Is it too easy?

Carr’s article on whether Google is making us stupid is a question that I have been wondering a lot about since I interned in Washington. Based on my experiences, I tend to agree with most of what Carr is saying. I believe that digital media and technology may not be making us less intelligent, but seems to be making us more narrow minded and less informed. To me, this is just as alarming.

What is concerning is that, because of technology, information is now as easy to attain as clicking a button. What pops up may not be completely factual, but who would not want to find an answer that they are satisfied with so quickly and effortlessly?

Another concern is the prevalence of biased information. People now have easy access to television stations, blogs and new outlets that share their beliefs, and because of this people have stopped looking anywhere else for their information. This phenomenon, in my opinion, is causing people to become more narrow minded than ever. Sites such as Wikipedia tie all of this together. On Wikipedia, I could have my PhD and be the smartest man on any given subject. Which raises the question of why I am able to have such power. Sadly, however, this is the case.

Access to information is a blessing and a curse. It allows us to have access to more information than ever, while also giving us access to more misinformation than ever. So while Carr claims that Google is making us more stupid, I would rephrase that statement slightly. I believe that Google is making us more narrow minded, while also making us more informed. In a way, Google is like the drug dealer and we are the buyers. It enables us and tells us what we want to hear.

DQs: Is Google “an enabler”?

Are people too lazy to look beyond the first page?