Nicholas Carr’s article is inviting and engaging even as a reader examines its title, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Google, the online search engine, is present in the vast majority of our lives, thus many people are drawn to this idea: Is Google making me stupid? Carr’s choice of subject matter and simple, forthcoming title effectively draw in a very broad audience.  With his audience suitably attracted, he begins his article with an allusion to the popular movie, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, which very efficiently identifies two major themes of his essay: technology and the gradual decline in intellectual capacity. He quotes HAL, “my mind is going, I can feel it…” This sets up his thesis very well, as Carr immediately adds, “I can feel it, too.” He seamlessly goes on to describe how the use of Google, its convenience that is, has affected his ability to concentrate on deep contemplative subjects. He contends that Google is changing the way we think.

Reading for extended periods has become harder for him, he finds himself “fidgety” and unable to hold his attention.  He is describing something that many are experiencing, and so a reader becomes very interested and curious. This ability to identify personal traits of ourselves is very appealing. It makes him more credible, as a reader feels as though he understands the nature of our ailments. Furthermore, he builds credibility by mentioning this condition in friends with literary backgrounds and reputable scientific studies, like Proust and the Squid: the Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf (a developmental psychologist at Tufts University) as sources.

Carr has a good command of language and tone that make his article very persuasive. He sounds calm and intelligent throughout this piece. He also uses sound logical reasoning to argue a point relevant to our lives and ultimately leave us with a probing caveat that leaves one contemplating on Carr’s thesis and even considering it as true.

David

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