Reading Connection #1

Is Google Making Us Stupid? (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google) is an article that discusses reading and text today and how it is affecting us. In the article he talks about the differences between reading now and reading in the past. He explains that yes, we are reading more today than we did in the 70s, but what we are reading makes all the difference. Instead of getting caught up in a book and actually having to do research, we have all the information we need at our fingertips.

Even though I admit I am happy that we have so many resources so easily, I do agree with what he is saying. Instead of going to a library, looking for a book, reading that book in depth to find what we need, all we have to do is type in the subject of what we are looking for and skim through the articles we are given to get that same information. It is very convenient but I do feel it is lowering our intelligence in a way. I am a culprit of it everyday, if a question comes up in conversation that I do not know the answer to, I simply say "I'll Google it" and I have the answer within seconds. I feel that instead of processing all of the information we learn from what we find with Google, we just get our quick fix of information and then forget all about it when we do not need it anymore. Now, Google even guesses what you are looking for, for you. We have come to the point that we do not even have to think about what we want to know, instead Google thinks and guesses it for you. I think the article asks an important question,
Where does it end?"

Another article I found "Negative Effects of Internet Usage" (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/45919/negative_effects_of_internet_usage.html?cat=15) talks about basically the same exact thing. It goes into a lot of detail about the addictive side of the internet as well. The article discusses how we use the internet for freedom, as a way to get out of our "real world" and go into the world wide web. The article talks about the internet's side effects on a personal level and how people can do things they would not normally be able to do in their regular lives. I feel this article touches good points based on why people use the internet so much while "Is Google making us stupid" talks about the effects and how it is changing society.

Overall, I feel the internet has become a safe place for people and more specifically Google. Instead of reading a book and doing the work, people just take the easy way out. It has made us adapt to skim reading and not really paying attention the information we are given. I think both articles make really good points in talking about how and why people abuse the internet and what is it doing to our society. My generation is known for its technology, but we have made so many advances , what will the next generation be called and how will technology be for them. Before we know it, there will be no more books.

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google making us stupid?". July, August 2008. TheAtlantic.com. 2 October 2008. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

"Negative Effects of Internet Usage." 25 July 2006. 2 Oct. 2008 .