Does Google make us stupid or smarter - Essay Example

A fact that is currently without argument is that technology has drastically impacted upon the way in which society integrates with one another and the way individual members of the society understand the world in which they live. Perhaps more so than any other single determinants, the Internet has provided a means by which massive amounts of information can be delivered to people via something as simple as a few keystrokes. Whereas before it would require an individual taking the time to seek out the subject matter expert or make a trip to the library in order to determine a specific answer to a given question, a few seconds in front of a computer screen, a few brief keystrokes, and millions of results are available to the user via such search engines as Google.

However, there are those within society that are of the belief that the newfound reliance upon this quick and convenient tool has caused society as a whole to calm lazy and, to put it bluntly, stupid. However, the opposing viewpoint to this is that Google represents merely another means by which individuals within society can readily place their hands on a wealth of information; thereby not making them stupid, but in fact making them smarter as they are now able to integrate with a further level of knowledge that was never before possible.

Although it is true that this knowledge is oftentimes not saved indefinitely within the human memory, the mere fact that the individual is able to integrate with such a massive amount of data necessarily demands such an outcome. Two particular authors that have written upon these issues are those of Nicholas Carr and Carl Zimmer. After a careful analysis of the positions and evidence put forward by these respective authors, it is the understanding of this particular analyst that reliance independence upon such search engines and readily available information, as is provided by Google, does not in fact make society more stupid; rather, it merely provides yet another tool by which information can be shared and the global consciousness can be elevated.

The reasons for such an approach are as follows: readily available information provides more individuals with access to knowledge, ease of acquisition has not been proven to increase the overall level of “stupidity” within society, the mere existence of a tool in and of itself cannot and should not be understood to promote laziness, and the human mind naturally forgets it must be referred – Google, and search engines like it, merely provide a means by which such a natural process can take place more easily (Carr 1).

Within such an understanding, it is the first of these arguments, regarding the ease of acquisition, which must be understood. Zimmer, in his article “How Google Is Making Us Smarter” notes the following: “The Internet and iPhones seem to be crashing the gate of the mind, taking over its natural work and leaving it to wither away to a mental stump. As plausible as this picture may seem, it does a bad job of explaining a lot of recent scientific research” (Zimmer 1). Although Carr fundamentally disagrees with Zimmer, the fact of the matter is that his method of argument is not solid as it relies on unsubstantiated evidence and hearsay to determine that Google and the likes are in fact making us “stupid”.

In such a way, it is the belief of this author that the framework and rubric put forward by Zimmer is far superior and represents a more reasonable and actionable means of defining the relationship between technology and human development. Similarly, it must be understood that the mere existence of the tool itself is a rather weak argument for the fact that laziness and stupidity result. Such an argument falls apart when one considers the fact that the same could be applied to building a new library in a part of town had previously not had one.

When one stops to consider the fact that individuals will now be able to readily access information more efficiently and without traveling the distance, one could just as well assume that it would have the same negative impacts as the argument against search engines, the Internet, and Google specifically. Finally, Zimmer notes within his article that the human mind is continually in a process of realization and loss of memory. This can occur at each and every age and is not bound by senility or diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Within such a context, Google, and the Internet in general, provide ready access to information that has been integrated with before and perhaps forgotten. In such a way, these tools are not providing and loss; they are merely integrating with extent human needs as they are exhibited within the environment. Works Cited Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Nicholas Carr." The Atlantic. N. p., 1 July 2008. Web. 2 July 2013. Zimmer, Carl. "How Google Is Making Us Smarter.” Discover Magazine. N. p., 15 Jan. 2009. Web. 2 July 2013.