A Comparative Analysis Essay Comparing and Contrasting Technology in our Culture

A Comparative Analysis Essay
Is Google Making us Stupid by Nicholas Carr is one of those texts that enable one to see the world in a more realistic fashion. In essence, Carr seeks to bring to our attention the way our brains are being affected by technology. This is largely the same topic that Carol Shield explores in her amazing text, Curling Up With a Book. As Carol Shield points out, the present generation is increasingly finding it difficult to detach itself from the real world and get immersed in a book.
As Carr observes, deep reading has always been a natural process. As a matter of fact, Shield believes that the actual meaning of a certain story can only be captured once a reader directs his or her attention towards the contents of typed text. Today, as Carr points out, it is increasingly becoming a struggle to engage in natural reading. Carr is convinced that his brain’s functioning has been affected by the internet. This, according to the author, is more so the case given that he constantly finds himself unable to focus on any text exceeding a single page without deliberately skipping large sections of text and instead focusing on the main ideas (what is referred to as skimming). Shield is in agreement that disengaged reading has become a problem. In her opinion, giving a piece of reading your full attention brings the said reading to life. This, as she further observes, is more so the case given that it permits one to be imaginative, to play the story in their head, and thus develop deeper understanding.
In essence, as Carr has pointed out in his article, Google is programmed to provide one with the information he or she is looking for – it essentially takes one right to the doorstep of the answers being sought. With Google, information – and more specifically answers – is easy to come by. This effectively means that we are slowly becoming accustomed to shallow reading and thinking processes. Shields defines meaningful reading as an opportunity for the reader to not only connect with their deeper self, but also as an avenue for the very same reader to connect with the emotions as well as feelings and ideas of the author. This, according to Carr’s assertions, is a definition of reading that has lost meaning in the age of the internet.
In the past, reading a book was an intensely engaging exercise. Carr is of the opinion that with so much information available today on the internet, readers are forced to ‘cherry-pick’ what they deem important and leave the rest – a shallow form of interaction with literature. Why is skimming a problem? Instead of getting the deeper meaning of an idea, skimming leads an individual to have a general perspective of the said idea – or in some instances, the general perspective of a portion of the original idea. According to Shields, reading on paper (as opposed to on screen) is important for our brain growth and continued rejuvenation. Her plea for undivided attention in one’s engagement with a book echoes Carr’s criticism of skimming. Unfortunately, skimming could just be the new cool in an age where people are unlikely to curl up with a book.
At one point, Carr points out one of the bloggers he follows recently observed that he no longer reads books. The blogger, according to Carr, observes that in college, he was an avid book reader. The all important question in this case remains: what happened? The blogger’s answer is in this case largely speculative. He quips: “what if I do all my reading on the web not so much because the way I read has changed, i.e. I’m just seeking convenience, but because the way I THINK has changed?” This is an excellent question that the blogger poses. In this case, I am forced to wonder what will happen to the next generation – a generation whose access to smart phones, digital content, is not in any way or form limited. Unlike Carr, Shields is categorical that we must re-embrace traditional reading. Carr’s is not as direct as Shields on this front. However, his thoughts on the need for persons to connect deeper with written text is presented via the analysis of the harm that the internet (and by extension the likelihood to skim through text) does to our capacity to contemplate and/or concentrate.
I fully concur with arguments presented by the authors of both texts. Many are the times I have gone content that would ordinarily take around 20 minutes to read through in less than 5 minutes. For instance, every morning, I dedicate approximately 15 minutes to going through the day’s news items. The fact of the matter is that I cannot recall the last time I really got deeply immersed in a news article. I routinely read a paragraph here, a sentence there, and maybe a headline in another page and convince myself that I have grasped the news content for the day. In effect, this is enough proof that concentration and deep engagement with written material continues to be impaired by our use of the internet.
Unlike was the case a decade ago, the internet is today part and parcel of our daily lives. This effectively means that it is increasingly becoming more than just a tool to access information. Instead, we are substituting our brain’s thinking and cognitive processes with the convenience and expediencies of the internet. The message of the two authors cited herein is clear; it could only get worse.