Does Google Make Us Stupid??

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Hi guys.

I have a reaction paper which I am writing for my Management of Information Systems class. I'm pretty much done with it.

We had to adopt a Pro or Con approach to Nicholas Carr's article on ''Does Google Make Us Stupíd''

(Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Magazine - The Atlantic)

i'd be very curious to know what you all think on this. It's kind of hard to adopt a solid view on it. There are cons and pros to having google ''solve'' or answer our questions ---especially in an age of 3G or 4G where the WWW is at our fingertrips


the bottomline of my argument is that:

The truth is, Google –like other search engines – have facilitated our access to a huge database of information (or misinformation) readily available on the worldwide web (WWW). It really goes down to the user and how deep down they hope (or are willing) to dig to find scholastic or relevant information; ideally this would be coming from authoritative sources which provide undigested, most up-to-date and corroborated information. This is complemented and coupled by the digital age of high speed 3G and 4G data network coverage on our ‘Smartphones.’ As rhetorical as it may sound, it is undeniable that this has enabled the current and next (read net) generation to have the entire world at their fingertips.

The only real difference between the current generations and the generations of yesteryear is that we are no longer forced to have knowledge ‘imbued’ in us permanently. Google as a search engine has become such a commonly known platform. Want to know some quick facts, figures and figureheads encompassing or involved in the Civil War? Just Google it! What are the most recently discovered elements on the table of elements? Just Google it! We are saved the ‘hassle’ of having to go to the library for research or refer to the old history book we had from high school (the one sitting packed in a box full of mothballs in the attic).

One could perhaps argue that Google may be making us a bit lazier than our ‘predecessors.’ It may be changing the way that we think or process and digest information. It certainly has necessitated the need to be able to sift through fact and fiction; truth from myth; neutral and authoritative information from emotion-driven and biased opinions disguised as facts. We also tend to memorize less internally, relying more on ‘external memory’ that can readily be refreshed and re-internalized by the user. Google is not, however, making us ‘stupid’.

what do you guys think? Any feedback?

it seems like a controversial yet interesting topic

 

[Mo12]

Google just gives us a short cut instead of researching it for hours in the library instead.

 

[Jango]

It does not make us lazy, strictly speaking. We go to google, search, and then analyze and memorise the info. Predecessors went to library, got the relevant book, searched, manually, analyzed and memorised the info. Only difference IMo is that google is a vast book, encompassing alot of topics, while a library book, is dealing with one subject only. Although, i agree that loosely speaking with undefined boundaries of laziness, google does make us lazy!!

 

[Elmo]

Personally, I believe that Google deserves a Nobel. It's the best thing that could've come about.

From finding out the number of calories in your meal to the latest operations in Kurram and Nuristan, everything is there for you in whichever level of hardness you desire.

As for whether it makes us stupid, depends on what you are using it for. If you want to just take in the data and not want your brains to process it, that's another thing.

I think stupidity has a clear correlation with critical thinking, which is somewhat inherent and somewhat instilled as you grow up.

If someone cannot link A to B to C and then to MNO, Google can dish it out for him but not teach it. Those who are stupid will remain stupid regardless.

 

[Jango]

Personally, I believe that Google deserves a Nobel. It's the best thing that could've come about.

From finding out the number of calories in your meal to the latest operations in Kurram and Nuristan, everything is there for you in whichever level of hardness you desire.

As for whether it makes us stupid, depends on what you are using it for. If you want to just take in the data and not want your brains to process it, that's another thing.

I think stupidity has a clear correlation with critical thinking, which is somewhat inherent and somewhat instilled as you grow up.

If someone cannot link A to B to C and then to MNO, Google can dish it out for him but not teach it. Those who are stupid will remain stupid regardless.

But Elmo, with google, we are IMO seeing more people being made stupid. The people which were previously on the threshhold of being regarded as stupid are now called stupid. You gettin my point?

A stupid does not think, he copies, a non stupid thinks.

 

[Elmo]

But Elmo, with google, we are IMO seeing more people being made stupid. The people which were previously on the threshhold of being regarded as stupid are now called stupid. You gettin my point?

A stupid does not think, he copies, a non stupid thinks.

Nope, did not get your point.

See if someone was on the threshold of being regarded as stupid would've been regarded as stupid eventually. It's that push comes to shove analogy that can be applied here.

You think just because Google gives the option of copying, more people will opt for it? But see, if people were stupid to begin with they would not have known any better.

They copy from Google or from Brittanica in the library, they are copying.

Thinking - that's a tough one. I seriously believe not everyone can "think" - some people are just incapable of taking on tasks that requires highly complex regulation of their neurons.

 

[Elmo]

A better question would be, "what exactly is stupid"

Just like beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, I think stupid lies in the brains of the smarter one.

what do you say?

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

I think we should not attribute the proliferation of laziness to technology. I should not blame a spell checker for a decline in my spelling abilities. The spell checker should only serve as a device that increases efficiency, I should not neglect proper spelling practices and studies just because I have a spell checker. I believe that blaming internet technology for laziness is akin to blaming a pen for miss-spelled words

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

A better question would be, "what exactly is stupid"
what do you say?

I guess question should be
Does google make us lazy ?
stupid peoples cannot use google lol

 

[Dalai Lama]

Google doesn't make us stupid. Maybe lazy but it depends on what way you look at it. A better question would be "Is Google too powerful".

- Do you have a Gmail account?
- YouTube?
- Google+?
- Android?

BAM! They know a lot about who you are, where you live, what you like etc. Food for thought.

 

[Elmo]

Google doesn't make us stupid. Maybe lazy but it depends on what way you look at it. A better question would be "Is Google too powerful".

- Do you have a Gmail account?
- YouTube?
- Google+?
- Android?

BAM! They know a lot about who you are, where you live, what you like etc. Food for thought.

I just have Gmail. That's it. Not a great believer in social networking sites.

 

[Last Hope]

I'd say yes cause everythime you have a prob, use google.. I mean use your brains

 

[Raja.Pakistani]

I'd say yes cause everythime you have a prob, use google.. I mean use your brains

You should use your brain first to solve any problems If you cannot solve your problems with your brain then you need the brains of professor, teacher or writer or google( which only provide quick resources to give better/quick solution to your problems)

 

[Dalai Lama]

I just have Gmail. That's it. Not a great believer in social networking sites.

Gmail is enough. I don't know about you but I usually leave it signed in all the time since I use YouTube a lot. Thing is every search you make is crawled and indexed by Google (and I make about a 100 a day!). That's a huge database of info which Google are keeping about you! Not to mention the fact that they have algorithms which "read" your email, basically look for keywords and use this to home in on your interests.

If you ever read the their terms and conditions, you'll find that they have the authority to suspend all your accounts if you break any of their rules (not that I plan on doing that) but just imagine how much you lose if you do get suspended! Scary isn't it? It sure as hell makes you toe the line.

 

[Nav]

Google give us short cut to everything but most of the times it bring us un-wanted results..