Friday, September 16, 2016

Readings #3 - 1) Is Google making us stupid? 2) Why Google isn`t making us stupid... or smart.

1) Is Google Making Us Stupid
2) Why Google Isn`t Making Us Stupid... Or Smart

Readings #3 - 1) Is Google making us stupid? 2) Why Google isn`t making us stupid... or smart. Read the above articles. In 150 words, address the dichotomy between the two.

32 comments:

  1. While neither Carr nor Wellmon are in complete opposition to one another, they approach the topic of technology's influence from different angles. Their ideas occasionally weave together when referencing to the impacts that the internet has on one's ability to concentrate, deep-read, and truly comprehend what it is they are reading. However, Carr looks to the negative connotations surrounding Google’s impact presently on humanity and emotion while Wellmon delves deeper into the evolution of the internet and how closely it is tied to the needs of society of the time period. Through the stream of information being spewed from the internet, it’s nearly impossible not to adapt the way one reads to prioritize the information provided, essentially training the mind to "sort" the physical world in a similar manner. Carr views technological mankind as creatures of efficiency, as if we were mechanically engineered solely for the task of data collection and void of emotion. Wellmon challenges Carr’s ideas, indicating that technology is no longer a separate force outside of mankind, instead, becoming an essential part of humanity, evolving alongside it opposed to turning into it.

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  2. Carr and Wellmon present two different perspectives on google. Carr says google is taking away the importance of reading and research through books and articles; he believes google is making us detached by allowing easy excess to information thus making us stupid as we are not putting in effort to gain the knowledge required. Whereas, Wellmon says its not google that is making us smart or stupid it is the content we look at that defines who we are; he believes that google isn't making us stupid but we are making google smarter by feeding it information about our likes and dislikes by clicking on certain webpages and visiting certain content. Personally, I agree with Wellmon google isn't necessarily making us smart or stupid but how we choose to use google is what makes us smart or stupid. Also the content we look at shapes our opinions about society. It is nearly impossible to pinpoint if google is good or bad but it can be said that google in some ways has made daily tasks efficient on the other hand google has taken away the importance of knowledge through books. However, google is becoming essential part of the world today.

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    1. As someone who does greatly appreciate books I do see where you are coming from when you say that google is taking away the importance of knowledge through books, but on the other end of the spectrum is it really knowledge that we are potentially losing? Because although google is not an astronomically gigantic book, it is a great tool that gives us access to works of literature whether that be fictional or non-fictional and then in extention access to information from books. Therefore I ask you,in relation to your point of how google has taken away the importance of knowledge through books, do you mean the loss of the act of finding information yourself by getting the physical copy of the book?

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    2. That is part of what I mean but I am also saying that not everything on the internet is black and white; there are many sites on the internet that are written by people who have no knowledge of the topic. So in those cases are books not better because at least the writer knows what he is taking about?

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    3. You say there are many sites on the internet that are written by people who have no knowledge. But it isn't important to have knowledge about a topic for you to write on it. For example I can gather information by doing research on a topic and then write an article compiled by all the information gathered and still have no knowledge about it.

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  3. I think that Google is a beneficial tool. Carr believes that Google is taking away the challenge of finding information through books and articles. He thinks Google is making it way too easy for us to just find information online, hence making us “stupid” as we are no longer required to put in the same effort. On the other hand Wellmon believes that Google isn’t making us stupid or smart because he thinks that Google helps us by providing us with all this information and what really makes us stupid or smart is what we do with it and how we use it. I agree with Wellmon because if anything Google is exposing us to substantial amounts of information and all we have to do is filter it and discard what is unimportant. Google is a very natural expression of our evolution. Yes, technology is changing our lives; it just isn’t changing the way our minds work.

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  4. Carr and Chad Wellmon express contradicting perspectives about Google. Carr takes the side that Google is making us stupid, by taking the importance of reading and research without the use of Google. People are just skimming through article and books online now they just look for the key point that they need at a minimum level. Wellmon says that Google is now responsible for making us smart or stupid it is us. Google gets its information from us all this content is now available to the globe because of us. We are so in touch with the modern technology that now is minds are automatically willing to Google it. Both perspective are challenged in relation to technology, now has been a part of us and our daily lives, whenever there’s something we don’t know the first thing that we do is Google it, it is on is at all times.

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    1. People are losing the desire/ability to think critically or formulate an opinion without first consulting Google. I like how you captured that idea in your response. But if mankind is transitioning to a technologically dependent society, is there truly any way to tell if something is good or bad if no one knows any different? Newer generations have been fully submerged in the ocean of technology, therefore they are unable to deem whether a technological impact is detrimental to humanity because they haven't known any different. However, those who created Google and similar search engines should not decide either, because as Thamuth explains to Theuth: "The discoverer of an art is not the best judge of the good or harm which will accrue to those who practice it. So it is in this; you, who are the father of writing, have out of fondness for your off-spring attributed to it quite the opposite of its real function." Who in society should be able to decide the need and influence of an invention such as Google?

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  6. Carr and Wellmon have different perspectives on google. Carr believes that google is making us “stupid” because it takes away the effort of searching through multiple books and articles. Instead, google provides an immediate answer to all the questions we may have. On the other hand, Wellmon explains that google is simply a creation that was made to make life easier. He declares that if anything is making people stupid or smart, it is the people themselves. I agree with Wellmon because google is just a tool. Just like anything else, the person who handles the tool is responsible for what they do with the tool and how they use it. Google should not be blamed for making people dumb or smart. Google is beneficial, because it makes research more efficient and gives multiple resources for a topic. The internet is generally important for school and the community because it is one of the fastest ways people can connect to each other, whether that is on social media to chat about a project or on schoolzone to ask for help from a teacher. It all depends on how people personally spend their time on sites. However, having the ability to access many sites also gives people the opportunity to choose distracting sites that may just be fun and time wasting whereas traditional books and articles only provide information.

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    2. Nice response. When you said:(I agree with Wellmon because google is just a tool. Just like anything else, the person who handles the tool is responsible for what they do with the tool and how they use it.)Do you think this would work in a different scenario? Like for example, what if a kid watches a youtube prank and wants to do it and then injuries or even kills him or herself? Who would you think is responsible? The kid himself, the parent or the youtuber? (I have a link below on the story I am talking about)

      http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-county/11-year-old-boy-dies-mimcking-prank-youtube-video/447310939

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  7. I agree with Wellmon, therefore in extension with the idea of Google and technology being used as a pen and rather an eraser.


    In the articles presented, Wellmon and Carr have quite a difference in their perspectives of Google. Carr on one hand explains how Google in fact making us stupid and, how in time, our own intelligence will turn into artificial intelligence and, on the other hand Wellmon contrasts our dilemmas with Google now with the dilemmas faced with books in the middle ages and how it (google) really acts as a digital filter to find the needle in the haystack. I agree with Wellmon because I see many more positive impacts of Google that outweigh the negatives. I believe that Google is making us smarter in the aspect of how we access our information because, Google can and is, making us more efficient in the ways of time and, more importantly it has the power of giving us the information from 1000 books in a device no bigger than your hand.

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  8. I believe that Google is not making us stupid. Carr states in his article that the reason why Google is making us stupid is because of the overload of information that forces us to scan rather than using our natural ability to “read deeply and make rich mental connection without distractions”. Though Carr takes a pessimistic approach to the use of Google it is important to also talk about how Google allows us to access terabytes of information and allows those who struggle with handling that amount of information by the “use technology that help us select, filter, and delimit information in long articles and blogs”-Chad Wellmon. This method allows us to control the amount of information we consume while letting us “read deeply” different articles and helps us to develop a new skill of processing information in a healthy manner. In conclusion Google is not making us stupid but it is the method that we and take in information that makes us feel stupid.

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    1. So you're saying that google is a good thing because it is helping us gain deep knowledge, while developing a skill of taking in "important" information but all that makes us smart or stupid is what we do with this knowledge, right? Great essay by the way!

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  9. Carr and Chad Wellmon write articles that have two different perspective on whether or not Google is making us smart or stupid. Carr believes that Google is making the human race stupid. He believes this because it takes away the ability for a person to "read deeply and make rich mental connections", it also makes us more prone to scanning rather than reading anything online. On the other hand Wellmon has a different opinion then Carr. He believes that Google is not making us stupid or smart. He says that Google helps us select and filter the immense amount of information and bring forth key points in any reading. I personally agree with Wellmon because like he said people reacted the same in the past when the printing press was invented. People didn't like the change that came about, now a day's Google. But it's all changes as time passes.

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    1. You referred to the part of Wellmon's text where he links technology today to technology of the past. Do you think, even in terms of books, people are able to understand how much information there is in the world, and more imporantanly, do you think they are okay with it? In the article, Wellmon states people's concerns about the value of information. By having Google, in consideration of the amount of people that can access it, do you think this information is less valuable?

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  10. I think Google is beneficial to us.

    As presented in the given articles, both arguments about the impact of Google counteract one another. While in the first article Carr believes that Google is making us stupid, Chad Wellmon in the second states that we shouldn’t blame Google for the stupidity of people, it’s how the people use Google that determines their intelligence. Carr says that Google is preventing us from using our “natural” ability to “read deeply”. Whereas, Chad states that Google is highly efficient for helping us filter out the key points from vast amount of information. I agree with Wellmon on that Google isn’t detrimental, rather beneficial, because it gives us “terabytes of information” and acts as a computerized filter to help us process information in a distinct method. I think one should be accountable to how they use the technology. Technology helps mankind progress and not be disadvantageous. If anything, people should be cognizant about how to use the technology. We also shouldn’t abandon the traditional ways of acquiring knowledge and find a balance between the conventional ways and the newer ways to further mankind.

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  11. Wellmon talks about how google is a tool that is helping us in research by providing us with lots of sources at once while Char talks about how google is basically taking away the art of reading long articles and researching by books. Both make valid points but I probably have to agree with Wellmon in the fact that how much of a positive change google has had versus a negative one. Because of google, we are able to interact with others across the world, reach tons of information in a fraction of the time books do and so much more. Char’s final parting in his article says “... we have come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence." To Char, the only thing I would say is: We are living, fully functional humans, not robots. (yet)

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    1. I agree with the fact that Google is more of a positive change than a negative one. However, when you say "We are living, fully functional humans, not robots", do you mean that we are not physically robots? Because I think in a way, most of us do behave like robots. As pointed out in one of the articles, humans plan almost all of their activities based off of the time on the clock. In the earlier ages, when people weren't aware of the time, they did things when they wanted to. They ate if they were hungry, slept when tired and worked when they wanted to. People in the modern times, or ever since the invention of the clock, are more restricted to their designated schedules. For example, not eating after a certain time, not staying awake for too long, going to work on time, etc. Overall, all I'm trying to say is that, you mainly talked about the positive factors of Google, almost making it seem as Google has only been a positive impact on our lives.

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  14. Google is making us neither smarter or stupider, rather it is making us evolve, making Wellmon’s thesis more appealing than Carr’s.

    Carr believes Google is making us stupid, saying produces a skimming behavior, not allowing deep thinking. Wellmon leans toward the center of the spectrum, saying Google makes us neither smart nor stupid. He says any technology ever, including Google, “changes the way we think and experience the world”. In an article, it states the skimming Carr refers to is actually a new orality: we read as we speak when in a group.[1] Internet encourages rapid conversation, versus books, which take time to print, publish and respond to. When using the internet, one “...engages a greater extent of neural circuity not activated while reading text...”[2] Certain types of memory have improved due to using the internet, because search engines reroute our memory.[3] We now remember where to find information, versus the actual information itself. Google is making us neither smart or stupid, rather it is making us evolve.

    [1]https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/03/18/Response-to-Nicholas-Carr-Question-Is-Google-Making-Us-Stupid.aspx?Page=2

    [2]https://21centurytext.wordpress.com/glossary/vol-i-no-1/is-google-making-us-stupid-or-smart/ (in section why google is making us smart)

    [3]http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/07/google-making-us-stupid-and-smart-same-time/352885/

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  15. I feel that google is not making us stupid, instead it is a very beneficial tool that is used by all.

    Carr and Wellmon both present opposing views on Google . According to Carr’s perspective, reading from the internet is seen as a shallower form, when comparing it with reading from the printed books. He states that the easy access of information on google causes people to put less effort in gaining the information. Because of this, in Carr’s opinion google is making us stupid.While, Wellmon believes that google is neither making us stupid or smart, instead we are the ones making google smart, by visiting certain websites and contents. By doing so we are giving google information about our likes and dislikes. I agree, with Wellmon’s theory of google not making us stupid or smart. Because knowledge cannot be gained easily with just information. To turn the information into knowledge we need understanding. The information gained from google doesn’t make us smart or stupid, it is the way we understand the information that makes us smart or stupid.

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  16. Google is narrowing our range of information. Google holds a flora of valuable and seemingly endless vasts of information but dominates the stage for other search engines to compete. We have become so accustomed to google and its products that we fail to see the value in diversity. Although Google appears to be a stream in which individuals are able to filter the results of their search to what they are looking for, our searches are first being filtered by Google. Google has monopolized our access to technology and weeded out any other sources. How do we know that we are getting the whole spectrum of a story without exploring other search engines that may filter differently?

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    1. Everything written by a human has a bias so I feel that even books don't have the whole story. Yet if there was many search engines lie google wouldn’t it be messy and cause a lot of lawsuits? Also Google does introduce a lot of diversity to us. We can now experience different cultural perspective and traditions with a click but if google didn't exist we would have to travel to experience all of that.

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  17. I think Google is beneficial to us.
    Carr says that Google just hands information to us and that we do not need to “look” for information anymore, also today's society has a shorter attention span. Wellmon on the other hand says that Google just filters for us and we are responsible for our own stupidity. He compares Google to the printing press and how both had the same effect on the society of that time. Yet books have helped us learn so much. I believe that google is great and the fact we have so much information at our fingertips means we have endless possibilities of what we can do with it. I totally agree with Wellmon because we have so much knowledge that we can access but it's what we decide to do with it.

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  18. Carr and Wellmon have both written very long articles speculating on the current state of our access to information, both of which I was very reluctant to read. As I was reading through these articles I found myself agreeing with a lot of what Carr was saying as I was definitely finding it hard to focus on the pages and pages of what ultimately seemed like pure conjecture. They both raised some good points, and in the process of commenting on our abundant stream of information they did end up contributing to it, and in this sense they have both proved themselves wrong. To respond to their articles literally, I have become smarter by absorbing the information they presented me, and while I understand that they’re thinking more abstractly than that, I am not.

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  19. Carr and Wellmon both were speaking to how the internet (google specifically) affects us as humans. Both talked about impacts that the internet has on one's ability to concentrate, deep-read, and comprehend what it is they are reading. Wellmon talks about how google doesnt make us smart or stupid but it is the content they we choose to view on the internet that is changeing us and our throught systems. Carr on the other hand thinks that the internet is taking away peoples natural curiosity about the world. Since all the information is there at our fingertips no one bothers to delve into their reasearch or into new ideas they just take what the interent told them and move on. The internet is very much a part of society now a days. This makes it difficult to dcecied if the internet is actually helping us or taking away our ability to think for ourselves.

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  21. Is google making us smart or stupid? A question that is met with an indefinite answer in both of the articles presented. Carr meets this question with an overall negative response to google as he views it like other progressing technologies with a great deal of skepticism. On the other hand Wellmon states that it neither makes us smart nor stupid inherently and it rather relies on how you use it. The connection both articles make is the relationship between humans and technologies. It affects the way we not only perceive information but also how we output information to others. Both articles also address the blessings of these new technologies and in greater detail expresses the concerns about the future of these technologies. In comparing these articles we can see there clear statements of warnings for the future and the exciting possibilities on how to curate or properly develop these emerging intellectual tools.

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  22. In his article, Car talks about how the abundance of information that google offers us is rewiring how humans think. Car mentions its effects on our attention span; our brains that were once wired to immerse itself in prose is now wired to skim and browse text just as we would on the internet. Car also addresses the positive aspects of google, he recognizes that it is a medium that interlinks the world allowing for shared information.

    Wellmon's article talks about how google isnt making us smart or stupid. We live in a world with such an abundance of data that everything is reduced to simply a minute data point. He also refers to Car's ideas about the internet changing the way we think.

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