Shelby Budzko

10/6/23

Prof Jesse Miller

ENG 100

Googley-Technology Essay

Nick Carr’s essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”  opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on the effects that technology has on myself and society. As I was introduced to the “cathedral-like” people we once were, and the “pancake people” we’re becoming, I found that I understand and relate to the idea that we are becoming flat and robotic as people; letting technology do the work for us while we sit back and let it take over our lives. While reading the responses that my classmates had to Carr’s essay, I found that both Jacob Osmer and Mia Lucci had similar thoughts and feelings toward technology. However, both writers offer a unique perspective and their own experiences that aren’t touched on in Carr’s essay. I do believe that in a way, we may be becoming “pancake” people, but is that the case?

              Technology is affecting everyone. While some people believe that we are becoming “pancake” people, others argue the opposite. I believe that “pancake-ness” comes in a spectrum. To be more specific, with our advancements in technology, “skimming” while reading has become common in our society, rather than deep reading and thinking. It’s easy to blame people for becoming lazy, but we must recognize that technology has wired us to prefer short-form content. With the presence of social media, you can get the entire gist of a story in a few sentences or a 30-second clip. This rewiring of our brain makes deep reading feel like an almost impossible task to achieve when everything else we consume is short-form. Carr introduces the reader to his troubles with deep reading, claiming that the internet has changed the way that his brain processes information, making him into a “guy on a Jet Ski” rather than a “scuba driver” in the “sea of words” (Carr 2). I particularly love the comparison that Carr makes between a scuba diver and a jet ski when viewing reading as an ocean because it puts into perspective how skimming varies from true reading. When you’re skimming, you’re not going as deeply into the text. Carr also connects his own experience with Bruce Freidman, a blogger that he follows. In his blog, Freidman explains how deep reading has become scarce in his everyday life, and how “a blog post of three or four paragraphs” is too much for him to read, so instead he “skims it” (Carr 2). Osmer also points out Friedman’s struggles in his essay and explains his own experiences of “letting [his] eyes slide across the pages, instead of taking in each individual word and taking the time to process them” (Osmer 1). Osmer’s development of skimming is a huge effect that technology has on us today, and I find that I’ve also adopted the same habits. I get impatient quickly with reading, and I don’t find it as enjoyable anymore. I find the connection between Carr and Osmer here very interesting, because they are writers from very different generations and different backgrounds, and they both have different experiences in the age of technology. However, they both feel the same effects of technology as Friedman. This brings up an important point; technology has an impact on the lives of everyone. However, not everyone has the same experience with technology. Lucci explains that while she has noticed a change in the reading habits and attention spans of her close friends, she has “not noticed a change in [her] attention span” and she has no problem with “reading a lengthy article or essay” (Lucci 1). I think that including Lucci’s point of view and personal experiences with reading is very valuable in this circumstance because it introduces another important point; everybody’s experiences with technology are vastly different. While technology does transcend time and generations, that does not mean that everyone is going to feel like a “pancake” in the same way. Osmer and Carr had similar experiences, but that does not mean that Lucci or other people like her must have the same experiences. Lucci may feel the effects of technology in her writing, but that does not mean that she must feel that same effect in every aspect of her life. Being or feeling like a “pancake” is not black and white, but a range that people fall on within different ends of the spectrum.  

              Technology has a significant and wildly impactful influence on how we view and produce works of literature. Lucci and Carr both had an interesting experience with writing that I find I also relate to.  Both writers use Friedrich Nietzsche as an example of how technology influences writing. In Nietzsche’s case, he used to write by hand but lost his ability to see right around when the typewriter was introduced, which gave him a chance to write again. However, Carr claims that “his already terse prose had become even tighter, more telegraphic,” meaning that his already tense use of language and writing had become even more strained, lacking authenticity and human emotion (Carr 3). Switching from handwriting to a typewriter completely changed his entire writing style, which many other people also relate to when comparing handwriting to using a computer. Lucci uses Nietzsche as an example in her writing by comparing him to her own experiences, claiming that using a computer makes her wiring reporter-like, almost like a robot. I have also had a similar experience to Lucci because I find that my writing feels more authentic when I write by hand instead of using my computer. Osmer also uses Nietzsche as an example in his writing to springboard into his own experiences, but he has a much different opinion. Osmer describes his writing style, explaining how he is “jumping around from paragraph to paragraph, copy/pasting whole sections around the paper, and throwing out as many ideas as possible” which is much easier for him to do through a computer (Osmer 1). Osmer has also seen a change in his writing when using a computer, but it was a positive change. Osmer claims that the way he writes through his computer allows him to be much more thorough and authentic with his writing. While I understand the ease of being able to alter writing with a computer, I can’t get by the lack of personality that I feel when writing. However, like I said, not everyone has to feel the same impact of technology.

              Technology has drastically changed the way that we communicate and connect with other people. With the emergence of cell phones and the ability to send a text or make a quick phone call, “communication has never been so easy” according to Lucci (Lucci 1). Lucci argues that while Carr believes we are becoming “pancake people”, he doesn’t mention how important technology can be. Lucci believes that the prevalence of technology can be beneficial when it comes to certain situations, such as communication, and I agree. I have friends and family who live hundreds of miles away, and with my cell phone I can talk to them anytime, making it easier to maintain my relationships with my loved ones. Osmer also brings up communication in his essay, specifically the communication of news through social media. Osmer claims that he, along with other teens and young adults, most often gets his news and information from social media. This is another example of the internet and technology making it easier to stay connected, but Osmer brings up another important point; not all the news or information we see is factual. Osmer admits to being guilty of “getting information from one source and just accepting its credibility” but he is aware that it’s both “naïve and ignorant” (Osmer 1). He is aware that believing something without checking its credibility is not a responsible way to absorb information, but he and many others are guilty of this. Osmer argues that social media is a breeding ground for “rumors…conspiracy theories, false news stories… [and] it creates unreasonable expectations that can lead to mental health issues” (Osmer 1). As a social media user, I have seen this firsthand, and I can recognize how damaging social media can be. Osmer believes that social media is “doing more harm than good” and I agree (Osmer 1). While I love being able to connect with others so easily, it’s important to notice the harm it can cause and the ignorance it can breed. We are adopting “pancake-like” tendencies when we accept everything we see as factual. Osmer’s essay opened my mind to how harmful social media and the internet can be. It may make life easier, but at what cost?

              The question still stands; are we becoming “pancake” people? While I think that we have begun to develop “pancake” tendencies, I don’t think that everyone is becoming a “pancake” person. As I said, and as Lucci and Osmer illustrated, everyone’s experiences and unique personalities are going to impact how “pancake” we become. Everyone is going to have different opinions and experiences with how technology is changing them. As technology grows, we will continue to adapt to change in our surroundings, and technology is going to be something we adapt to. It’s only going to continue to grow and change our lives, so it’s our responsibility to decide how much we are going to let it consume us. Technology can be an incredible tool, but the way we choose to use it will inevitably determine how much we rely on it, and how deeply we fall into its grasp.

Lucci, Mia. “Technology Essay-Final.” UNEportfolio, Technology Essay- Final – Mia’s Site (uneportfolio.org). Accessed 24 September 2023.

Osmer, Jacob. “Gee Wizz, Technology! Essay.” UNEportfolio, Essay #1, Part 1 – Jacob’s Site (uneportfolio.org). Accessed 24 September 2023.

Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 3 Oct. 2023, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/.