Technology Influence Technology

979 Words4 Pages
Technological Influences Lead to Uncertainty Is Google making us stupid? Or is our stupidity making us Google? These questions are largely debated due to society's shift towards technological dependence. Computers and all forms of digital products swarm the markets, leaving buyers eager to purchase the newest product; yet ones understanding of the world is mediated by a glaring screen. However, Carr aims to solely inform society of the effects on this shift on our attention span, ability to communicate, and thinking process though the utilization of logos, ethos, and pathos. Often times technology is glorified, but it cannot substitute for reading or writing and the skills it inhibits. Moreover, it is scary to imagine how technology will shape…show more content…
The credibility within ethos is developed by various references to university studies and doctors. For example, scholars from the University College London suggested that we may as well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think (316). The conclusion of the five-year studied presented that most people participate in skimming activity instead of actually reading. Also, James Olds, a neuroscientist stated the brain can reprogram itself and work on the fly to adjust, allowing us to lose adaptability towards basic skills such as reading and writing (319). On another tangent, Maryann Wolf, a developmental psychologist states, "we are how we read" (317). However, if we aren't actually reading, we are depriving our brains of a desire for basic literacy skills. Furthermore, it was proven that reading online effects one's ability to interpret text and make rich connections, often leaving people feeling unengaged. Despite the great influence of technology, people equally rob themselves of mental potential. Each of these testimonies carries credibility, but emotion as well. The facts are facts, and whether one chooses to dispute them or not, the information is real. A scare factor wasn't the intention of Carr, yet it is certainly…show more content…
Statistical data wasn't prevalent in any testimony; there were study results and personal conclusions, but no facts addressing a relationship between technology and literacy capability. Moreover, the writing appeals to the imaginative authority that society thinks it knows best; it appeals to the fantasy that our technological dependence cannot be slowed or paused. Meanwhile, the writing definitely addresses social and cultural contexts as well. There is always debates over how technology is crossing boundaries in social situations by eliminating communication. There is always debates over how technology can be altering society's future culture and depriving us from learning about past culture. There is always debates about the bad, but never over the
Open Document