The Need to Move Forward

While I was reading The Shallows by Nicholas Carr, I saw a reoccurring theme that made this conclusion, all the more believable. Humans can't sit still. We're never happy with the technology we have, which is supported throughout the book as he focuses in on the internet. As we plow down a highway to knowledge there could be some domino effects for the later.

I remember the days when I begged my parents for a cell phone, I cried and I pleaded case after case, and I worked. When they set that Samsung Galaxy in my hand I felt like I was holding the world in my hands. Two years have passed and my phone is a piece of crap, that same phone that I adored, but compared to the new and improved phones, mine's a pretty sad case. The same can be said about books. In fact it was said in Chapter 6. Carr writes about electronic books, the "new and improved" way of reading. Our minds have carried us to great reaches, but with great reaches, the sole purpose is lost. In this chapter he talks about printed copies being obsolete. In comes a new technology pushing the lesser out of its path.

In Chapter 5 and Chapter 7, Carr explains the improvements of the internet and its effects. Instead of having a wall phone with a cord, it's greatly improved to a mobile device, the internet has improved from pages and short clips, to an entertaining culture fest waiting to be harvested in the users mind. The net seizes our attention only to scatter it. With improvement comes a fault, concentration seems to be depleting, memory isn't as reliable, and we seem to be turning into the machine.

In Malcolm X's "Coming to an Awareness of Language" Malcolm talks about how he improves his reading, writing, and grammar. No one would take him seriously if he hadn't. Malcolm's need for improvement came from outer and inner pressure. While his push forward helped him in his cause, it brings insight to the human brain. We always like to be better than everyone else. We like to strive for gold and have our name known around the world. We invent new and improved gadgets that help daily life, which makes the average Joe a little lazier and a little dumber. We expect everything to be put in front of us, to be spoon fed. That's what the internet is, isn't it? An easy way to find information? You can go to Google and ask any question; how much does a kindle cost? Does Staples sell my printer's ink? Is there a sale at Target? Why does my poop stink? You will find hundreds of answers ready to be ready in a flash.

Carr's book brought up a lot of problems and benefits with the internet and how it's affecting us. I've summed it up as best as I could with the problem that stood out most to me; humans have to move forward.