The article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", by Nicholas Carr, argues that although the Internet has become an avenue for dissemination of information as well as source of myriads of data, it has slowly affected how man processes information. Especially when it comes to reading, the Internet has slowly rewired man's brain to enjoy surfing and scanning online sources such as books, newspapers, and magazines, among others, instead of savoring each word or sentence and focus on the message at hand. Carr cites examples such as Scott Karp who claims he refrained from reading books even though he was a Literature major in college and an avid reader. He believes that his manner of reading has not change, but rather, "the way [he thinks]" (Carr). Carr further cites other people who share the same experiences as his, like Bruce Friedman who says he now reads and thinks with staccato quality considering that he only scans web pages, instead of absorbing the information, before proceeding to the next web page content. Are Carr's claims valid? Does Google, or the Internet, for that matter, really make people stupid? The Internet, replete with all data and information, is a tool that helps man find information faster, stay connected with others, and more importantly, helps people become smarter and current about technology.
What strikes me about the article is how Carr seems to be so certain about his stance on how the Internet reduces man into stupidity, while acknowledging the fact that it has helped him earlier with his researches and his reading pleasures. Carr admits that the anecdotes he shared neither foretell nor confirm his observations as he recognizes that there is not a thorough research yet that authenticates his claims, he mentions about the study conducted at the University College London, which implies there may be a hint of truth in Carr's claims. According to the study, online readers "power browse" when searching for information on the Internet, which means readers only skim through articles and search for keywords, but do not actually read the entire article. While I, myself, do the same thing when searching for information on the internet, I do not believe that scanning through a host of articles and other information reduces me to a level of stupidity. Power browsing is simply how the new generation approaches the thousands of information available for consumption of the mind considering that in this time and age, working smarter than harder is what works best.
People who recognize how the Internet has benefitted them refute Carr's claims as well that Google and the Internet change the way people read and think in a negative way. I refuse to accept Carr's stand on the matter. Getting a lot of valid information from the internet does not mean that users do not read what is in front of them. Neither has it changed the way they process information. For the longest time, the Internet has helped thousands of people get closer to the information they need. Through the Internet and with the use of search engines such as Google and Bing, more specific search results come up that contain the information users require. This helps in making research easier and faster compared with the traditional method of doing researches in libraries where one has to delve through several books, and yet, end up with no success. With thousands of information available, it becomes an overwhelming experience for readers if they have to go through each word within articles before proceeding to other sources of information. In addition, it is humanly impossible to read the thousands of search results, thus, skimming through articles is the best method to locate specific information. This does not mean, though, that it changed the way we read and think. In school, we learn about reading comprehension and speed reading, and that is what we are actually doing when browsing through articles.
In a test to refute Carr's claims that Google makes users stupid, Penn State University researchers studied the way internet users used search engines to locate information. The study revealed that users utilized the search engines Google and Bing, among others, to cross-check whether the information they have is correct as against the common misconception that search engines are used to find new research information, contradicting the earlier notions that students simply rely on Google to find answers. In this regard, the research further cemented the initial claims of pro-Internet supporters that search engines Google and Bing, among others, are used to generate highly relevant results to support information that searches already know (Singer).
In addition, Alan Long, the Asia-Pacific analyst of Hitwise, suggests that users' search habits are changing as well, considering that the past trends of using "one to two word searches have gone down [] and 3+ word searches have gone up" (Singer) in the last couple of years. This proves that users know what they are looking for and only require specific search engine results.
Source: Experian Hitwise Search Team Length week ending 14/11/2009, 15/11/2008, 17/11/2007, 18/17/2006
The Internet helps in stimulating the mind. This was collaborated upon by Dr. Jillianne Code from the University of Victoria, who says the same issues that Carr raised were also brought out in the open during the advent of movies and video games. Based on researches regarding the role of the Internet on knowledge enhancement, Code confirms, "the arguments are cyclical and have happened repeatedly over the past century whenever a new technology is introduced to the masses" (qtd. in Stevens). To refute Carr's claims that the Internet makes people less intelligent, Code recommends the Cognitive Assessment System test called PASS, which is an acronym for the four distinct mental tests, namely, planning, attention, simultaneous processing, and successive processing that psychologists can use to assess individual PASS abilities of people. At least 406 students underwent the test in 2007 to determine similarities or differences between frequent and non-frequent internet users in terms of their PASS abilities, with questions ranging from frequency of internet usage to other activities the students perform while online. The test results yielded the same outcome for both the "S" skills, but revealed that frequent internet users fared better in the planning and attention skills than the non-frequent internet users. To interpret the results, it means that using the internet invigorates the mind and thus, serves as an exercise to practice attention and planning skills. Does this make one stupid?
In conclusion, despite Carr's claims and evidences as provided by his anecdotes, I am still inclined to believe that Google and the Internet do not make users dumber. We probably do not read each word as we used to in the past, but it is not fair to conclude that skimming through information, or as what he calls power browsing, changes the way we process information. We may have changed our reading styles and habits, but we retain the same processing methods we used in the past, and probably have improved on them as well to cope with the volume of information on the Internet. Users are in control of themselves when it comes to using new technology. The changes that occur are simply ways on how to adapt with the fast-changing technologies, which is very much similar to how 18th century people coped in the face of industrial and technological changes. Therefore, Carr's assumptions are nothing more than speculations and are more likely experiential in nature.
Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The Atlantic. 2008. Web. 21 April 2013.
Singer, Dark. "Research Shows – Google Is Not Making Us Stupid After All." Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics. 2009. Web. 21 April 2013.
Stevens, Greg. "No Doofus: The Internet Isn't Making You Stupid." The Kernel. 2012. Web. 22 April 2013.
