How many of you depend on the Internet a day to keep busy? Do you think technology could be in favor of one’s ability to retain detailed information on a specific topic? Is this affecting our ability to expand our knowledge? These are just a couple of questions that come to mind when the topic of technology is brought up. How much of our time a day do we actually devote to technology? The purpose of this essay is to argue that the Internet, as well as other technologies, is a detriment to learning because it diminishes our ability to retain information, acts as a distraction, and makes us strongly dependent on it.
Technology is such a controversial topic for many people throughout the world. In the article 'Is Google Making Us Stupid?' by Nicholas Carr, there are many examples from a variety of different people on how technology has altered their learning ability. Carr states: “When I mention my troubles with reading to friends and acquaintances-literary types, most of them say they are having similar experiences. The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing”. The Internet provides a more convenient way to do research, but little do people know that it is altering our state of mind. Who wants to pick up a big book when it comes to doing a research paper or even just reading a book required by a class? Most people just want something more accessible, and the Internet has provided that for them. With Carr’s statement above, I believe he’s implying that the Web is setting us up for failure. Most of the time, the Internet provides a summarized version of a text; we don’t get all the information we may need. I remember when I was in high school, I hated reading. I strongly disliked having to sit down and flip page after page. I felt as if it were a nascence. Technology is to blame. The Internet has provided sites such as SparkNotes to be able to read a summary of each chapter in a book. I used this frequently throughout high school, and I slowly noticed how I can’t sit and read a book from beginning to end. I notice that it is more difficult for me to stay focused when I know that the Internet has a more convenient way for me. If we depend on technology, what could that mean for us in the future?
Distractions are happening everywhere in our everyday life, but one of the biggest distractions recently come up is the Internet. I remember sitting in high school and getting bored to death by listening to my teachers lecture us. One thing I had that most people back in the day didn’t was a cell phone with Internet access. I always caught myself checking my social media accounts or texting my friends and ultimately not paying attention to what the teacher was teaching for the day. Most high schools are trying to be stricter with cell phone use in class, but when has that ever stopped someone from being deviant? If you tell some not to do drugs because it is illegal, do you think that will stop them from doing it? No, it’s how our brains work. If we are given an ultimatum or are told not to do something, we're going to want to do the exact opposite of what we are told. Having a cell phone was a huge distraction and caused my grades to plummet because I wasn’t paying attention. The cause was merely my fault, but having access to such a complex technology is what affected my life greatly. We benefit greatly from using the Internet, and that can be considered a good thing, but no one notices how much information we lose by not paying attention to the news, our peers, or our mentors. Not only has it become a distraction, but it has also become essential in our daily life.
An addiction is when someone is incapable of being able to go without a substance, object, or activity. Technology is still fairly new in this generation. Each day we become more involved with technology and it becomes more complex. Some may argue the benefits that come along with technology, such as not having to use a typewriter, not having to use an actual map, and being able to connect with people without having to memorize their phone numbers. There are many convenient factors to technology, but we do not realize how much of a distraction it has become to our lives. Carr states in his article: “Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives—or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts—as the Internet does today”. We have become more dependent on the Internet to give us information or even a better communication system with each other, and little do we realize that we can’t go without it. When is the last time you left your phone at home and didn’t panic to turn around and go get it? We have become dependent on our phones and the Internet as a source of communication, information, and our way around when we get lost. We lose the ability to do all those things without them in this day and age. They alter our state of mind to make us dependent on them.
After asking yourself all these questions, do you still believe that technology, especially the Internet, benefits society? I whole heatedly believe that it has not been beneficial. Unfortunately, we have to admit that it is making us stupid. Society today is no longer able to resist the urge to use the Internet as part of our daily lives. If we continue to use the Internet and other technologies so often, we will lose the ability to store information, become more dependent on our resources, and become more distracted by technological advances. If we ignore this damage, we will ultimately be sacrificing our well-being, our brain’s ability to critical thinking, and the distractions that come with new technology.