technology essay

Natalie Alvarez
ENG 1A
Dr. Spangler
3 Jan, 2021
The Influence of Technology
In the essay, “Is Google making us Stupid?” Carr argues that the internet has corrupted how humans think. Through a well-crafted narrative, Carr claims that modern internet usage causes attention span. This changes the pattern of an individual’s thoughts in addition to diminishing intelligence. The main argument the author tries to emphasize is that the internet is a good source of information; however, it affects the functioning of the brain and alters the learning experience. Carr offers the reader a well-detailed account of how the internet has been designed to make users’ browsing experience fast and profitable for some. He provides insight into how the internet degrades critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the process. He also elaborates on what individuals stand to lose in the process of embracing the internet fully as the primary source of information. Carr concludes his argument by describing how the internet controls and manipulates the human brain. The article, “Google, Democracy and the Truth about the Internet Search” is authored by Cadwalladr. In this article, she has emphasized that Google and the internet have an underlying impact on our social injustices and prejudice worldwide. She borrows from her experience with Google autocomplete and how it brought up suggestions that she did not even think of ever looking up. These autocomplete options opened a doorway for new searchers that have the capacity to influence the views and opinions of individuals. The article explores the idea that social platforms represent a tool that displays information on our screens before we can even acknowledge the information. This information then influences and corrupts our knowledge and what we already know. The author argues that web traffic and Google search engine results can indefinitely lead to a lifelong, global resource of data that is socially monitored by the audience. This causes irreversible social damage towards our cultural perspectives. Both authors agree that the primary purpose of platforms that include Google and Facebook is to realize the social mission in increasing connectivity in the world while making information easily accessible, however, dire consequences result from using the two platforms.
In fact, both authors agree that the internet and social platforms have their advantages; however, they seem to cause too much damage that goes unacknowledged. On the one hand, Carr says that the internet degrades the critical thinking and problem-solving skills and a readers’ ability to engage with long texts since the internet encourages readers to skim through texts instead of taking time to engage with the reading material. Carr cites an example of his friend who experiences a hard time while trying to read long pieces. His argument that the internet encourages quick and careless reading is backed up by the findings of Krueger (n.p), that suggests the internet has completely changed the way we read and understand materials. This encourages shallow reading since while conducting searches on the internet our brains are often distracted by links, pictures, clips and advertisements that alter and deter the comprehension of information. On the other hand, Cadwalladr (484), argues that Facebook as a social platform and search engines generated by Google causes irreversible social damage. This supports the claim that search results do influence people by quoting Martin Moore who delves deeper into how big tech companies affect our lives. Search results and engines significantly affect our views on everything that includes religion, politics, and civic life. How we see the results and the types of results we see on numerous pages impact our perspective. I say that Google and the internet are tools that offer remarkable enablement but also there is a shadowy side. I also believe that when a new method of accessing information or a new social media platform is introduced it is praised for availing large amounts of information; however, the downside and any potential damage that could result from the new method and platform are overlooked and ultimately result in a lot of damage.
Although Carr does not say so directly, he apparently stresses that the internet is changing how humans read as well as process thoughts. He backs up his claim with credible research conducted on computer logs that document every visitor’s searches on the website (430). The records revealed that readers who access materials on the website do not take time to read through the materials but instead skim through and jump from one reading material to another. Skimming influences the development of a new way of thinking. Cadwalladr seems to agree with Carr’s argument since she has argued that Google as a tool enables people to perpetrate very cynical and damaging things. I have always believed that reading on the internet changes how thoughts are processed since we as readers are not able to engage with the reading materials directly. Distractions and search engines proposed by Google distorts our trail of thoughts, and we end up searching for information that we did not intend to look up. For more than a decade now, Google has tried to guess the question an individual might be asking, and by doing so, they have the potential to disturb an individual’s string of thought.
Americans today tend to believe the internet helps us but does it really? I say to an extent. Learning the old-style way is proven to be better. Reading actual books and gaining knowledge through hard text is without a doubt better. Yet some people may challenge this view by insisting the internet is more up to date. It might be but gaining your knowledge through books helps avoid all the cons of internet use. Such as distractions, pop-ups, and personal information being collected. Cadwalladr even says in his studies that our private data is being collected and utilized to influence the choices we make while skimming through the internet. This is very true. Whenever I look something up, I will get ads on different sites unrelated to the original site, advertising items and insisting I return back to that site. However, we do not figure this out since we have nothing to link it to (491). While referring to the danger posed to democracy by technological giants that include Facebook and Twitter, Cadwalladr has used the metaphor of being inside a machine that we have no control over. We have lost control and become consumers of information instead of being concerned citizens. Everyone has become naïve and has turned a blind eye to what is happening around them. Cadwalladr has also argued that humans are now in a terrible place, and since we have jointly created the problems we are currently in, it is essential to work on resolving this problem together. Cadwalladr (494), has proposed that we need to have an eco-system that protects human rights and democracy instead of ruining it. He also argues that to ensure we retain our problem solving and critical thinking skills, it is time we stopped depending on the internet as the primary source of information. These two authors argue from a different standpoint; however, both propose how individuals should move forward to ensure that the drawbacks of the internet do not compromise them further.
One common thing about the authors is that they both write their articles from a personal perspective. Carr explains how he has found himself losing concentration while trying to engage with long texts and started skimming through the internet for reading materials. He expresses concerns that individuals are losing concentration while engaging with longer texts and are now preferring to read short materials on the internet. Cadwalladr’s article is based on her personal experience, most notably the interactions with autocomplete Google search engines. From their arguments, both authors agree that technology has completely changed how people access information and, in the process, brought about damaging consequences that cannot be undone. On the other hand, in the article “How Has Google Affected the Way Students Learn”, Tan (n.p) argues that technology has completely rewired our brains, in the sense that technology affects our memory and attention spans. He states Millennials and post-millennials have grown in an era where they have had their questions instantly answered as long as they had the internet. Google serves information before it can even be fully typed. However, it is hard not to question whether so much information makes humans smarter or compromises their intelligence. An extensive body of literature has argued that search engines have the potential to impact our brain processing. Like Carr, both authors contend that the internet chips away at an individual’s capacity for concentration and contemplation. Tan (n.p), also seems to agree that Google search engines change and alter the way we approach certain things. Today, the internet is one of the most utilized sources of information and has been praised for availing information in large sums; however, nobody foresees its potential and ability to lower humankind’s intelligence.
Consequently, in the essay, “Is Google making us Stupid?” Carr argues that the internet has corrupted how humans process thoughts in addition to diminishing intelligence. While the article, “Google, Democracy and the Truth about the Internet Search” is authored by Cadwalladr, who emphasizes that Google and the internet have an underlying impact on our social injustices and prejudice worldwide. Both authors argue that the main goal of the internet is to accomplish the social mission of making the world more open and connected as well as make information easily accessible; however, there are consequences. Moreover, both authors agree that the internet and social platforms have their advantages and disadvantages that have always been ignored. Throughout their work these two authors argue from a different standpoint; yet, both propose similar solutions to problems created by the existence of the internet and social media platforms. Both write their articles from a personal perspective that I agree with entirely.Works Cited
Cadwalladr, Carole. “Google, Democracy and the Truth about Internet Search.” The Guardian, 4 Dec. 2016, www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/google-democracy-truth-internet-search-facebook.
Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2008, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868.
Krueger, Pam. “Is the Internet Eroding Our Reading Skills?” Bismarck tribune, 20 July 2010, bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/is-the-internet-eroding-our-reading-skills/article_703e206c-9346-11df-8107-001cc4c002e0.html.
Zhai, Tan. “How Has Google Affected the Way Students Learn?” KQED, 8 Feb. 2016, www.kqed.org/mindshift/43662/how-has-google-affected-the-way-students-learn.
Approximate price: $22
We value our customers and so we ensure that what we do is 100% original..

With us you are guaranteed of quality work done by our qualified experts.Your information and everything that you do with us is kept completely confidential.You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.The Product ordered is guaranteed to be original. Orders are checked by the most advanced anti-plagiarism software in the market to assure that the Product is 100% original. The Company has a zero tolerance policy for plagiarism.The Free Revision policy is a courtesy service that the Company provides to help ensure Customer’s total satisfaction with the completed Order. To receive free revision the Company requires that the Customer provide the request within fourteen (14) days from the first completion date and within a period of thirty (30) days for dissertations.The Company is committed to protect the privacy of the Customer and it will never resell or share any of Customer’s personal information, including credit card data, with any third party. All the online transactions are processed through the secure and reliable online payment systems.By placing an order with us, you agree to the service we provide. We will endear to do all that it takes to deliver a comprehensive paper as per your requirements. We also count on your cooperation to ensure that we deliver on this mandate.