Rhetorical Analysis Of Nicholas Carr's 'Is Google Making USupid?'

Technology has evolved so much over the course of 82 years. People who were living in 1935 would have no clue what a computer is or what it could potentially become. Education itself and how we learn has come a long way. Everything was hand written. Now in 2017, we have every answer with just one touch of a button. Google is a search engine that holds almost every answer in the world. There are many opinions on the way humans in 2017 function, and process information. Nicholas carr is a respect author who writes about the relationship between technology and culture. He has written for the Atlantic, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, etc. He has written two great essay that have won The Best American Science and Nature Writing, The Best collected in Several Anthologies, The Best American Science and Nature Writing, and The Best Technology Writing. One of them which is titled, “Is Google Making Us Stupid.”  Nicholas Carr argues that Google is not making humans stupid, but as technology progress our minds must adapt and change the way we think and process information. This essay has many rhetorical approaches. Nicholas Carr uses imagery, opinion, ethos, and pathos to persuade his audience, provoking a doubt on whether google is making humans stupid.

In the end, Carr gives Google’s viewpoint on the argument. Sergey Brin, a founder of the Google search engine, stated in an interview, “Certainly if you had all the world’s information directly attached to your brain, or an artificial brain that was smarter than your brain, you’d be better off.” The founders of Google say it is better to have information at your fingertips because it makes life easier. Then, Nicholas states, “Maybe I’m just a worrywart.” The author gives the other side of the argument to show that his stance is not one-sided and to makes the readers think about what they are

Nicholas Carr, posed the question, “Is Google making us stupid”, and asks his readers to give it some thought. The article made suggestions such as the internet changing the way the mind works and that the internet has negative consequences on the human brain. Carr wants everyone to be cautious of the internet because of the many different ways it has affected and will continue to affect the way we think. When I think about this article, I can see the many different tactics Carr used, such as fact vs fiction, cause and effect, and the clearly stated argument.

The internet has made an immense impact on every generation since its existence as it continues to grow throughout time. Its effectiveness is prodigious; the internet allows people to gain information that once took days to retrieve it in a few minutes (Carr 1). Writer Nicholas Carr, in his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, explains that the use of internet and technology causes harm to people and their brains. Carr’s purpose is to address to internet users that Google (or any electronic helpers) is making them “stupid” and lazy because it minimizes their concentration and willingness to think. He attempts to adapt to his audience, dedicated internet users, as he uses the rhetorical appeals to try to convince them of his purpose. However, this was not enough. Nicholas Carr’s article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?,” is ineffective because of his poor use of ethos and logos despite his good use of pathos.

In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, the main argument the author, Nicholas Carr is trying to make is to explain how the Internet becomes our only source of information. Carr is also trying to warn oncoming generations in how the Internet has affected our ability to read long pieces or to be able to retain information for a long period of time. Carr provides personal experience, imagery, and a professional analysis that is backed by research to hook the audience in and persuade them that in today’s society, the Internet is only causing problems rather than any solutions.Throughout the article Carr provides an abundant amount of rhetorical modes by giving examples and studies from different organizations . Carr gives an insight on the positive ways the Internet had influenced his life.

of “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” published in 2008 in the Atlantic, believes that the internet is “tinkering with our brains” and has even admitted to seeing changes within himself. Carr created this article to inform people about how societies ability to read and comprehend information is being changed or harmed by the use of the internet. Carr did have some errors such as structural problems with his thesis and also struggled with an informal writing style. Despite some of these errors, Carr’s use of rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, logos, and ample amount of personal and factual information along with the emotional touches, allows him to develop a strong persuasive argument.

He tries to use a persuasive tone in this text because he does not want the generations to come to be inadequate of the wiring in people’s brains to change with what the person does to it. He tries to make the audience feel the same as him towards the Internet, especially Google. He does put a little humor through out his text bashing on the idea that Google is ruining our brains. Even though he tries to appeal spite of dislike in his text he comes off that the readers are thinking the same, and he as well wants to raise a connection of sense that he is right. Carr quotes that he can “Maybe I’m just a worrywart” for what’s to come for the new generations in using Google. Nicholas Carr does provide a good argument with many different supportive studies in this text but he struggles to persuade his audience enough in using pathos. He does have a strong input about how he feels about the usage of Google but he only see’s one side of his argument and not how much the web has helped and impacted people today. He is very one minded about this situtuion and uses to many different studies trying to show that Google is the main reason to making us stupid but his studies aren’t strong enough and the evidence he uses can go both ways from a con to a

Nicholas Carr is well known American writer who has written article and books based on business, technology and culture. In 2011, he was the finalist for Pulitzer Prize in General Notification for his book The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains.In Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, he wrote for The Atlantic on Jul 1, 2008. It's very plausible, complicated and persuasive article. The article makes many believable connections to every day's life, compelling people by using metaphors, staying true to the point and using different rhetorical approaches.

In Nicholas Carr’s, “Is google making us stupid,” Carr indicates a problem that affects a majority of the internet users; that being as time we spend on the internet increases, the more we are diminishing our intellectual ability, and loosing the ability to become intertwined in a lengthy article or an extended book. He is suggesting that the technology we are in contact with on a daily basis, has a negative effect on our cognitive ability, and is forcing our brain’s to evolve. Throughout the article, Carr argues the negative effect media, mainly the internet, is having on his capacity and concentration: he effectively argues his point through the uses of many rhetoric appeals, that draw in the reader. His use of logos, compares the past and

Is Google making us stupid? That is a fascinating question with a not so simple answer. Nicholas Carr does a fantastic job of expressing his skepticism about Google; However, he does not bring much in the way of facts, uses broad speculation and relies on a few thoughts of others to bring his skepticism to light. Carr is not very convincing in his manner of trying to reach the rest of the world with his message that Google is hurting us rather than helping us.

The internet is a technology which has had a significant impact on the way many people conduct their lives. Information once contained in massive volumes at libraries or in private collections is now available by typing words into a search engine and clicking “search.” One must no longer pick up a phone to call a friend, relative or colleague; e-mail, instant messaging, Skype and the like, have enabled people to communicate in non-traditional ways and across boundaries previously inaccessible. Nicholas Carr addresses the wonder that is the internet in his article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The general direction of the article is a discussion of how intelligent thought patterns seem to be changing; attention spans and critical

Even from a cursory examination of the article Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr, one of the chief problems with technology, which this article heavily focuses on, becomes apparent: many contemporary technologies, especially Google, remove much of the necessity for cognition within life in general. Therefore, the chief argument that will be posited here is one that agrees with the underlying point made by the author. That is, technology is certainly having a detrimental effect when it comes to overall cognition, and companies such as Google are the prime culprits here. However, at the same time, it is also important to note that these technologies, in and of themselves, are also beneficial, and should not be demonized to the extent that the author seems to be arguing here. This paper will take a look at some of the implications of this argument. For starters, the author 's primary argument is that the instantaneous nature of information, particularly in an age of ever-increasing computer and Internet speeds, trains the human brain into receiving this information extremely quickly (Carr 1). This might initially appear to be only beneficial, but the author is also quick to point out the ways that this apparently beneficial concept can actually go awry very easily. That is, the brain never knows when it has enough, and as such, it will almost consistently be seeking out information, continually refreshing pages and searching Google, among other tools, for the latest

Nicholas Carr’s Is Google Making Us Stupid? is a great overview of the impact the internet is having on his, and others; life, brain, and habits. The old days of having to research a subject for hours to fully understand it is long gone. Having such a powerful tool available at any time can be a good and bad thing wrapped up in the same package. Home computer and smartphone ownership has been on a steady rise over the last couple decades, therefore, having information available at all times is hard to resist. Having answers instantly with a couple clicks on a keyboard can be valuable, but only to the extent that the information received is true. The impatience with having to spend time researching for the correct answer is ever growing to the point that any type of patience is a dying art. Retrieving information on a device is easier, but over time, can also disrupt the brains process of storing information long-term.

The article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is about an author, Nicholas Carr, who is an executive editor at Harvard University. Carr argues that the Internet is making us dumber. The article offers and opinion as opposed to a fact. The reader should keep in mind that this is not a factual or statement, even though the author argues as though his opinion is based on a fact.

Nicholas Carrs article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” makes points that I agree with, although I find his sources to be questionable. The article discusses the effects that the Internet may be having on our ability to focus, the difference in knowledge that we now have, and our reliance on the Internet. The points that are made throughout Carrs article are very thought provoking but his sources make them seem invaluable.