Reflection on What the Internet is Doing to our Brains The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

Molly Demrow

EDL755

November 5, 2011

            This week our book study focused on The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. This book was very engaging and made some very interesting points about what the Internet and technology for that matter, is used for and what it is doing to our brains. It is clear that the Internet and other technological advances have played a role in our society, culture, learning, and in Carr’s opinion, our brains’ inner workings.  However, has it made all of us shallow thinkers as the title suggests?   

            In chapter one, Carr talks about the changes in the way his brain works by discussing his difficulty in reading and analyzing lengthy texts.  “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” (Carr, 2011, pg. 7)  He is referring to the difficulty he has in immersing himself in a book.  Instead he prefers to scan and skim blogs or online articles to do research. I know this is not the case for everyone, but I can see how Carr would feel that the Internet is changing the way we process information.  Personally, I have difficulty getting into books at times; however that is not always the case.  One of my most important jobs in teaching kindergarten is helping my students gain the skills and knowledge they need to learn to read. I hate to think that once my students get a bit older and spend more time online, that they will ditch their critical thinking skills and look to the Internet as their quick source of knowledge.    

            This lack of critical thinking is a primary concern for Carr, as he elaborates on some recent brain research.  Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel spent a lot of time doing brain research to find that the brain is “massively plastic.”  (Carr, 2011, pg. 26) Our brains change in response to our experiences.  The way that we use technology to locate, store, and distribute information can reroute our neural pathways.  This supports Carr’s opinions about how the fast-paced information library we call the Internet, can actually change how our brain responds to new information.

            In chapter three, Tools of the Mind, Carr talks about different technological advancements and their role in society.  The development of the alphabet, maps, clocks, typewriter, computer, and the Internet changed the way society thought at that time.  For example, the Greeks developed the first complete alphabet around 750 B.C.  The alphabet consisted of twenty four characters and was used as a system for writing and reading. However, “Recent brain studies reveal that considerably less of the brain is activated in reading words formed from phonetic letters than in interpreting logograms or other pictorial symbols.” (Carr, 2011, pg. 53)  This is very easily related to the use of computers and the Internet.  Not long ago (at least I’d like to think it wasn’t long ago), research was done by going to the library and searching for information in stacks of books.  This process took a lot of deep thinking and analytical skill.  Today, with the click of a few buttons, information on any topic you could imagine is readily available.  The deep thinking skills are unnecessary. It seems that while technology developments have made our lives easier, is that really what we want?      

             The Internet and technology have changed the way we find information, but it has also changed how educators meet the needs of their students. When I began my teaching career in 2008, I was lucky enough to walk in to a second grade classroom with all of the latest technological tools at my fingertips.  I had a brand new computer, SmartBoard, document camera, and a LCD projector.  Although I felt very fortunate, I thought back to when I was in second grade and how vastly different our “learning tools” were.  I always enjoyed school and found it very engaging, even though I was only able to use a computer once a week and the most popular technology in classrooms was a tape player.  In today’s world, educators must work hard to prepare students for life outside of the classroom.  This requires technology to be integrated into our teaching every day, however it does not dismiss the need to teach critical thinking skills and promote contemplation and reflection. 

            In my opinion, with society’s dependence on cell phones, iPods, computers, the Internet, to name a few, there is no turning back.  The use of these technologies (with more to come) is now a way of life.  Reading this book really made me reflect on how technology has changed how I live. I realized much to my dismay, that I am very dependent on technology.  I no longer need to know how to read a map, I have a GPS.  I don’t need to go to the library; I can research online and download books to my computer or a Kindle. There is no need to buy stamps, I can pay my bills and write emails online.  It will be interesting to see what technology brings to us in the future!