The “Godsend”

Henry Petersen

October 24, 2010

English 100O

Nicholas Carr is the author of a few books related to the internet and the hidden messages that it contains and all the information that is put into out head. Carr begins his article with a quote from the Space Odessy 2001. The brain of one of the main characters was being manipulated by another person. Carr feels for the robot due to his inability to soak up all the information in any book now. Carr states that readings that would’ve had to be done in a library can now be summarized in a matter of minutes over the minute. Skimming has also become the new way of reading in Carr’s opinion. The way of reading sentence to sentence has now become looking for key points in the sentences and ignoring everything else. On the other hand Carr might just be getting distracted from his age. But ho knows? Carr also stays neutral throughout the entire article. He lets his audience know that the Internet is a glorious tool, and has become a part of his life. It’s a radio, a library, a way to keep in touch with people all around the world. Its has so many purposes, and is being improved everyday. Carr’s friends have been having the same problem as he has been having. When it comes to reading long articles, blog’s or books for that matter. Research was done by Carr with the writers of the past, and the information also relates to today’s influences with the lack of being able to write. Nietzsche was a writer from the past, he first got a type writer his head would hurt from concentrating on the paper so much. The quality of work that was done by any person, can be influenced by the type of work it’s being done on. For example, today’s generation will write better on a computer that’s up to date rather than pen and paper. It’s more entertaining in a way. On the other hand it is quite possible that we’ve been reading more than ever. This includes texting, and emails too. In terms of the hidden messages online, or the distractions that take place everyday from our work, the brain can be manipulated as Carr says. The clock has taken a big part of our thinking, from what we would prefer to do. In a sense as Carr says that “… we obey the clock.” This is true in a way that we create our times for sleep, for eating, when to do certain things. “If we lose those quiet spaces, or fill them up with “content,” we will sacrifice something important not only in our selves but in our culture.” What Carr means the information that we already have in our head can easily be replaced without us actually knowing. In this truth the mind is being manipulated all the time, with out us even knowing. Carr knows from his experience from writing and reading all his life that this can happen. His claim in this aspect of his writing’s is that we must not be distracted from these happening’s throughout the day. Our culture must not e replaced from having dinner with the family, to eating in front of the television, or eating while working at the computer. These small pieces of our culture help keep our world together. Family cannot be replaced by the things that keep us distracted from what really matters.