The Index of our Minds

            In chapter nine of The Shallows we are introduced to the theory that our mind is becoming like an index which we do not store the information that we need, but rather we store the information of where to look for things that we need online.  This notion seemed a little silly to me at first but as I thought more and more of the concept I realized that much of the memory in my mind is where to find things.  When I came to realize this it worried me a little bit.  If my mind really is just becoming an index what will happen if the things that this index is referencing to are wiped clean?  My mind could potentially be just an index that is unable to find any real information.  The concern that Carr brings up about our dependency on the internet seems like it could have some strong points in this regard.  I rely on the internet to satisfy a lot of my curiosity and to provide me with help in almost any subject that help is needed with.

Many of these problems popped into my mind while thinking over this topic, but then I began to consider the positives of this situation.  I realized that while I do use the web to find out about a lot of the information that I need to know, once I have looked up this information I usually retain a lot of it.  Even though I do not initially have this information stored in my mind I am able to learn about it using the internet.  This helped to me to know that my mind is not just an index; my mind is actually like a book.  I have a lot of information stored in my mind, an index referring me to where it is stored in my mind and a list of references so I can look further into subjects that my mind does not yet know about.

I have also realized that the internet can help to expand my knowledge in many ways.  If there were no internet I would have no easy reference for my mind to refer to.  With no easy reference my drive to find out information would diminish because it would be a lot more work to find out what I now see as simple information.  The internet makes it so I can find out about almost any information that I want or need instantly and easily.  This easily accessible information then can become entrenched in the reservoir of my mind.  In my opinion, the internet is not actually hurting my memory and mind as Carr has suggested, but it can be used to strengthen my memory and build upon my mind.

The internet has become the ultimate database for anyone and anything that you may think of, but that does not mean that it is taking over our minds and destroying our memories.  The retention of knowledge is very important for everyone and if used correctly the internet can make this stronger than ever.

-Martin Gray