Project 3 Proposal

            As Internet users’ reliance on information from sources such as Google and Wikipedia increases, the deep thinking that enables true human creativity is being compromised. After I read Sven Birkert’s Into the Electronic Millennium, I pondered his concern that in our “proto-electronic” society, negative human developments would occur. Birkerts discusses the potential waning of the private self, flattening of historical perspectives, and language erosion among technology users. Thus, I was inspired to research the impacts of the Internet on human intelligence and on our culture, as I fear that negative effects may in fact already exist. Previously, I had read articles that indicated that the Internet can lead to a lower attention span making it more difficult for people to read traditional books without interruptions. Also, the vast number of hyperlinks and the immense amount of information on the web can lead to overstimulation, which can hurt a person’s long-term memory. In contrast, I have read articles supporting Internet use because it is actually increasing human intelligence. So, who is correct? What is the Internet doing to our brains? Does the Internet have a negative or positive effect on the human brain function? This is one critical question that I will be able to answer after extensive research. Also, if as Cory Doctorow asserts the computer is an “ecosystem of interruption technologies,” is the Internet destroying our powers of concentration? Do the negative side effects of the Internet outweigh its efficiencies? It may be challenging to answer certain critical questions, as it is difficult to find statistics to support the thesis that I will create. For example, I used the APA PsychNET database and I couldn’t find a psychological study proving that Internet use influences intelligence. However, based on the sources that I have found, I believe that I will develop a thesis in which I will support the claim that the Internet does have a negative impact on human intellect and that we, as a society, deserve cultural criticism.    

Birkerts, Sven. The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age.

            Winchester: Faber and Faber, 1994.

Sven Birkerts writes about the loss of books, literature, reading, history, culture, language, and the sense of self. In his collection of essays, he discusses the connection between reading and the self as he questions how modifications in our traditional way of reading affect our intellectual life. He believes that many people in our “proto-electronic” society have been impacted by negative developments such as, the waning of the private self, flattening of historical perspective, and language erosion. I plan to research whether there is a specific correlation between Internet use and these negative developments. If a correlation is found, the research will support my thesis.

Brockman, John. Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think?: The Net’s Impact on Our

            Minds and Future. New York: HarperCollins, 2011.

           

How is the Internet changing the way you think? This question is relevant today and it will affect many aspects of our life and the future. John Brockman posed this question to more than 150 of the world’s most influential minds. Philosophers, scientists, professors, authors, psychologists, sociologists, and other intellectuals answered this question. This book will be a helpful resource because it will provide unique answers and different perspectives. Brockman’s research will allow me to analyze both the negative and positive ways in which the Internet is changing the way we think. 

Brooks, David. "The Medium Is the Medium." The New York Times 2010. The New York

            Times. Web.

In this article, David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, illustrates the tremendous power of books. Studies have proven that children who grow up with books stay in school longer and perform better. In addition, a recent study found that the use of computers and the Internet among a half-million middle school students was correlated to significant declines in math and reading scores. Brooks discusses the Internet versus books debate as the two different cultures foster extremely different types of learning. Brooks' analysis as well as the studies presented in this article will help me to understand the effect of Internet use on human intelligence.          

Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York:

            W.W. Norton, 2010.

I am interested in learning whether the effects of the Internet are predominantly negative or positive. Nicholas Carr’s book criticizes the information technology revolution, as he strongly believes that the negative side effects of the Internet outweigh its efficiencies. Carr looks to neurological science to determine the impact of computers, citing experiments that contrast the power of books with the power of the Internet. He successfully criticizes our culture for entering the realm of the Web as it's filled with interruption and distraction, effecting comprehension and retention. Carr believes that the Internet is reconfiguring our brains and I would like to know specifically how and if the Net is effecting concentration. 

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The Atlantic (2008). The Atlantic. July

            2008. Web.

Often, as people send e-mails, scan headlines, blog, watch videos, and click from link to link on the Net, the vast amount of information available provides food for thought, but also shapes the process of thought. Nicholas Carr believes that the Internet is diminishing human capacity for concentration and contemplation. Carr provides examples of people whose mental habits have been altered by the Internet as people resort to “power browsing.” Carr argues that although Google may seem to be the perfect search engine with the world’s information easily accessible, it hasn't made humans more productive thinkers. This article analyzes how the Internet is changing the way we read and think, which is applicable to my research, as I am interested in the negative impacts of the Net. 

Carr, Nicholas. "The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains." Wired 2010. Wired. Web.

A remarkable experiment conducted at UCLA proved that after spending five hours on the Internet, subjects had rewired their brains. This study reveals how quickly and extensively Internet use reroutes people’s neural pathways. Studies by psychologists, neurobiologists, and educators support the claim that the Internet promotes brief reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial learning. The Internet is turning many of us into shallower thinkers and literally altering the structure of our brain. Carr discusses how the Internet serves as an interruption system and affects our long-term memory. He provides a counter-argument in which he states that not all mental consequences of the Net are bad. This source allows me to see both the pros and cons of Internet use on human intellect, which is important for my research paper.