The Sun had a fascinating interview in their recent issue with Nicholas Carr (I didn't know who he was either), who recently wrote a cover story for Atlantic entitled, "Is Google Making us Stupid." That article and a book he's working on talk about the potential problems from too much time spent surfing and clicking on our computers.I highly recommend reading the entire piece, but here are some excerpts:
"I've had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory...I'm not thinking the way I used to think.
"I was having trouble sitting down and immersing myself in a book, something that used to be totally natural to me. When I read, my mind wanted to behave the way it behaves when I'm online: jumping from one piece of information to another, clicking on links, checking e-mail, and generally being distracted. I had a growing feeling that the Internet was programming me to do these things and pushing on me a certain mode of thinking...
"I'm trying to put some limits on my Internet and e-mail use, but that's not always possible. There are broad social and economic changes underway that reward Internet use. If you cherish the ability to concentrate deeply and be reflective, you need to set aside time to read and think every day, so that those circuits in your brain don't get erased.
"As we increasingly connect with the world through computer screens, we're removing ourselves from direct sensory contact with nature. In other words, we're learning to substitute symbols of reality for reality itself.
"The danger with interactive media is that they draw us away from quieter and lonelier pursuits. Interactivity is compelling because its rewards are so easy and immediate, but they're often also superficial.
Cooper: So what are you going to do when Google-chip implants become as necessary as credit cards?
Carr: Probably get one. [Laughter.] My guess is I won't be around by the time that happens, but I think it's probably what people will end up doing, if it becomes possible, because we will likely be rewarded handsomely for it. Having the chip will become necessary for success in your professional and social life, and hence hard to resist. If you'll walk around with a Bluetooth headset hanging from your ear, you'll probably walk around with a Google chip in your brain."
Thoughts? By the way, The Sun is a fantastic publication that features essays, interviews, and original poetry and short stories--not to mention very good photography.
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2 comments:
That's exactly what I was talking about when I expressed concern about kids spending too much time on video games. I believe it does have an effect on the brain--some of it positive, in the sense that it encourages flexibility and quick reaction times; much of it negative, in that reflection and deep thinking form no part of what's needed to be successful in these games. These types of activities also feed into a need to be constantly entertained and make much of the rest of life seem "boring" by contrast. I don't feel video games or email, web-cruising, etc. should be eliminated, just limited. The danger of limiting too strictly with kids, of course, is making it seem all the more attractive.
I guess you have to trust that instilling your children with a love for books/story will eventually win out over video games.
I remember pestering you constantly to get us Colecovision (sp?) as kids, and playing it incessantly when we had it. But in the end, images on a screen were no match for the fabulous worlds books could take me to in my mind.
As a society in general--not just children--we're getting more and more distracted and have less and less of an attention span. We all need to fight the power.
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