On page 92 of The Shallows, Carr states, "our use of the internet will only grow, and its impact on us will only strengthen as it becomes even more present in our lives." I think that this statement has a lot of truth to it. I grew up using computers, so I do not really know what it is like to live without them. However, I never felt a true "need" for them until I got to high school. I used the internet to do research for papers, email my professors, keep track of my grades, and interact with my friends through Facebook. The internet has grown so much in the short amount of time that I have been using it.
I have also noticed a slight change in other people as well as myself since the internet has become so prominent in our lives. Our communication skills with others verbally is not the same as it has been in past generations. Cell phones and the internet enable us to communicate with others with having to be with them in person. This has caused people to say things that they may not have wanted to say or had to confidence to say to someone in person. There have been breakups and misinterpreted words thanks to the internet. This has impacted so many people and caused many unnecessary problems.
With each passing year, the internet becomes more and more present in our lives. The iPhone and iPad, as well as all other smart phones, are making the internet accessible at any point in the day. We no longer have to wait until we can get home or to a computer to check our emails, Facebook, or Twitter. All of this is right there at the tip of our fingers. I do not have a smart phone, but most of my friends do and several times, I will be having a conversation with them and I have to repeat what I said because they were so preoccupied on the internet. I have often seen people “get lost” in their phones using the internet. They almost lose the sense of their surroundings and everything around them is completely blocked out.
As I write this blog entry, I am listening to iTunes and my cell phone is next to me on my desk. I am not texting, but my cell phone is still there and I can see it out of the corner of my eye. So, even though I am not consciously using many aspects of the internet at once, it is still there in its many forms. I think sometimes we do not realize how present the internet is in our lives. It is just second nature to us and we do not fully know what it is like to live without it. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without the internet. My coach uses his email to communicate with our entire team. I get at least three emails a day from him. I use Facebook and Twitter to interact with my friends, especially my friends from high school who I can’t see very often. Many of my professors use the internet to put up study guides and notes. So, I am not sure I could live without the internet, and if I had to, it would be a very big adjustment. Lastly, I do think that the internet will become more present in my life as it evolves year after year.
Bridget Meehan
Bridget I agree with you. We really do underestimate how much the internet and technology is impacting us. If we really think about it, the internet has impacted us enough that people are now writing about it. If it wasn't so important, or so worthwhile to talk about, The Shallows, probably wouldn't have been written. Some people might think this is bad, and others may not. But regardless if we do or don't like it, technology will continue to grow.
ReplyDelete-Michelle Krupnik
You make me think of aspects of my life. i don't have a smart phone either. I'm still 3g. Sometimes i'll be sitting in a room with five of my friends and we'll all be texting on our phones or using them in some manner. It's craxy that we'll actually stop our converstaion to check our phones. It's almost disrectful to the people who were with.
ReplyDeleteKelsey Coughlin