Colin McEnroe Show: 'The Shallows' Of A Cluttered Mind
Nick Carr thinks the web sacrifices our ability to read and think critically.
Published: Jul 01, 2010
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Colin McEnroe Show: 'The Shallows' Of A Cluttered Mind
In 2008, when Nicholas Carr's essay "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" came out in The Atlantic, the first person to shove it at me was my friend (and a contributor to this show) Rand Cooper.
When I say shove I mean he e-mailed it to me, which is part of the point, right? There's no time to gather over tea or brandy snifters and -- holding the printed version of some disquisition -- discuss its merits. You e-mail the e-Version: Look at this!
Rand gently suggested I consider how much the arguments of the piece applied to me. Working in what we now call multi-platform journalism and -- back in those days -- doing a radio show with lots of eight and four minute segments punctuated by long breaks during which I would dive back onto the Internet to refresh my store of insights, I was turning into my brain into a motor skill, a knee jerk.
And I still am. But aren't we stuck in this life?
You can join the conversation. Is the Internet making us dumb? Do you find yourself multitasking and easily distracted? Leave your comments below, e-mail colin@wnpr.org or Tweet us @wnprcolin.
This episode was produced with help from Jonathan McNicol.
Flickr Creative Commons, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Culture depends on people who can pay attention.
-Nicholas Carr
Comments
Episode: The Shallows' Of A Cluttered Mind
Not the most prolific Indy film, but in 2007 a set of students at Carlton College in Minnesota engaged in a social experiment which embraces the uni-task methodology and removing the influence computers from their lives for several months. The computer seems to be missed as a tool of efficiency, particularly when students are composing papers or learning a new language, but their social networks were not disturbed partly because of their position on a college campus.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1051994/
http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/emroDetail.asp?Number=3551
http://www.hulu.com/watch/118940/disconnected
E-mail from Susan
I date the change in our attention span back to the 1960s and the introduction of Sesame Street, with its fast pace cutting from item to item. Other experiences from then to now (for instance, computer games) seem to develop this trend.
I'd like to hear reflections on this from you and your guests.
Additionally, we've heard recently that the military is benefiting from the abilities of folks raised in this environment. Young pilots running remotely controlled drones are apparently better at hte requisite skills because of these "lessons."
E-mail from Winston
You mentioned returning from a recent vacation. If, perchance, you used the transderm behind-the-ear patch to prevent motion sickness, and removed the patch upon getting home, consider the possibility that you are experiencing the not uncommon rebound effect that is the most common side effect -- i.e. the very motion sickness that the drug is used to prevent.
In any event, hope your are soon back on solid ground.
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