Does The Internet Make You Dumber By Nicholas Carr Summary

Has internet use throughout the decade become destructive to today’s society? Will the continuous use of electronic devices alter humans' cognitive functions? All these questions have been asked by millions of researchers, with the rise of new technological advancements. In Nicholas Carr’s article, “Does the Internet Make You Dumber”, he provides several findings, of what he believes the Internet is causing society to evolve. The issue he hopes to address is the need to reevaluate the necessity of internet use, as it is slowing down humans' capacity to store and retrieve information, and is essentially making people less intelligent. Here, Carr emphasizes that all members of society have been caught up in the realm of addiction with the use

As he introduces the argument, Carr falls into the logical fallacy of false cause, when he emphasizes that there is a cause-and-effect relationship when looking at a human's ability to stay focused as a result of the internet. Readers can see this through the quote, “We’re constantly distracted and interrupted, as we tend to be online” (Carr 2). Here, Carr is implying that phone usage is causing humans to be distracted and therefore making the claim that the internet should be used far less. However, Carr does not keep in mind the millions of new technological software being built to reduce the amount of interruptions when working with the internet. For example, over the past decades, tools have been designed to help users be more productive. Such tools can be app timers, focus tracking apps, screen management, etc. All of these new apps will help the user create a more fruitful and productive agenda to complete the tasks, as they will be far less interrupted. Altogether, Carr fails to address new technological advancements that could refute his

Carr mainly emphasizes the cognitive determinants that technology can bring for an average person. However, Carr does not seem to have created an argument for the effectiveness of being off the internet for people who are disabled or mentally ill. Within this decade, more than 1/4 of the population is made up of individuals with disorders such as ADHD or dyslexia. Keeping this in mind, they must use adaptive technology, to maximize accessibility. For example, in disorders such as ADHD, it is very difficult for a person to focus in certain environments. When it comes to the internet, however, certain adaptations help individuals better grasp information compared to using traditional ways of learning. Features such as text-to-speech, highlighted text, and AI assistance can provide support and improve learning outcomes. These adaptations create a more conducive learning environment and enable individuals with ADHD to better engage with the content. Similarly, individuals with dyslexia can benefit from friendly fonts, learning platforms, and online communities available on the internet. These resources can result in the strengthening of cognitive skills, such as the improvement of the attention span or logical