I am currently reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. A lot of what Carr talked about in chapter one is happening to many of us. While Carr was in his early years of college, technology started to advance and the internet was introduced. All of it was slowly changing Carr's brain. He no longer could deeply concentrate on one thing such as reading a book for a long time. It was not only Carr who felt like this. People started to not read long books and articles and everyone wanted to do everything on the internet.
Today, a lot of us are going through the same situation. We have trouble reading long books with out wanting to take short breaks. I know I am not the only person who would take occasional breaks while doing the summer homework. A lot of people also feel weird when they do not have their phones with them or be able to use the internet after awhile. We all just want to be able to check twitter and see all of the latest instagram pictures. I just think that it is so crazy that the internet is changing us so much and making big impacts on our brain.
I cannot argue with neither Carr or you on this topic. I believe the saddest thing about this whole situation is that the majority of us are aware of our short attention spans and addictions to technology but we never do anything about it. We sigh and say,"Oh well" then move on.
ReplyDeleteI most definitely agree with you. I find this happening to me quite often. I work on my homework for hours each day. I am guilty of taking short breaks and going on my phone. This even happens when I am in the middle of doing homework and don't plan on taking a break yet. I will get a notification from Twitter, Instagram, or even receive a text message. I begin to drift away from what I am currently doing and go off into the world of technology.
ReplyDeleteI am on the same boat as you, Amy. Technology has somehow altered my patience with things that I actually enjoy such as reading. After I read a couple of chapters in a book, I feel that I deserved a few minutes of internet time. Unfortunately, those few minutes can turn into a few hours, and I get mad at myself for taking an extensive time to finish a book. I have been noticeably impatient when began reading a four paragraph text post on websites on a topic that sparks my interest. Like Carr, I have noticed that I skim more often than read deeply which has brought self-awareness to how I currently read. His observation influenced me to slow down, read everything thoroughly and thoughtfully, and not glance over at something for a mere two seconds before paying attention to something else.
ReplyDeleteI may be the odd man out here, as I do not need breaks. When I read it is like I enter a different place, it is surreal. For example; I can tell myself that I am going to read for five hours, so I then set an alarm five hours ahead and begin to read. For those five hours I completely check out of the world and indulge in the book. Absorbing as much of it as I can. Then once my alarm goes off, it is like a switch has been turned and I check back into the real world. Maybe this happens because I am not very reliant on my cell phone and the internet.. or maybe I am just weird. I hope others are like me.
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