Exponential Times

1. Carr states that the reflection time taken after research has virtually disappeared with the rapid pace and peek-a-boo pattern the internet has thrown us into as a culture; and this has created an attention deficit disorder society that is more concerned with how fast instead of how deep the research goes.

2. Cascio states that the human species has adapted to and, really, conquered every Epistemological shift we have witnessed and it will be no different in the age of the internet, we just haven’t yet created the tools to harness the power of artificial intelligence being offered to us through the internet; and Google is closing in on creating that tool for us.

3. Carr offers his personal testimony and that of people he has spoken to as evidence we can no longer sit through long periods of reading. He also comments on the London experiment conducted which showed patterns of people skimming from one topic to the next, not really stopping to read the entire text documented. He also uses Nietzsche as an example to show that the epistemological shift will change the way a person thinks and reflects. Cascio starts out summarizing how humanity struggle but survived the eruption of a super volcano and evolved into more intelligent beings because of it. He moves on to quote from Steven Johnson’s book Everything Bad Is Good For You, saying that media culture actually provides details experienced at a quick pace. He compares this with calisthenics; to exercise the brain. He states that Scientists have portrayed these brain calisthenics to “find meaning in confusion and to solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.” In other words to think on our feet about idea that concern US.

4. Carr believes the internet is stripping us of our ability to partake in deep thinking. Postman stated the exact same thing concerning television. The Peek-A-Boo world mixed with the Now…This mentality that television created for us, the internet has expanded on and taken to a whole new level. Carr’s statement- “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” –sums up Postman’s theory that television has trivialized every topic reported on. Carr believes that the Internet has taken that trivial aspect and applied to our ability to read and reflect critically. The way we read has changed in the quicker pace of the information highway.

5. I believe in different aspects of both articles, however I find myself leaning more toward Cascio’s thought process. While I disagree with his acceptance of enhancement drugs, I agree that human nature is to survive and adapt any change thrown at us. I have found Google’s technological tools valuable in research and because the information given to me is a brief version of the text book’s wealth of information, I am able to look for different opinions, facts and reported on evidence of the topic researched. However I believe that in the new pace of the information age the responsibility to take the time to reflect on the information thrown at me rests solely on my shoulders. Accountability for how you use the vast knowledge you find on the internet is up to you. This article also argues both for and against the information at your fingertips. Professor Fred Mast, of the University of Lausanne agrees with Cascio’s side that the human brain can adapt to anything. However Nada Kakabadse, a Professor at the Northampton Business School thinks portable technology is like a drug that inhibits your reasoning. Both articles contribute good and bad ideas to the debate on the information highway. I believe the internet can be both useful if used responsibly and detrimental if you allow it to consume you.