Googling

            Google, by far, has become a part of our everyday society. It is the number one website used in the United States. However, just because it is the most used website, does that mean it plays one of the most important roles in our society?

            Nicholas Carr, author of the book The Shallows, talks about how Google is constantly growing as a company. In class, we talked a lot about Google and whether or not it is one of the most important companies in the country. Though Carr seems to think that it plays a huge role in the functions of our country, I do not believe that it is the most important company. The way I see it is that people largely depend on Google as their prime search engine while attempting to learn information because it is quick and easy. When people are looking for quick answers they do not want to read through scholarly articles in order to find their simple answer. With Google people are able to type in key search words and are almost immediately provided with answers. For example, when I am looking for the title or artist of a song that I heard on the radio, I simply type in some of the lyrics to that song. Before I can even click enter, poof, the answer automatically appears without having to search or read through useless information. I do the same thing when I am looking for a book or movie title. Information on Google is just so easy to access, and I believe that is why it is the most frequently used website in the United States. 

            Although I do not believe that Google is the most important company, I do acknowledge the fact that they are rapidly expanding. Google is no longer just a search engine anymore. As time goes on the company grows larger and larger. They even own Youtube now, which is also on the top of the list for most frequently used websites in the United States. Google is making a huge profit just from purchasing Youtube alone. They are also making a profit every time something is entered into the search bar. If someone were to describe the most important company as being the most profitable and successful, then I believe Google would be at the very top of the list. However, that is not what I believe defines the most important company. 

            I feel that the most important company is one that we need. Google is not a necessity, it is a privilege that our country takes great advantage of. I do not believe that there is anything wrong with taking advantage of this search engine. However, though Google is largely relied on, it sometimes is not reliable. For example, Google does not always provide scholarly work that can be used while doing important research. Anyone can create a website with false information on it. It is because of this reason that we cannot always rely on Google for giving us the right answers for complicated questions. Googling for quick, one word answers can result in success, but we must not use Google as our only source of information. The internet is an endless file cabinet that is being added to with more and more files every minute, and Google is not the only searching option.

         - Kaitlin MacKinnon