Constant 1 Michael Constant Vernon Davies Expository Writing 10 October 2012 Superficial Thinking and Its Increasingly Important

Role in Our Society There is no doubt that technologies such as the Internet have caused shift in the way we obtain and process information. In the article Is Google Making Us Stupid? Carr argues that these shifts in cognition have negatively impacted our brains. He specifically believes that the superficial reading promoted by technologies like the Internet is inferior to the deep, careful reading required of most printed works. Genuine contemplation, which Carr believes to be characteristic of the human thought process, is being transformed by the Internet, where information comes at the click of a button. According to Carr, this change in the way we think paints a grim picture for humans and their thought process. This view is based on the assumption that deep thinking is superior to superficial thinking. But must we view this transition as a negative thing? Doesnt the generation that one belongs to play a defining role in how one views this transition? Doesnt the current society that we live in require one to be able to process many different things in a short amount of time? Due to the fast-paced lifestyle that is required of most people in order to live a life in which they are financially and socially secure, the superficial thought process promoted by the instant-ness of the Web is a monumental asset, allowing us to easily discover more information in a fraction of the time. When the demands of our current lifestyles are considered, Carrs assumption that the superficial thought process promoted by the Web is inferior to the deep thinking provoked by reading long works is shown to be outdated.

Constant 2 From its beginnings, the Internet has been altering the way we process information. Carr even cites a study performed by the University College London that confirms this change. This five-year study showed that people were shifting from reading entire works to a new form of information gathering called power browsing (Carr). This solid piece of evidence confirms that the Internet is changing the way we process information. However, this shift in cognition is not unique to the Internet. Throughout history, the inception of new technologies into the world has been almost inextricably linked to a shift in cognition. Both the development of writing and the creation of the printing press allowed people to store information in places other than their brains (Carr). These technologies had the effect of shifting our brains from memorizing information to recording information. Both of these technologies were integral to the advancement of the human race, and they are powerful historical precedents for how the shifts in cognition caused by the Internet will affect our society as well. Carrs assumption that deep thinking is superior to superficial thinking is something that can be mostly attributed to the generation that he belongs to. Although Carr used to be able to engage in long works, he now finds it difficult to even make it through the first few pages (Carr). He even mentions several of his acquaintances that have noticed similar effects on their cognition. In particular, he mentions a fellow blogger, Bruce Friedman, whose thought process has changed so much that he must resort to skimming through works that are more than a couple of paragraphs long (Carr). Although Carr has found several people who support his claim, there is one factor that makes one question the importance of this anecdotal evidence: the generational gap. Carr and his fellow colleagues seem to all fall into the same generational category. They were most likely raised with limited technologies, so they were forced to resort to resources such as the library, where a deep-thinking mind is a must if one is to make their way through the long

Constant 3 literary works contained within. Through these technological limitations, they were able to obtain an intimate relationship with the deep-thinking process. However, the inception of technologies such as the Internet has caused a transition in his generations thought process: the more they use these technologies, the more their ability for deep thinking decreases (Carr). This proves that Carrs assumption is one that is both characteristic and limited to his generation, and is a nostalgic attachment to deep thinking. This nostalgia can especially be found in the words he uses to describe the thought process. Carr states that deep thinking sets of intellectual vibrations in our minds, while surface reading spreads us wide and thin (Carr). Carrs use of the word deep to describe deep thinking makes one think of words like meaningfulness, richness, and thoughtfulness, while the use of surface and wide and thin makes one think of words such as carelessness and inattentiveness. The sharp contrast between his use of words to describe the different thought processes subtly reveal the emotional attachment that Carr has to deep thinking and the negative feelings he attributes to superficial thinking. The connotation attached to Carrs description of the thought process further show his bias towards deep thinking, and this is characteristic of all of those who share his generation. Although Carrs generation may lament this transition in the way we think, an evaluation of the demands of our current lifestyles and the way in which technology is thrusting society forward quickly show that this shift in cognition should be embraced, not mourned. Advances in technology are thrusting our society forward at lightening speeds, and our minds must be able to think equally as fast if we hope to catch up. Students are expected to complete more work, researchers are expected to discover more, and office workers are expected to increase their output in the same amount of time. For example, a software developer for devices such as the iPhone must continually update his program to keep up with software updates and device

Constant 4 changes. This is where superficial thinking has played an integral role. The ability to use resources such as Google Search has significantly decreased the effort required to come across needed information, and this has contributed to the rate at which our society is increasing. In the case of the software developer, he can now search through the Internet for that vital piece of code he needed to update his program. In addition, it almost seems as if our minds have anticipated these changes in our thought process. Research has proven that our brains are highly adaptive: The brain has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions (Carr). With the knowledge that our minds can readily adapt to change, it becomes clear that the shift from deep thinking to superficial thinking is our bodys response to the demands of our lifestyles, allowing us to continue functioning at the pace of the world around us. The launch of the Internet has given us the ultimate chance to facilitate this change. Carr himself cant even deny the effects of the Internet: A few Google searches, some quick clicks on hyperlinks, and Ive got the telltale fact or pithy quote I was after (Carr). Although Carr acknowledges the benefits of superficial thinking, he still holds onto his generational view that the loss of deep thinking to superficial thinking is deplorable. In order to further show why his assumption does not hold today, we must examine how deep thinking fits into the picture. As much as Carr would like to preserve the role of deep thinking in our society, some of its potential negative effects are too important to overlook. Carr states that deep thinking provides us with unoccupied room in our minds that are then filled with intellectual vibrations from the material we are examining (Carr). But one must question the value of this quiet space when applied to our current lifestyle. This quiet space could potentially cost an employee their job. Consider the work of a reporter whose primary job is to take events that are happening around the world and assemble them into a form that can be published in the next days paper. If

Constant 5 this reporter became deeply engaged in every story he wrote, it is highly unlikely that he would make publishing deadlines. His job requires him to quickly gather the facts surrounding a story and assemble them for publication. In order for the information to be relevant to the public, he must process the information in a superficial way. If the reporter engages too deeply in his work, he runs the risk of missing deadlines and losing his job. The consequences of deep thinking are even direr when examined in meteorology. If there is severe weather coming, a television meteorologist must get this information to the public as quick as possible. If he engages too deeply with the details surrounding impending severe weather, he runs the risk of putting peoples lives in danger. The potential risk of deep thinking in certain aspects of our society are too important to ignore, and they give all the more reason as to why the transition from deep to superficial thinking should be embraced, not grieved. As our society continues to advance, we can reasonably expect the demands on our mental capacities to increase. As a result, we can reasonably expect a more complete shift from deep thinking to superficial thinking. However, this shift should be viewed as a positive change that is propelling our society towards greatness. The demands of our lifestyle, when coupled with the potential risks associated with deep thinking, require one to be adept at superficial thinking. However, just as Carrs nostalgic attachment to deep thinking is generational, one might say that the proponents of superficial thinking are of a younger generation that has thrived on technologies such as the Internet that depend on superficial thinking. Although this acknowledgement may be true, the benefits of superficial thinking are just too substantial for one to believe that this shift in cognition is a negative thing. Deep thinking may prove to be beneficial for leisure, but it is superficial thinking that will facilitate the advancement of our society and thrust us into a new age of prosperity.

Constant 6

Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?." The Atlantic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/#>.