After finishing up The Shallows, my mind has really opened up to the effects of new technology. One of Carr's statements that really intrigued me was about how all the new technology and media will change the way our brains work, leaving us with many side effects. For example, the internet's side effect is making it harder for us to focus. Once I read about that, I was thinking how I've never heard anything more true. Here I am right now, taking more than an hour to write this blog post because I'm getting distracted by the countless apps on my phone. Then, I realized that my television was basically doing the same thing; it's like I can't go a day without watching my shows. All these distractions are just sidetracking me from doing anything remotely productive, like doing my homework.
Carr then goes on about how all these other inventions also came with side effects. Clocks made us lose the natural way our body functions, maps made us lose the way we deal with space, and so on and so forth. I then realized that all of these new inventions were made to help with efficiency and to make things easier for us. This got me thinking, no matter what the invention makes easier for us, will there always be some nasty side effect? And if we do attain a side effect every time, are new inventions even worth creating anymore? The internet is just one of the biggest examples of this situation, and that is what Carr is trying to emphasize. Here I go again, getting distracted by my phone and T.V., making his theory ever so true.
Matthew, you said that every invention created to help comes with some kind of bad side effect and that if this side effect is even worth the invention, but is the side effect really that bad? Do you think the bad side effect that comes with the invention outweighs the good that comes with it? I honestly do not think so, and I believe that if a side effect were so bad the the invention would not have come into creation. Would you really rather live in a world not having an exact sense of time or in world not knowing where you are at any given moment?
ReplyDeleteInteresting point Matthew and Tony. This reminds me of when you go to get medicine from the doctor. Often, the medicines that are prescribed have really nasty side effects. When I was younger, I often got ear infections. I would usually go to the doctors for antibiotics. If you read the bottle, some of the side effects of the medicine are quite horrible: diarrhea, possible allergic reactions, and an upset stomach. Along with that, the liquid medicine usually tastes disgusting, and the prescribed horse pills are practically impossible for me to swallow without cutting the pills up into itty bitty pieces. Despite all this, the medicine was (and still is) worth it. I guess other inventions are the same way: we have to decide if the invention is something that is so important for us that we are ready to deal with any of its side effects.
ReplyDeleteMatthew asked, if the invention was worth the side effect, and Tony pointed out that many times it is. I have to say I agree with both of them because who knows how great the side effect may become as time progresses and we continue using whatever it is making our life easier. I love the example Kaila used to make her point that when you're sick all you want to do is get rid of the sickness and often you don't care what the side effect might be as long as you can get rid of whatever you had. Many times I don't pay attention to the side effects since with any medication I've taken none of them ever happened to me. So yes sometimes side effects may be worth it but they may get worse and worse. As you can see I don't really know if I agree with either of them completely.
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