Is Google Changing The Way We Think?
September 28th, 2010 § 10 Comments
Image by Mitchell Kapor via Flickr
- When was the last time you read a book? Or a long article on the Internet?
- Are you constantly distracted by email alerts? Facebook and Twitter updates?
- Do you feel your ability to concentrate is not what it once was?
I came a cross a very interesting and somewhat disturbing article by Nicholas Carr for The Atlantic titled Is Google Making Us Stupid? For the most part I agree with his views. It is a lengthy, but intriguing read.
I always felt in some sense Google was kinda ‘creepy’ with the amount of information it stores for years and years. No one knows just how long this information will be stored. Perhaps it will be stored for the life of the Internet.
There is no doubt Google products and services are great there can be no denying that, but they do seem a bit creepy with all the controversy once surrounding it’s privacy policy.
- Google Changes Searching Forever
Now with the advent of Google Instant which predicts the SERP’s for you as you type Google has taken one more step closer to the possibility of Artificial Intelligence. This can be a bit unsettling to some and perhaps to many. In today’s world information is power. Those that collect and control the flow of information stand to gain the most. They have the power.
- TMI And Information Overload
We live in an age of TMI(too much information) and information overload. The faster we surf the web and click more links the more information is gathered about us as we leave digital crumbs everywhere we go. The more clicks the more links and Ads we see. We’re being overloaded to the point where we can’t process all that we see.
The way we read the web has changed. We don’t actually read all the information on a page, or in a blog post we just skim it. Extracting what we find useful and moving on. The way we get our information has certainly affected our cognitive abilities.
Perhaps you’re reading an article and then an email arrives. We stop reading the article check our email perhaps there’s a link or two in that email, we click through and soon we’re on to something totally unrelated to what we were originally reading before the email arrived. While we’re exploring those links we keep an eye on Twitter. Someone tweets you. You reply to, or RT what was sent to you. At that point perhaps you check out a few more tweets. More distraction. We check Facebook for our friends updates. Now we’re light years removed from what we were originally doing (reading that first article).
- Statusphere
People actually get up in the middle of the night to check Facebook , or Twitter and other social media platforms and friend feeds. One article showed the statistics and claimed a good percentage would interrupt the most intimate act two people can share to check Facebook and Twitter. That’s insane! Talk about ruining the moment!
The convenience of having all this information at our finger tips and delivered to us simultaneously as we type and the way we absorb it can have detrimental effects on the way we think.
Another of Googles intentions is to harness all the information and create the perfect search engine that is smarter that we are.
- As an aside I want to mention that we are constantly bombarded with information. You may turn on the television and the news smacks you right in the face. The noon time news, the 5 o’clock news, news at 6 o’clock, news at 7 o’clock, news at 11 o’clock. And it starts again at 4:00am ….during those news broadcasts crawlers are fed across the bottom of the screen with even more news! We jump online and again are bombarded by CNN, Fox News, MSN NBC and others. Some of us have a brain meltdown unable to handle the barrage of so much information like noise and static sending neurons in our brains smashing into other millions of neurons in an attempt to carry and process all of this information chatter.
- Our minds are just not able to handle such vast amounts of information.
Google: 34,000 searches per second (2 million per minute; 121 million per hour; 3 billion per day; 88 billion per month, figures rounded) That’s just searches.
- Science Fiction Becomes Science Fact
You know science fiction often becomes science fact. I’m a big fan of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. They often write about the world in the not so distant future where computers know what you want to search for before you do!
I believe one day we’ll be able to interface with computers and what we need will be delivered to us without our asking.
- Do you think Google has changed the way you think? If so in what way?
- Do you see Google as ‘creepy’ an information monger gathering all the worlds data?
- What do you like most about Google and the products and services it provides?
Happy Blogging!
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I honestly find this post very intriguing. I have to say outright though that I do not use Google very often. I do not like the way in which they store information and give the Government full access to e-mail accounts. Yes, I know, the dear old Gov. is probably in my e-mail anyway… But, ignorance is bliss.
I do believe that Google is going to be much more up and coming in the IT world than it is now. I know it is widening it’s spectrum by coming out with usable products, a far reach from their search engine. I’m hoping they become a suitable competitor for Apple. That competition would be fantastic to witness.
To answer your first question, last of course, I do not believe Google has changed the way I do things very much. Then again, I hardly use it. If I broaden that question to include the whole Internet? I think it has changed the way I do things most certainly, but possibly for the better. I am much more at ease finding proper information for my own blog postings and for papers. I am able to communicate with others at a time that is convenient for me and them, and not just through telephone. The Internet is a fantastic tool if you know how to use it correctly. And, proudly, I will say that it has not taken me out of my ‘normal’ life either… I’m still that girl who sits outside reading three or four novels a week. Sure, Twitter and Facebook get me sometimes… But not always!
@Sarah
Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and for leaving an insightful commentary. I didn’t actually give thought to the ‘Internet’ as a whole perhaps changing the way we do things, gather and receive information etc. I thought the original article by Nicholas Carr very intriguing. I’m glad to know you still read books for myself it’s been almost three years since I’ve read a book. The Internet is a wonderful tool for communication. I can’t imagine life without the Internet. I’m dating myself but I remember having an Internet connection before there were any graphics or web browsers. It was just email and news groups.
Google intrigues me …and it would be nice to see them compete with Apple though I’ve always been an Apple fan only using Macs and Linux for my computing needs.
Thank you Sarah I wish you much continued success with your writing and blogging and all your endeavors
The Internet has come a long way! I remember when I was about ten, sitting in front of the computer waiting for the dial up connection to kick in, only to be interrupted by a phone call. Now, I have my MacBook and an IPad that will allow me Internet wherever I go. I feel the same, I could not imagine it any other way!
@Sarah
I remember when 14.4 modems were all the rage and dial up was all there was. It was exciting! I’m much older than you so I do remember when I was 10 there was no Internet, if there was it was an Intranet for military use. When I was 10 I remember Armstrong stepping onto the moon. Thanks for coming back Sarah. Your comments have made my day
I wanted to add I love the technology we have that allows us Internet everywhere we go. While in China I had a Mac G5, but relied on my mobile phone for wireless access in the coffee shops and other hot spots. That I can make a phone call from here to China on a cell seems like magic to me. That I can wirelessly send an image to a cellphone in China is even more magical ….seems to me.
I think that if you LET technology take over your life then it can… but it CAN’T if you don’t LET it.
I have my own office, it has a phone, I have a (landline) phone at home and Himself has a Mobile.
I don’t bother with a Mobile, very little is so urgent that it can’t wait until I’m reachable.
If I’m driving it’s illegal (and dangourous) to use the phone whilst driving, if I’m visiting someone, it’s rude to be forever answering the phone, and if I’m running errands I’m busy.
People need to learn that not everything HAS to be instant. If it’s important they will ring back.
Priorities.
Our kids have Ninteno’s but I reserve them for long car journeys and plane trips ONLY.
They enjoy the local park and playing with friends, so let them get the exercise and be “kids” .. computers will feature long and hard though their days soon enough in study and work.
Childhood is short, people are more important than your computer game score.
Priorities.
I too worry about the information being stored long term on the internet. That’s why my blog features a lot about what we do and where we go, but a) never in advance and b) not with photos of us or with identifiying information.
Who knows what problems this might raise for the next generation of teens and children as their entire lives are literally on display for the whole world to see.
Wy not just stand on a street corner and give out all your personal details except your bank details?
The possibilities for abuse are mind-boggling.
Want to retract all that stuff later? Ha! it’s going to be next to impossible.
Maybe people say I’m over cautious, but IF this comes back to bite this generation of kids then I might be the only parent NOT sweating bricks and worried sick.
Job applications, educational possibilities, stalkers,wierdos … there is already way too much information out there on people’s kids.
“Better safe than sorry” seems to be a prudent way to go when you have no clue where the internet road of the future leads.
not only that, but also the influences that your kids can get sucked into, people, vice, advertising, scams you name it it’s on the Web, my kids don’t need to be street wise, old beyond their years and scared at 5 years of age.
Priorities.
Do they have computer access? yes, of course… but under parental supervision.
They first need to learn to enjoy life without technology, to be able to know that reading a book, taking a walk and getting away from it all is also pleasureable, that life doesn’t revolve around the gadgets and interaction with others should happen face to face and you should learn to get to know people and make lasting friendships.
Then they will have the skills to evaluate the technology at hand and to put it aside when it doesn’t suit them or their families… and not be a slave to the “stuff”.
Priorities.
Thanks for stopping by Jaco. I really thought this was a great post. Google can be a scary thought at times. The things Google is capable of and might be in the future is the things science-fiction novels are made of.
I like kiwidutch’s thought provoking comment too. Have a great day.
@Tom
Thanks for reading here …..Man you got some name and email ….I admire you for that. I’ve read an article of yours that was suggested to me and it is full of great tips that I will put into practice. Thanks!
@Kiwidutch
First I want to say thank you for the comment it is a great compliment to the post. I agree with you on so many points. I have my son to worry about too as he is ever increasingly making his presence known on the Internet, but his studies always come first. He is also a reader of real books this kid devours them I was the same at his age. I’m proud to say he is an honor roll student three years running now.
I think the Internet and Google have had some influence on my ability to get my news the old fashioned way via the home delivered newspaper, and television. My attention span seems shorter and I feel more distracted with reading something on the web before I want to move on.
Living in the Information age can be harrowing. And you’re so right about our kids and the information they give out that is next to impossible to retract.
Another point you raised is great one about needing everything to be instant. We want it now, we want it yesterday.
Seems to me technology has driven us away from face to face communication and interaction. That is also scary.
Thanks so much for reading kiwi I wish you continued success!
I have to read this in more detail. Too many waking hours in this one day, I’ll be back for more. Yes, Google and exhaustion have contributed to this inability to concentrate and focus on more than 140 characters … guess I should add Twitter to this equation.
Okay, I wanted you to know I was here and will be back but this sounds like the post I told you I wanted to do. You’ll see what I mean once you see the spin.
Until tomorrow,
Hey Kissie …
Thanks for coming by. Glad you did. Yea put a spin on that. I’ve been checking your site for it. I’m becoming 140 character addicted