Alienation In Nicholas Carr's The Shallows

The general argument made by Nicholas Carr in his work, From the Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, is that phones and social media has taken over, and that’s about all our generation relies on in today’s world. More specifically, Nicholas Carr argues that the internet is distracting us from our day to day work, and human interaction. He writes, “I do most of my banking and a lot of my shopping online. I use my browser to pay my bills, schedule my appointments, book flights and hotel rooms, renew my driver’s license, send invitations and greeting cards” (Carr par. 3). In this passage, Nicholas Carr is suggesting how the internet is taking over more and more of his life, and how technology is changing his daily tasks, and how

In his article “The Shallows”, Nicholas G. Carr explains to his readers how reading & writing came to be, it 's effects on the brain, and what both Plato and Socrates thought about the subjects.

Could you imagine travelling the world as a powerful writer, befriending monumental people? This is the life of Pico Iyers. Iyers questions the intent of technology and whether or not this generation can depict the difference between what is a want and what is essential. How does Pico Iyers write so powerfully? Iyers does not act alone he quotes people of authority, releases his personal experiences, and paints a picture that brings the whole piece together.

Since the rise of technology and smart devices, the public has seen controversy over the benefits and drawbacks of internet usage. Nicholas Carr shared his opinions in the article “From The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.” In the text, he claims that it seems to be “chipping away” his “capacity for concentration and contemplation” (Carr 5). In addition to that, he does not hesitate to state how “some worry they’re becoming chronic scatterbrains” from using the web (Carr 6). His views are painted purple in this piece of writing, as any reader could infer that Carr possesses a slightly bitter tone when it comes to the interwebs. He displays his dislike for the way it is reshaping our brains and mental function, even going

In the passage “Why Literature Matters”, the author, Dana Gioia, explains how much reading over the years have declined, which is going to cause a risk in students future. The number of people who willingly read or actually want to, decreases on the daily. This problem goes further than just school, future jobs are also noticing how new workers don’t enjoy reading or even read at all. As told in this passage and being scientifically proven, “the declines have been most severe among young adults (ages 18-24.”

Each and everyday around the world there are new advances in technology attempting to make life more simple. In the article by Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, Carr explains his beliefs on how the internet is causing mental issues in today's society. Carr starts with his own opinion, he says the Internet is causing him to lose focus quickly. He cannot stay hooked to a book. He writes about his life being surrounded by the internet and how it has created problems, like not being able to stay focused on a reading; but it is interesting how he says the Internet has been a ‘godsend’ in his chosen profession. Carr uses a great deal of rhetorical appeals to try to connect with the audience. He compares the past and the present and how it has altered the

Reading has decreased among the younger people in society. In paragraph 4 Gioia states, “That such a longstanding and fundamental cultural activity should slip so swiftly, especially among young adults, signifies deep transformations in contemporary life.” With people not reading as much or enjoying the art of reading, there is going to be a major

In "The Shallows" by Nicholas Carr the effect of internet usage and timeless inventions on our minds is explored. Carr argues that companies like Google are essentially prohibiting the transcendentalist movement. While it is beneficial to have such a large quantity of knowledge at our disposal, it also prevents us from reserving time to contemplate a problem. This, in turn, inhibits our ability of deep thinking. The more the internet is used the less we learn by ourselves. In light of these claims I support Carr's conclusion, with the world wide usage of the internet people are becoming less connected with there own ability to think critically. Living in the electronic age takes away our time to think deeply and to find solitude within our

In the book the shallows by Nicholas Carr, He takes a position that states that the internet is destroying use as a species. I think the internet is helping but breaking use at the same time. The way that I see it is that we can talk to anyone in the world with the internet so we don't need to go out and me people. But with that in mind we can also meet a lot more people with the internet. Another reason why it is breaking use and helping to is that we can give information much faster so that helps with long distance communication. Now people like me are so used to getting info so fast it makes many people angry that they don't get instant feedback. I will tell you my point of view on the internet.

In the Shallows Nicholas Carr shown his side of the argument that technology is overpowering our minds. How he proves this fact is that whenever we learn something new on the computer it takes less than 2 days for the brain to reshape itself to adapt to the new learning environment. The brian has a plasticity to being able to mold itself into a new challenge to adapt to a new circumstance. We become dependent of the internet addicted to see what is new with our friends. Finally it shows that we can’t be offline for a certain time period or we will get withdraws like a drug. This shows how the internet and technology has affected us in a terrible manner.

In “Why Don’t Teens Read For Pleasure Like They Used To?,” Jennifer Ludden a writer from Mind/Shift, KQED.org explains why many teens aren’t reading for pleasure anymore. A study done by Common Sense Media, shows that “Nearly half of 17-year-olds say they read for pleasure no more than one or times a year - if that.” Ludden states that with the digital revolution, there are more platforms than ever to read on. Even though the number of American teens reading for pleasure has dramatically. Additionally, Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media, says he’s been studying the impact of technology on children.

Do you feel more comfortable on the online world or the real and physical world? In the hallways at school, while walking down the street, in parked cars in a parking lot, in the store; everywhere you go, humans have their heads down, scrolling through the online world instead of getting a grasp of the physical world. In recent discussions of technology, a controversial issue has been how the internet affects us as humans. On the one hand, some argue that the internet is the “best thing to ever come alone”. On the other hand, however, others argue that the internet never should have come to life. The best perspective on this issue, is reflected by Nicholas Carr in his book The Shallows when he writes, “With the exception of the alphabets and

Nicholas Carr covers an unprecedented amount of material in his novel, “The Shallows.” He delves into subjects ranging from the history of the book to the business of Google to the psychological concept of neuroplasticity. All of these topics support his main argument: the idea that the internet is destroying our brains. He takes the deterministic approach that we are the tools we use, meaning they shape our brains. According to Carr, the internet negates our memories, deems print books useless, and distracts us from reality. His counterargument comes from the instrumentalist approach; this viewpoint maintains that people stay the same no matter the tools they use. His arguments are both sound and flimsy, current and outdated, and he rants

The Internet is something that some consider their lifesavers, while others believe that it takes their life away. The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, by Nicholas Carr is a novel that explores the different areas of how new technologies affect humans in different ways, regarding multi-tasking and distractions, to how new technologies make us lose a little part of ourselves. Throughout the book Carr puts forward very strong arguments, but then loses creditability with his use of fallacies in argument.

It is not only the content that can have an everlasting effect on us; but the way in which it is being presented could actually be changing the way our brains process information. In Nicholas Carr's book, The Shallows, he explains the change in how he reads with the following analogy, "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski" (7). Carr is comparing and contrasting his reading style before and after heavy internet use. Pre-heavy internet use he had no problem delving into a complex book and exploring it's depths. Post-heavy internet use he now floats along the surface, skimming the text for main points. While some may argue that the latter is a more efficient way of gaining information