Is Google Making Us Stupid?

This essay slightly confused me at times. At one moment Nicholas Carr would be saying we are being manipulated, and a paragraph later he would state that we the internet helps people be more efficient. I do not agree with the fact that the internet is making us stupid. I do see some of the downfalls, but we invented it in the first place. "Never has a communications system played so many roles in our lives--or exerted such broad influence over our thoughts-- as the Internet does today" stated Carr. This statement tells us that the Internet has influenced our lives in many ways-- positive as well. It is safe to say that we would not be living in the world we are today without the Internet.

One point Carr referred to numerous times in this essay is how distracted people are now. I believe that distracted and stupid are very different. People lose focus for all different reasons, not just the Internet. Lives are much more busy and stressful now than they used to be, so when people try to sit down and relax or read it may be harder to slow the brain and read a book. "People have become so machine like that the most human character turns out to be a machine" writes Carr. If humans could provide as much information as the Internet does that would be brilliant. I do not see why people would complain if we were as smart as Google. I would love to be that genius!

"To organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful" is Google's mission statement. Their company gathers information from a plethora of websites and spits it back at you in an instant. Google "understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want". If that doesn't sound useful then I am not sure what is. Before search engines like Google, people would have to search through books to find pieces of information. Now at the click of a button, all of the same information is accessible. The Internet is a great resource that has improve the efficiency of our lives; I do not believe that it is making us stupid.

The Ethics Of Living Jim Crow

"The Ethics Of Living Jim Crow" was a heart wrenching autobiography about the struggles of life from an African Americans point of view. Richard Wright poured emotion into the writing so it felt as if you were walking in his footsteps. The vivid images that cross the readers mind stick and make you think about what he had to go through growing up. Life as a child for Wright was not a walk in the park. He had to watch what came out of his mouth, where he wondered, and who he was surrounded by. Wright was faced with many difficult choices as he matured, but he always found a way to choose the right option. Growing up for Wright was extremely different than the youth have it today.

In school, we learn about the racial discrimination that has happened in our countries past. We all sit and listen and learn what we are tested on, but in reality it is much more than that. Wright brought the segregation to life. Starting as a young boy, Wright "engaged in a war with the white boys". His mother then slapped him and beat him saying that was unacceptable. Later in his life, work became a struggle as well. Never having the right to stand up for myself or anyone else would be a challenge for me. Wright had to go through his career at many workplaces doing exactly as he was told. If he did not agree or approve, he had to keep it to himself in risk of being killed. Once Wright made the move to Memphis, his standards were raised to another level. Though he was still not equal to the white men,  he was able to engage in conversation and have his voice be heard for a change. It is amazing that something so minuscule can make such a large difference in the big picture of life.

 The color of their skin was everything. Nobody cared if they knew physics or calculus; their skin was still black. The ethics involved in discrimination is heartbreaking; Reading about Wright's life was eyeopening to me. I did not realize how brutal life could be for some people. I am very thankful for everything that I have because some people are unfortunately not as lucky as the rest of us and nothing can be taken for granted.

Talk of the Town

September 11th, 2001 is a day that will never be forgotten. Though I was too young to remember, the heartbreak, loss, and memories will still be there for many. We are blessed to live the life we live and should not take any of it for granted. "Talk of the Town" states two strikingly different viewpoints on this terror.

John Updike shared the view from a public bystander during the falling of the towers. People's curiosity was at an all time high. "We knew we had just witnessed thousands of deaths", one of the witnesses stated. The "unfamiliar menace" was larking in the air. The public was in shock. Updike wrote the feelings with such passion and detail, it made it feel as if you were living in the moment. He also touched on the after effect of the terror. "American freedom... One of our prides, has taken a hit", Updike proclaimed. This statement is the true effect that the attack had on our country. We were the ones who took the hit. Updike took a more optimistic look on this issue and said things would be alright, unlike Susan Sontag who took a sharp turn the other direction.

In the second half of the essay, Susan Sontag very clearly stated that the public is being mislead and everything is not O.K. "The voices licensed to follow the event seemed to have joined together in a campaign to infantilize the public", Sontag reported. She believes our country is strong, but according to Sontag that is not all that is important. She wrote, "Let's by all means grieve together. But let's not be stupid together". How do we do that? There are many different opinions and answers. "Talk of the Town" has brought multiple viewpoints on 9/11, but Sontag leaves you questioning if your view is correct.