I agree with so much of what Nicholas Carr says in his book about how the Internet is changing the way we think.
The Internet has splintered my thinking and my attention
span. I think in snippets, and I jump around in my reading. I am less patient
than before, because now I can find essentially any information on any topic in
a matter of moments on the Internet. That immediacy does not allow time for
reflective, deep, or complex thought.
Before the
Internet, I used to read more books and I was physically much more active. Now
I often sit on my can and whittle away my time on mindless cyber searches.
Before
remote controls, I used to have to get up and change the channel manually,
personally. And back then we only had about five channels. Now I flit from
channel to channel, often spending more time hunting for something interesting
to watch instead of actually watching something.
Before the shuffle
function on iTunes, I used to listen to albums in order, in their entirety. Now
I only listen to songs. Gone are the days of listening to an entire album as a
complete piece.
Before cell
phones, I used to enjoy solitary time where I could do an activity without physical
or mental interruption. Now I feel leashed to elsewhere at all times. My
ability to plan in advance is also diminishing, because I can simply phone
whomever to inform them of my oft-changing plans.
Before texting, I used to interact with
people face-to-face. Now we bow our heads and face a screen.
