In response to Nicholas Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" I have these three Questions:
Is Google really making us stupid or is it in some ways making us smarter?
Is there such a thing as too much accessible information?
And last but not least.
If the brain can be rewritten by surfing the internet, can it also be rewritten by reading books?
The main argument in this article is about how our brains are being rewritten because of our constant surfing of the web and demand for more information in less data. If this information is true and our brains are being rewritten why can't we rewrite them again by immersing ourselves in books, not e-books but real, hard copy, printed on paper, books. Yes more information in less data is a very gratifying and sometimes helpful thing, but if the concern is for our minds then the answer should be simple, it's your mind you control it. People often forget that they dont have to give in to all of this technology, yes it really does make things easier, but all life doesn't have to revolve around gadgets and the technology they bring. You can choose to go to the library and find that new book you heard about or you can choose to read the overveiw and reviews on your ipad. If James Olds is right and even the adult brain can break and make new connections then we still have time to pick up those books and build new connections. Retrain your brain to appreciate long works of writing rather than short blurbs on your favorite website. The choice is ours whether we let this technology feed our demand for quick and easy information, or if we pick up that book and get lost in someone elses world.
