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In last ten years, technology and computers have been used more than ever before.  People live in a society where computers are used on a regular basis for communication, searching new information, and surfing the web.  The internet phenomenon has been very influential and distracting in our daily lives.  In The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our Brains by Nicholas Carr, explains that the internet is constructing our brain’s thoughts.  His main claim is that the internet inundates people with distractions, and they slowly lose the ability to have deep thought or concentration on something.  He starts by talking about his troubles with technology.  When he would read a book, he would have the urge to pick up his smart phone to check his email, post a tweet, or wait for a text message.  He could not concentrate on one particular thing without being distracted by the internet.   Therefore, he wanted to know the history of technology.  In his discoveries, he learned about the intellectual technology that referred to what people use to think with and influence the way people think.  The map and the clock were early examples that gave people an abstract way to ponder.  The next big development in technology was the book.  Reading became solitary that allowed deeper thoughts with the author.  Paying attention began because of the book.  Reading and writing came into deep focus and deep thinking.  The internet is the opposite of intellectual technology because it overwhelms us with distractions.  Carr states that the internet is a hyper-tech system, multimedia system, messaging system, and interrupting system.  The more technology we have the more distracted people become.  Humans spend a lot of time online because they crave being interrupted.  Unfortunately, every time people are interrupted their concentration is broken.  Carr thinks that it decreases people’s ability to take information and store it into long-term memory.  With the internet, things are going into our short-term memory and not sticking with people because there is too much information bombarding them too quickly.  People lose attention and the process to remember things and have deeper thought.  Carr goes on to state that the internet is not pure evil and has positive attributes.  The internet can sharpen visual characteristics that help to expand short-term memory and hand-eye coordination, but there are further studies that state as a person becomes better at multi-tasking he or she loses the ability to think critically.  Carr recommends that people should begin to step away from technology but not totally give it up.  Having a balance with technology will keep a person’s mind active and less interrupted. 

Nicholas Carr makes interesting claims in this video and the more I think about what he is saying the more I agree with him.  I believe that the internet is causing people to have less concentration and critical thinking skills.  The internet is a fantastic tool but I miss the times when I was younger, and I only used the internet once a week.  When I was using the computer, I did not have the desire to socialize with hundreds of friends on Facebook and spend hours online looking at pictures.  I had more fun without technology and spent my time hanging with my friends outside.  It would be impossible now to step away from technology completely, but I definitely need a balance with technology time and “me” time.  My goal is to not be so dependent on technology and just use it when it is necessary.