The Internets Effects on Reading Essays - 2362 Words

The Internets Effects on Reading NEAdites join me in rejoicing at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) report Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America. This report brings into view the dangers of the Internet and foreshadows the impact it and the associated electronic media forms it delivers will have on culture and society. Our only chance is one huge electromagnetic burst that will take it all out from the inside. The act of reading as we traditionally know it is under assault. We must not get caught up in the electronic media and forget that which is important, â€Å"A book must be an ice ax to break the seas frozen inside our souls† is Kafka’s battle cry for reading (Solomon 1994). This quote is echoed by Nomi†¦show more content†¦She doubts even further the validity of the â€Å"statistical style of thinking† which is the basis of the report. Reading reaches far and wide, statistics on reading representing a small component o f the larger whole. The power of reading will continue to represent itself well for those who take the chance. The alarmist cries and the drawing up of sides requires that there must be something to blame. Nick Montfort found the report biased and exclaiming â€Å"The Internet did it!† (2004) . Montfort, himself a writer of serious literary work on the Internet, makes a good point that for all the statistical work that went into the NEA report, the research is lacking in its attempt to link reductions in literary reading to the growth of the Internet. There can be little doubt that reading is a desirable activity the provides enlightenment and growth. It is not however the only activity offering such rewards. Icelanders claim to read more books per capita than any other country (Wood 2004), but they do not have a monopoly on creative thinking in the world. Although the Internet and the content it offers is young and immature, not yet approaching same volume of quality found in bound volumes, it still has a considerable offering for those searching enlightenment and creative thinking. We must not loose sight of the fact that the majority of what is found on the web has been put thereShow MoreRelatedIs Google Making Us Stupid?1151 Words   |  5 Pagesbrains work. In the essay â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Nicholas Carr discusses his concern about the internet’s effects on our intelligence. He was once an avid reader, much like many of his colleagues, yet many of them can no longer dive into a thick novel. The power of Google has prevailed in terms of efficiently gaining information, so they all became fonder of scanning than in-depth reading. Carr even provides experimental evidence that people who are browsing the web tend to only stay on theRead MoreEssay about Is Google Making Us Stupid?, by Nicholas Carr1425 Words   |  6 PagesDespite this, Nicholas Carr questions whether Google has a positive impact on the way people take in information. In his article â€Å"Is Google Making Us Stupid?† Carr explores the internet’s impact on the way people read. He argues that the availability of so much information has diminished the ability to concentrate on reading, referencing stories of literary types who no longer have the capacity to sit down and read a book, as well as his own personal experiences with this issue. The internet presentsRead MoreThe Internet Makes Us Shallow1309 Words   |  6 Pagesgeneral use† and that because we have become so accustomed to using it , we have been subject to its effects on our cognition and comprehensive depth (Carr 116). The Internet has become an essential part of society without which we seemingly can’t function; although, because of it, our functionality has suffered. Throughout his argument, Carr very thoroughly supports his claim of the Internet’s effects on the human brain citing numerous experiments and much experimental data on the subject. His argumentRead More Online News and Print’s Future Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesOnline News and Print’s Future The Internet’s influence on our lives has spread throughout. Researching, shopping, job searching, and more can all be done with a keyboard and a few clicks of a mouse. But this ease of use casts a shadow on the future of printed information. The Web’s instant knowledge has changed our reading and writing habits and has made print media seem old-fashioned. One of the first industries to lead the change was journalism. As the Web expanded in the mid 90’s, onlineRead MoreThe Internet s Influence On Cognition Essay2322 Words   |  10 Pagesthe way I used to think.† These daunting words were echoed by Nicholas Carr, author of the non-fiction , â€Å"The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.† His work has received both acclimation and criticism for exploring the extent of the internet’s influence on cognition. While Carr argues that the internet is indeed responsible for rewiring our brain leading to negative implications, others be lieve that the internet can be tailored to generate long-term benefits, and some believe that itRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid?1748 Words   |  7 Pagesinternet for information gathering such that it has now become difficult to concentrate on reading large sections in texts. The author believes that the network destroyed his ability to deeply read and understand the text since he can no longer stay focused to read books like â€Å"War and Peace†. In my point of view, I endorse the author’s argument that the network actually destroys people’s capacity of in-depth reading. Carr’s main point was to bring the public’s attention to a seemingly unknown topicRead MoreTechnological Er The Internet s Effect On The Human Brains Neural Pathways1566 Words   |  7 Pages Technological Era: The Internet’s Effect on the Human Brains Neural Pathways The twenty-first century has been an era of such grand advancements in technology. From the invention of the two way video calling application, Skype, to the multi useful Apple iPhone, technology has created a less patient, multi tasking, more connected to the world around them, consumer. Walking down the street, people are constantly checking in with their technology, whether it its responding to a text, replying to anRead MoreEssay on Synthesis on Smart Phones730 Words   |  3 Pageshidden in a huge wall of text. This is hard because they are accustomed to one line answers provided from the internet. The article â€Å"Lazy Eyes† explains that the internet’s various distractions make people skim or skip reading big blocks of text. Doing this on the internet has carried over to the way we read everything. It makes reading long sections of a book for a single answer much more difficult because we are unintentionally skipping or skimming long paragraphs. This is not t he first time ourRead MoreThe Internet Effect: How Has It Affected You?1645 Words   |  7 Pagesbusiness.brbrGiven the Internets original purpose is to share information, it is no wonder that the most important asset of the Internet is the wealth of information that can be found on the Internet (Maney 3). Information previously found only in libraries and encyclopedias is now available on the Internet; in addition, news, weather, and movie listings are also made available on the Internet. Internet users constantly remain informed of the world around them by reading news from the New York TimesRead MoreIs Google Making Us Stupid? Essay889 Words   |  4 Pagesquoting authorities, and referring to research that has been done on the topic. With his presentation of evidence, along with his unbiased language, I believe Carr is effective in supporting his claim. Even though Carr is writing about the negative effects of the Internet on our brains, he is not against technology or the Int ernet. He demonstrates this by saying â€Å"the Web has been a godsend to me as a writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done