Mia Lucci

ENG 110
Jesse Miller

23 September 2023

            Growing up with technology much like others from my generation is much different than someone who had to learn about it as it developed and become introduced to older generations. There are many arguments regarding the fact that technology could be harmful to us while others firmly believe that technology’s effects can be nothing short of positive and beneficial. Nicholas Carr’s essay Is Google Making Us Stupid? is firm on the fact that technology is much like a parasite that is taking over our lives and directing us towards a turn for the worst. Other writers such as Samantha Veilleux and Siobhan Smith have a more conflicted perspective much like myself which is clearly illustrated in their works titled “Technology Essay.” There is no definite argument to be made that the effects of technology are strictly negative nor positive. Rather it seems possible that there is a balance between the two, for technology is harming us in many ways yet simultaneously benefiting us to great lengths, it just depends on your perspective. 

            Writing these days is not remotely close to what it was only a few years ago. Rather than writing everything down with a pen and paper, it is now written electronically on the computer. Letters have become emails, written essays have become typed essays, and it does not seem like that will be changing any time soon. In Carr’s essay, he expresses his worries that the internet could be changing the way that we are writing. Carr mentions that Friedrich Nietzsche’s, “already terse prose had become even tighter, more telegraphic” as he transitioned to typing his work on a typewriter rather than his work being handwritten as it was before his eyesight started failing. For Carr, this is evidence that technology is, in fact, changing the way that we write and think. In contrast, Veilleux’s views the transition positively stating that, “this is extremely beneficial, as what may have taken me an hour to hand write can take me twenty minutes to type.” Although I find Carr’s argument to reflect with myself, regarding my belief that I write robotically now, I have had to produce more essays through the computer throughout my education as time went on. I have found that my typing speed has increased, and I find myself increasingly productive and time efficient due to me being able to complete assignments much faster than ever before. If technology truly has the effects on the tone of an individual’s tone as Carr believes, who is to say that it is not irreversible? This seems like a small price to pay for the efficiency that is emerging from our fingertips. 

            Not only is writing not the same as it moves to becoming electronic, but reading has also turned digital. Rather than flipping pages, people just swipe or scroll on a screen to move through the paragraphs. This makes obtaining and accessing materials much easier, but at what cost? Smith mentions that “eBooks are not only more convenient to students, but they are also helping our environment.” Although the topic of everything needing to be environmentally friendly these days is high on the priority list, in my opinion tried and true books are preferable to any sort of eBook. Not only do eBooks give me pounding headaches from all the scrolling and blue light, but the act of flipping the pages of a book has some effect that an eBook cannot achieve. Being able to mark up a textbook or cover it with sticky notes is incredibly helpful to my studying process as well. In the aspect of reading, Carr mentions that individuals have shorter attention spans these days and would rather skim an article than participate in “deep and insightful reading.” In my case, I cannot relate to Carr’s statement for I still enjoy reading novels and have no issue diving into a lengthy article. Many my age cannot say the same as they have a shortening attention span and are able to spend hours a day watching thirty second videos on their phone but would never be able to get through only a few pages of a book. Their attention spans will only keep them interested in up to those thirty seconds before the get bored, and if a video isn’t interesting to them within the first five, they will immediately swipe. I find that students who acquire eBooks do not actually read them, but rather skim for the answers the require, or have their computer read it out loud. They cannot simply focus their attention on reading a quick chapter or are not interested in reading at all.

            Regardless of the effects on their attention span, it can be argued that communication these days has never been easier. We are no longer tied to the wall when making a phone call can reach people regardless of our location. Phone numbers no longer need to be memorized for they are only a touch away in your contacts, and who needs a phone book anymore when you can just do a quick search online? Additionally, FaceTime is available for those who you miss seeing every day, much like my sister who lives in Texas now. On the negative side of this, my generation only seems to want to talk online and through text. Smith argues that “[she] would choose to have grown up in a different generation…”. I would have to agree with her in this decision because I can confidently say that I would rather have to have face to face conversations with someone in order to get to know them than only have people who want to chat online. Even college at times seems to be difficult to make friends because most people only want to “add you on Snapchat” or “follow you on Instagram” without sitting down and getting to know you. In this way, technology is both harming and helping communication, and both arguments can be made fairly with lots of reasoning to back up both. Car mentions that “people have become machinelike that the most human character turns out to be a machine.” I immediately connect this to trying to have a conversation with someone you have just met through technology. The stereotypical conversation points that arise are always the, “what are you doing?” or the “what kind of music do you like?” The conversation does not tend to get much deeper than that. There is no getting to know someone on a personal level anymore, only discovering tiny details about someone’s life. 

            When it all comes down to the finite points, I agree with Sam that it is not simply black and white as Carr seems to think. Technology can be harming us in some ways but on the other hand can be extremely beneficial to us as we have proven to take advantage of. It is difficult to make a single argument and pick one side when both perspectives are extremely reasonable and infinitely arguable. I feel as though we should try to see the brighter side of it rather than focusing on the negative thoughts and beliefs in order to make the most out of what we have. Generations ago, this would not have been possible and was most likely there was not even a though out in the world that this could be possible. Although technologies possibilities and futures such as artificial intelligence are irrevocably terrifying and will have possible negative effects on us, it is also feasible to think that there are ways to prevent these outcomes and repel getting sucked into all things social media. Maybe taking a walk outside or trying to pick up an actual, physical book that we find interesting and captivating will make us realize that our entire life does not need to be trapped in the bubble of social media but rather exploring our thoughts and creating experiences. 

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. Is Google Making Us Stupid? 2008. The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/print/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/.

Smith, Siobhan. “Technology Essay.” UNEportfolio, https://ssmith105.uneportfolio.org/all-about-me/. Accessed 30 September 2023.

Veilleux, Samantha. “Technology Essay.” UNEportfolio, https://sveilleux2.uneportfolio.org/about-me/. Accessed 30 September 2023.