Essay about The Shallows - 851 Words

Professor Provost RPW 210 27 October 2011 The Shallows; Real or Make Believe 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. Within the very first chapter â€Å"Hal and Me†, is where the first fallacy arises. â€Å"Hal and Me†, gives the reader some insight of what they†¦show more content†¦Many generalizations are present throughout this chapter that weaken Carr’s argument. This quote is just one of the few generalizations, â€Å"The intellectual ethic of a technology is rarely recognized by its inventors. They are usually so intent on solving a particular problem or untangling some thorny scientific or engineering dilemma that they don’t see the implications of their work. The users of the technology are also usually oblivious to its ethic. They, too, are concerned with the practical benefits they gain from employing the tool† (Carr 45). As stated before this quote is a generalization. Carr is generalizing with the assumption that inventors are usually so intent on solving a problem that they aren’t focuses on the benefits or consumers, which isn’ t very true anymore. Many inventors who create products are now looing for the benefits that its user or consumer will get. Therefore this quote can confuse the reader. Another contradiction appears in chapter 3 â€Å"Tools of the Mind†, Carr states â€Å"Language itself is not a technology† (51). This is a contradiction to chapter 5 â€Å"A Medium Of The Most General Nature†, where the whole concept of the chapter is writing and reading, which is considered language to most. When reading chapter 5 and remembering this quote, it makes the reader question Carr’s credibility of chapter 3 of how language evolves from humans, and that reading and writing is part of our culture and is not a technology.Show MoreRelatedThe Shallows1133 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion HAS to be answered. To them, it’s essential that we as a collective unit decide if the internet is controlling us so we can abandon it and have our mental capacities cleared up from propaganda that the Internet feeds us. In Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows, this whole debate is brought unto the forefront. Now me, personally, I respect both sides’ humble opinions. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly what this is: a perception. One of the quotes in the book that really sets a tone for the argumentRead MoreShallow Essay2427 Words   |  10 Pagesposted. Day 3: completetion of online opinion poll Days 4 5: First round of discussion Days 6 7: Second round of discussion Day 7: Answers to comprehension questions due Day 7: Answers to research questions due Required Materials: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr ISBN: 9780393339758 (2011) W. W. Norton Company, Inc. Smarter than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better by Clive Thompson ISBN: 9781594204456 (2013) PenguinRead MoreThe Shallow Pond And The Envelope1795 Words   |  8 PagesPaper Topic IV: The Shallow Pond and The Envelope In this paper I will argue that other people’s suffering matters and that as humans, we have a moral obligation to help others in regards to the envelope and shallow pond cases, however, those we know or are closer in proximity to, take priority over strangers. I will also address O’Neill and Singer’s main expositions and their application on the issue of famine relief. O’Neill formulates her beliefs based on the ideas of Immanuel Kant. KantianismRead MoreThe Shallows by Nicholas Carr1469 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, he asserts that the evolution of information and communication technology (ICTs) is having a detrimental impact on our brains despite the many benefits and advances we have made with it. His main focus is on the internet which he commonly refers to as the â€Å"universal medium† (92). Carr presents a very detailed but biased argument in which he views the internet and other technologies as the adversary of critical thinking and progress. To Carr, we are sacrificing ourRead MoreThe Shallows By Nicholas Carr1189 Words   |  5 PagesNicholas Carr covers an unprecedented amount of material in his novel, â€Å"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 ma in 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,Read MoreNicholas Carrs In The Shallows1314 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Shallows, Nicholas Carr discusses the distraction of the internet and other technologies connected to the internet. When Carr published The Shallows, social media was not incredibly common or popular and Carr did not deeply discuss the idea that social media is or can be distracting and damaging. Since The Shallows was published social media has become increasingly available, used, and prevalent in most people’s daily lives. Because of social media’s current popularity, I wanted to look intoRead MoreNicholas Carrs In the Shallows 1080 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, he asserts that the evolution of information and communication technol ogy (ICTs) is having a detrimental impact on our brains despite the many benefits and advances we have made with it. His main focus is on the internet which he commonly refers to as the â€Å"universal medium† (92). Carr presents a very detailed but biased argument in which he views the internet and other technologies as the adversary of critical thinking and progress. To Carr, we are sacrificing ourRead MoreThe Shallows Rhetorical Analysis Essay examples1304 Words   |  6 PagesThe Shallows Rhetorical Analysis In the book â€Å"The Shallows†, Nicholas Carr develops his argument just as an architect would construct a building. The foundation is laid then in tedious and eloquent manner, he begins an argument that defines the book. Shedding light upon the dangers our society may encounter through the internet, Carr uses personal anecdotes, parallels, ethic and reason based arguments, and disguises himself as an authoritative figure to execute a view changing book. ExertingRead More`` The Shallows `` By Nicholas Carr1880 Words   |  8 PagesIn his book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr claims, â€Å"With the exception of alphabets and number systems, the Net may well be the single most powerful mind-altering technology that has ever come into general use. At the very least, it’s the most powerful that has come along since the book† (Carr, 118). Carr supports this claim through examining other early inventions of man, such as the book, and using other s opinions and evidence to prove the Net can alter the mind. The author suggests that becauseRead MoreThe Internet Makes Us Shallow1309 Words   |  6 PagesJeffrey Ward Melissa Martinez Section: 26 1F October 22, 2015 The Internet Makes Us Shallow The Internet has replaced the canine as man’s best friend. In our world today, we have been consumed by the internet and have adopted an obsession with it. In â€Å"The Juggler’s Brain,† the seventh chapter from his book, The Shallows, Nicholas Carr discusses the change in the human brain, both physically and functionally. He claims that the internet is probably the â€Å"most powerful mind-altering technology that