In the book, The Shallows, by Nicholas Carr, he talks about how people are addicted to the internet and technology. After going through an entire semester of reading this book and having class discussions about this addiction, I can sadly say that I have a slight addiction to it. I have a hard time going through my day not checking my email, seeing who has texted or called me, how many emails I might have that day, who has been on Facebook, or who has tweeted at me that day. I could never imagine getting rid of all my technology because I had to move somewhere that there wasn’t all of these technologies such as Carr had to do. In his book he states,” The dismantling of my online life was far from painless. For months, my synapses howled for their Net fix. I found myself sneaking clicks on the ‘check for new email’ button. Occasionally, I’d go on a daylong web binge”(199). I don’t think that I would ever be able to drop all of my devices and just walk away for a long period of time. I remember the last time I went on vacation to Mexico and I did not have my cell phone or my computer, I was about to go crazy. 

On days in class where I am not able to use my computer or go online, I feel like class drags on. I get the same feelings on nights where I have to read a certain amount for class the next day. Carr questions in his book whether or not people would be able to switch back to books, and then go back to using their internet. He goes over this point more than once, and it gives me the feeling that it is important. In his book he states,”The question isn’t really whether people can still read or write the occasional book. Of course they can. When we begin using a new intellectual technology, we don’t immediately switch from one mental mode to another”(199). This is showing us how Carr is thinking that people can go from reading a book, to being on the internet, to looking at their phones. Personally, I can never read or write anything if my computer or phone is near me. I need to be able to focus on what I am doing, and not jump around from thing to thing in front of me. 

The internet has caused a lot of good and bad things to people over the years that it has been around. It has personally given me some added personality, and given me a new outlook on life. Going from one form of reading to another isn’t as hard as Carr points out at some points, but for some people like me it can be very difficult. 

-Drew Loiselle