English 1B

1) If we are developing such short attention spans when it comes to educating and entertaining ourselves; then why are we so addicted to the Internet?

2) Would we accept simple information substitutes and text as a means for communication if we lost our access to all technology?

3) Are we skimming through life just like we "skim thru" the information we receive on the Internet? Is the Internet not only making us weak minded but lazy too?











I had to read this article twice I found it so intriguing. I have felt for a very long time that we are becoming very "ADD" as a species. Whether it be driving in our cars or dining out with our family; I see a growing trend in this "short attention span syndrome". Although this is the main consequence of Internet overdose, I believe the most important question of all is what if we were to not have it anymore? I'm talking about no cell phones, no computers and no television. What if there was a world crisis where we lost all power and had to communicate like we used to before electricity? How would we cope? It's almost terrifying to contemplate, but something very real that needs to be addressed. I've chosen then to talk about my question number two. What would happen if we lost it all?

I am included in the masses of those addicted to the Internet and television. I could do without the cell phone I have sometimes, but I love my Internet. It seems to understand me. If I look for one item on Amazon, it knows what I like and offers me other items on Overstock! I can read about my sports teams win and talk to my friends and family on Facebook at the same time! It's magical and addictive. Not only that, but I'm one click away from a newspaper and a whole library of books!! So let's say tomorrow the North Koreans follow thru with their recent threats and I no longer have that luxury. So now I'm stuck with just wondering what's going on in the country and the world. I'm struggling to gather any and all information needed solely for survival. I can't seem to find anyone that knows anything about what's going on and I feel helpless! We need to keep simple print and communication alive to be prepared in case of the worst possible scenario. We need to remind ourselves that there still is the WRITTEN and SPOKEN word. Have you ever tried to reach a loved one or friend when it's an emergency and can't reach them? It's scary and frustrating. Now imagine that times 6 billion people trying to do the same thing! The anarchy and backlash would be disastrous. We can't solely become dependent on the Internet because it's going to be our ultimate downfall in the end. Print is truly dead and it makes me very sad. I simply can't bring myself to buy a Kindle and I still love the smell of a newspaper. Call me old fashioned, but it's true. And I guarantee you I would be more easily acclimated to the way we used to do things if it all came to a screeching halt! We need to find a happy balance so our children don't have their heads buried in 10 inch tablets at the dinner table anymore. Show them how to write some poetry with a pencil. Call someone on a land line and have a good talk instead of Facebooking. The intimacy of our language is gone. It has made us lazy and self righteous. We cannot become just "decoders of information" as Carr said. I don't believe we would be able to revert back to our old ways. We have become accustomed to this new luxury and I think the newer generations as a whole would crumble without it. People who had used this form of communication and entertainment before might see fit to accept it again, but not with out some heavy complaining!! What would we do without our online navigation systems that connect to our Bluetooths?! How on Earth would we survive without Twitter being linked to our IPhones and Androids? We need to remind ourselves where we came from. Or else we might have no where else to go when and if it all comes crashing down.