TOW #18: "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" (Written)

Recently, with the availability of information at society’s fingertips, through technology, a friend discussed how family arguments had waned in their home. Nicholas Carr also seemed to share opinions on the topic, which is why he wrote an essay in 2008 called “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Written for Atlantic magazine, the essay discussed Carr’s views of technology’s effect on our knowledge and ability to learn through argumentative methods. Carr’s use of exemplification and quoting proved that technology was indeed worsening society’s ability to learn and encouraged a countermeasure to be undertaken.

                Carr’s use of exemplification was an integral part of his being able to support his purpose. He first included an example of his own findings, stating that he spent time, “watching videos and listening to podcasts, or just tripping from link to link” (par. 2). Carr’s inclusion of the word “tripping” in this example indicates a negative approach, since the word itself generally has a negative connotation. This word shows readers that going from link to link on the internet is not a positive thing to do, which suggests that it could be detrimental to our learning ability. It shows that society isn’t thinking about what they are doing on the internet. Along with this, the author continued to use examples throughout the essay to prove that something needed to be done against the problem.

                After Carr proved that there was a problem with technology’s availability through his example, he then used a paraphrased quote to emphasize it. Later in the essay, Carr included a statement from Marshall McLuhan about technology’s effect on thought, which stated that technology, “supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought” (par. 3). This statement from a media theorist emphasized Carr’s point because it established his credibility. Since the audience could understand that Carr knew his topic, they could more clearly understand that technology could lead to a problem with learning and thought.

                Although many people, including Carr and the theorists he quoted in his essay, have stated information’s availability at fingertips could be detrimental, no one has seemed to care too much. Almost everyone has a smartphone with a data connection nowadays, which adds fuel to the fire. Carr does suggest that something should be done, and if he is right about the problem, it could lead to grave consequences.