Google is making us stupid is an interesting article written by Nicholas Carr. He described that according to research, conducted by various universities; Google reduced our critical thinking skills and reading habits. People do not like reading because they want to find everything on Google. Internet technology has changed life and culture. The exaggerated moment occurred when Hal was dismantled. The author took this scene from Space Odyssey to claim that the human mind resembles Hal. Interestingly, Google has dismantled us regarding intelligence, critical thinking, and analysis. The glitziness of the internet made us believe search engine. The habit of depicting extra efforts is diminished. People are moving into a world where they can get everything without using brains. Google is destroying minds, and people are not aware of it.
Thesis Statement: “Carr’s argument in this article is persuasive because he intends readers to read books instead of using Google Search Engine. He used logos with the logical reasoning and intended to persuade the audience to take pertinent actions.”
I agree with Carr that People are spending time searching, online and navigating several sites. He persuaded readers by Logos. For Instance, “The human brain is almost infinitely malleable.” It is an example of the Logos in his persuasive essay. He wants people to know their mental ability and limitations and start the self-perception about things. The information on the website is quite different from our original perceptions. For Instance, the information on the search engine or web is a result of a research of someone. However, the immense range of people does not want to research again and use the same idea to explore things. Ultimately, it reduces the cognition of people. The technological revolution, including artificial intelligence, has reduced human efforts in thinking, analyzing, interpreting, and creative thinking. Technology is working for humans, and humans are just using data. People are becoming less emotional in lives. They are focusing on machines and behave like machines in lives (Carr).
The second example of logos is “media or other technologies we use in learning and practicing the craft of reading plays an important part in shaping the neural circuits inside our brains.” I agree with this logic because media and technology have changed the way we gather information, perceive insights, and implement. The Internet has changed everything, and our brains are working differently to perceive things and act accordingly. Carr emphasized reducing personal ability or cognition of human due to machines (Carr). He wants to express his views regarding the impact on humans of a computer. He wants to break the ice and streamline the reality. He wants to present the world that the internet has become detrimental to learning and thinking process. Interestingly, these facts are real. However, I think, he is overstating here. His tone is destructive because he does not depict any advantage of using computers (Mims). He wanted to convince the audience by stating the quote of his friend. However, when it comes to the author’s friend, it seems responsible.
Another example of logos “the Internet promises to have particularly far-reaching effects on cognition” justifies the persuasiveness of this essay. I agree that the computing system creates an impact on cognition. The information that we obtain from the internet or search engine is not always right. The impact on the cognition can be positive or negative. However, he is persuading readers to focus on the self-cognition as well. I agree with Carr that people should use their minds more than searching, and it can create a positive impact on the cognition (Carr).
Work Cited
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic. The Atlantic, 1 August 2008. Web. 23 October 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/.
Mims, Christopher. “Should Artificial Intelligence Copy the Human Brain?” Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal, 4 August 2018. Web. 24 October 2018. https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-artificial-intelligence-copy-the-human-brain-1533355265.