a new source of worry. However, like you say at the end, this can be controlled by "smart shopping," which is a skill that should be more heavily emphasized now than it was for us.
ReplyDeleteThe internet as a library is what I got out of Ms. Jardine's post too. I also agree with your point that if the internet is used wisely, it is a great tool. However, it would be naive to think that everyone is using it wisely or for good. I think, the more accustomed people get to the internet, the more they will be able to make better use of it.
ReplyDeleteThe internet really is just one giant, more convenient library. The amount of information we have access to is really unlimited and it is so easy to access. Overall, I though your post was very interesting, especially your intro. Great Job!
ReplyDelete