After I read the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” By Nicholas Carr, it really made me think about what the internet and computers have done to us, and for us. In the article, the writer talked about how his mind was reprogramming itself in the way that the internet had taught him. He also said that it was getting harder for him to read long literature.
I have never liked or hated reading. But when it is required, I will read it. I used to love reading. The topics were interesting, I was focused. Now, it’s gotten harder and harder to concentrate. As I am writing this blog, I am continuously distracted by my cat (who is just sitting). With all of the lessons leaned about the internet we start to use the shortcuts and cheat codes in actual life. When I read I find myself skimming through the paragraphs then I end up re-reading through a whole page and still not getting all of the information. A lot of times when I read, I think about other things like football and when I’m going to hang out with friends.
I usually try to avoid using my computer; mostly because I know that I will end up looking at ridiculous sites and stupid Facebook comments. When the internet shows hyperlinks that lead to another website, I’m drawn to them like a moth to a flame. Without any big and shocking headlines or highlights, I’m on to the next page for more info, even thought all of what I needed was right there. It’s website entrapment, but the only thing bad your doing is hurting your back in your computer chair and wasting your time. In some cases I think that the internet has made me less smart and more skeptical. I used to believe anything I saw on the internet, which was a bad idea. Now I can’t trust anything it says, which is kind of weird because I use Wikipedia a lot.
Dependency on computers is a hot topic; it even has some science fiction behind it. Like in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The people on board were too dependant on the computer systems and artificial intelligence. The “Terminator” franchise was based off of the same principles. After a long time away from more “primitive” machinery and styles, we commonly forget how to do certain tasks. Like write a letter and send it correctly or actually talk on the phone. The traditional lifestyles have been lost in many places. Those traditions are what keeps us as individuals and give us a sense of heritage.
I am particularly interested in survival. I know it’s off topic but bear with me. I like to learn about the way things were done back in the olden days. When farmers used to use horse drawn plows and boil there water before they drank it. The good old days of mountaineering were also interesting. You see? If we forget about how these things are done we might as well hop in the pot and get ready to be eaten. If for any reason we had to revert back to these methods due to some kind of trouble, we wouldn’t survive without this knowledge and skill.
When we focus on maximum speed, efficiency, and output, we sacrifice some of the more important factors. Quality is much more valuable than quantity. That’s why Swiss clocks are the most expensive and rare, they are made from fine craftsmen, not a huge factory in China.
In the end, it is futile to resist technological advancement. If Google doesn’t create the first artificial intelligence, someone else will. This was also displayed in the “Terminator” franchise. So the only thing we really can do is try to hold on to our viewpoints, traditions, skills, and most importantly, our individuality.
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