Extremely interesting, very well readable book on how the digital media and tools we consume and use, affect our brains. I was shocked to find out how radically memory, attention span and even empathy are influenced by these tools. I already was sceptical of these technologies and the prominent role they have in our everyday lives, but this book truly convinced me of the importance of de-digitalizing some parts of life. Highly recommend!
Overall, it's okay and I find it making some compelling arguments for the shift in thinking that's been enforced by more technology but it spends more time centering on the medium rather than the way that it's been used. If the issue is truly overstimulation, we can find ways to reel back the stimulation while still maintaining the benefits of tech. Along with missing that significant distinction, it feels a bit out of date. That's solely the result of tech being a moving target that's easy to miss and the book being over a decade old at this point. Perhaps it's a testament to its presience but I'd probably say you should spend more time reading "Irresistible" by Adam Alter. If you find yourself still wanting more on the ethics and impact of tech, this is certainly worth the while but not something I'd recommend as a top-level view.
Overall, it's okay and I find it making some compelling arguments for the shift in thinking that's been enforced by more technology but it spends more time centering on the medium rather than the way that it's been used. If the issue is truly overstimulation, we can find ways to reel back the stimulation while still maintaining the benefits of tech. Along with missing that significant distinction, it feels a bit out of date. That's solely the result of tech being a moving target that's easy to miss and the book being over a decade old at this point. Perhaps it's a testament to its presience but I'd probably say you should spend more time reading "Irresistible" by Adam Alter. If you find yourself still wanting more on the ethics and impact of tech, this is certainly worth the while but not something I'd recommend as a top-level view.
I used to read a lot more books, and made a conscious decision to read more books this year. I've found I'm not as good at reading them -- I'm easily distracted, and haven't as much capacity to stay focused on one text. When my 19yo announced she was ditching her smartphone for her mental health, I decided I should read this book. I'm glad I did.
Chilling. Carr shows how the medium changes the mind. We do not think as much, our brain loses capabilities, we are more gullible and less empathetic. We see this all around us, but we're probably blinded by thinking, "Not me!" Carr makes it clear that all of us are affected.
I've spent a career developing software. It's not all bad, and Carr doesn't make that accusation. I've made some tasks significantly simpler and more efficient, like shipping goods via rail or getting …
I used to read a lot more books, and made a conscious decision to read more books this year. I've found I'm not as good at reading them -- I'm easily distracted, and haven't as much capacity to stay focused on one text. When my 19yo announced she was ditching her smartphone for her mental health, I decided I should read this book. I'm glad I did.
Chilling. Carr shows how the medium changes the mind. We do not think as much, our brain loses capabilities, we are more gullible and less empathetic. We see this all around us, but we're probably blinded by thinking, "Not me!" Carr makes it clear that all of us are affected.
I've spent a career developing software. It's not all bad, and Carr doesn't make that accusation. I've made some tasks significantly simpler and more efficient, like shipping goods via rail or getting a referral to a specialist. This book isn't a screed against technology. It's an honest and brave treatise about how the development of new technologies inevitably change not only the way we think, but the development and state of our brains. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad . . . but as he says, "the technology we assumed would enlarge us has made us smaller." Gut check for us all.
Many books I've ready about the Internet and society seem outdated and naive very shortly after they're published. A large part of this book is not about the Internet at all, but rather takes a historical perspective of advancements that have come before it - writing, mass literacy, the printing press and typewriters - and the hopes and fears that people had for them when they emerged. Creating and consuming information in ways which have deep effects on the ways our minds work is nothing new, but the level of distraction that the Internet now presents us with is perhaps unprecedented. Don't be put off by the fact that this book was published in 2011 when smart phones were in their infancy and before presidents governed via Twitter, if you have a mobile, read a news website or use social media, read this.
Many books I've ready about the Internet and society seem outdated and naive very shortly after they're published. A large part of this book is not about the Internet at all, but rather takes a historical perspective of advancements that have come before it - writing, mass literacy, the printing press and typewriters - and the hopes and fears that people had for them when they emerged. Creating and consuming information in ways which have deep effects on the ways our minds work is nothing new, but the level of distraction that the Internet now presents us with is perhaps unprecedented. Don't be put off by the fact that this book was published in 2011 when smart phones were in their infancy and before presidents governed via Twitter, if you have a mobile, read a news website or use social media, read this.
