Many of us tend to only focus on the good side to the internet. It is safe to say that it is an invention that has changed the world in so many ways. It has obviously made our lives much easier, I mean I cannot imagine how my life would have been if I was a teenager during my parents time. It means I would have had to do research by reading books; I would not be able to get answers to anything that crosses my mind like Google does, and not being able to have Facebook or twitter? That itself is a catastrophe! We’ve come such a long way from then, now we can do almost anything with the help of the internet and it has been extremely beneficial to our busy lives.
In Carr’s essay he tells us how it has been getting more and more difficult for him to focus on one thing and he blames the internet because he has spent too much time on it. This is the case with many people. I am sure back then it was enjoyable to sit outside your house under the tree drinking a cold cup of fresh lemonade while reading a book. That was the way of many people to relax and release any stress they may have. Although I am sure that there are still some people who may do that, how I see it is wealthy adults sitting outside in their backyard that happens to also be the beach, the majority of people really do not have the time to do that but in many cases they are just too lazy. Who would want to spend days and days sitting reading a book, instead of doing other things like running errands or hanging out with your friends, when you can spend less than over half of that time looking up a summary online where it will tell you what the story was about without you being confused or anything. Because that is another factor when it comes to reading, there are times where you are reading and think “What the hell is this author telling me?” but online you are able to find summaries that clearly state what the author is trying to tell you. And that was just about reading a book, you can only imagine the benefits of the internet when it comes to socializing with others, getting updated with what is going on around the world, and shopping. But now to get real, yes the internet provides us with so much that it makes our lives way easier but clearly we are not benefitting from it.
It is way harder for us to focus on one task when we have the internet right in our hands, literally. It seems as if nowadays everyone needs to have internet on their phones in order to survive. Put it like these, the internet to many is like a basic need in life such as water. It may sound a little exaggerated but we cannot deny that this is true. Many people cannot stay away from the internet for over a day, not even hours. Going back to how it affects our cognition, we are not able to easily complete a task without focusing on one thing only, better yet without using the internet. For example, when I have to do homework like writing an essay, which does not require the use of the internet (sometimes), it is honestly impossible for me to not go on the internet and log on Facebook and check what is going on in the world with Yahoo. It is extremely difficult to focus on one thing only, which is my homework. When I am trying to read a book as well it is so hard to even get through a page without thinking about what is on Facebook or twitter. What is so frustrating is that I probably read two or three pages but then I realize “I have no idea what it is that I just read”. That is a waste of time because I have to go back and make sure I focus and make sure I know and understood what I just read.
I definitely agree with Hayles evidence when she mentions that students are using hyper attention more often, which basically means that they like to focus on various things quickly, they do not like to stay focused on one thing for too long and they like to get information through different sources. In my opinion the reason why they enjoy this more is because they are not able to get bored as easily then if you had to only focus on one thing for so long. Whether it is reading or gathering information, if you are able to do it through different ways then you will not see it as such a drag. I know there are some people that cannot complete a task without taking a break (which can be seen as an interruption). I know I have to be switching back and forth between my essay and Facebook because if I only focus on my essay I will get bored and end up doing a crappy job. By taking a break it allows me, and many other students I am sure, to relax for a bit and gather up our thoughts and sometimes even come up with new ones to make our homework come out great.
Although it has been nothing but good things, in reality does all this benefit us? Personally I think it has only made us into a lazier society and it has affected the way we do many things. We rely on the internet too much. From getting information for a school assignment, getting answers to any question that may come to mind, to reading online summaries instead of a book. It is as if we do not even try to use our heads anymore because we rely on the internet to help us out with anything. We need to once in a while do things only our own, like go out there and get answers to our questions by asking somebody. And instead of relying on the internet to socialize with your friends, try hanging out and/or going out for lunch. You just never know what a positive difference it can make for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment