Jul 22, 2010
What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains
Building on the insights of thinkers from Plato to McLuhan, Carr makes a convincing case that every information technology carries an intellectual ethic — a set of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and intelligence. He explains how the printed book served to focus our attention, promoting deep and creative thought. In stark contrast, the Internet encourages the rapid, distracted sampling of small bits of information from many sources. Its ethic is that of the industrialist, an ethic of speed and efficiency, of optimized production and consumption — and now the Net is remaking us in its own image. We are becoming ever more adept at scanning and skimming, but what we are losing is our capacity for concentration, contemplation, and reflection.
You can read it here.
My internet was down for one week recently and I purposefully did not check email or get on the net elsewhere. What a relief! I found more time for Bible reading and the reading of other things worth reading (i.e., Irenaeus' On the Apostolic Preaching). I read no blogs, no sports news, no book news, no email discussion lists, etc. I actually spent more time with my family as well. I even drove my boys to and from soccer practice more than once! My wife was astonished.
What did I miss? I suppose I am not an expert on whatever new issue is out there because I did not read four paragraphs and loads of discussion from people who did.
In all seriousness, I am leaning in the direction that the internet is worse for us than TV. At least TV has limits. Also, it's too easy for someone to go on the internet, read a blog or two or three, or even a thousand, and give the appearance of knowing something about a subject they were ignorant of three days prior. Both TV and the net depersonalize. Everything becomes virtual.
My conclusion? Read books, especially from dead guys whose books are still in print for a reason. :-)
Comments
Tom Chantry on Jul 22, 2010 2:42pm
Looked like an interesting entry, but I got bored halfway through the first paragraph and went to check my Facebook status.
Rich Barcellos on Jul 22, 2010 3:55pm
A friend emailed me after reading it. Here's what he said: "Just had almost exactly the same discussion with... this week in Louisville when I heard that e-book sales (electronic books for Kindle, iPad, etc) have now exceeded print book sales at Amazon. The format (electronic) militates against contemplative, prolonged, engaged, thoughtful reading. Electronic media are designed for quick access, convenience, multi-tasking, brief engagement, hurried interaction and easy exit. It's the perfect reflection of our shallow culture. We still need to pick up books and r.....e.....a......d."
I agree with my friend. Tom, don't bother reading this; it's too long and the words have too many syllables and he used too many synonyms.
Andrew Nicewander on Jul 26, 2010 3:08pm
I am a 27 year old who was one of the first ones on Facebook after it came to my university ("long" before it was opened-up to highschoolers). I've had accounts on countless websites and social networks and would consider myself fairly adept at moving throughout the internet. I've also become very disenchanted with social networking and the way in which we understand information and communicate with it.
I have noticed in myself the same inability to sit and read anything for very long. I used to be able to focus like that, and I'm very much a man with a single-track mind, but something in my head changed. The inability drives me crazy.
To combat this, I've begun carrying around 5-6 notebooks/journals and only read paper-books. I carry those around too! ;-)