Is Google Making Us Stupid Essay Example

“My mind is not going—so far as I can tell—but it is changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think.” (Carr, 2008). This statement from the article caught my attention immediately. People have become accustomed to finding solutions to all the issues they are faced with by simply opening a tab and doing a Google search. I do believe that Google has made the world stupid, as well as lazy.

Since 1998, Google has become a problem-solver to many people around the globe (Carr, 2008). Regardless of what the matter may be, severe or simple, Google seems to have answers to any questions. Over the years, Google has become the largest search engine used in the world. One might ask where Google gets all of its information from. First, it has stored and processed huge amounts of data since it was first invented, therefore it contains related information sites. It then puts all of the results in a descending order starting with sites that contain the best results. Google also has online calculators that translate the issues presented to it and it submits the appropriate results that you would need. Artificial intelligence used by Google is advanced hence contributing to it being the best search engine worldwide (Carr, 2008).

Despite the fact that this technology has positively impacted human lives, it has also contributed to many negatives among us. For instance, students who are given assignments from school go directly on Google, not to do research but rather to directly copy the information they get from the web. They know that they can answer all the questions they have with one click of a button. This year, with many students being virtual due to the pandemic, I am certain that this happens more often than it does not. This is not supposed to be the case. Google should assist in doing successful research and familiarizing one with the topics they are interested in and not a leeway to laziness (Carr, 2008). The human brain requires constant exercise to continue to grow and develop. Feeding it with useful data by doing continuous research and deep critical thinking methods can be very helpful in making sure that the brain is functioning regularly and properly. Google has demolished our critical thinking skills by making people fully reliant on the easily available information.

When I think of using Google for research, I think of people using a calculator to do math problems. Many millennials are not able to work basic problems out, so people resort to a calculator, the way that many people resort to Google for a fast and easy answer. Google has captured our attention and is now the starting point for most students and workers to begin their work. Having the internet and Google so easily accessible does make people read a lot more, which should be a positive, right? However, the value and reliability of what is read from Google is far less than that of a book. The information from a book has been reviewed before being published, while anyone can post information to the internet, with no actual validity. 

What really makes someone intelligent is not the ability to find a lot of information quickly, but rather to be able to think about the information you are reading and retain it. Google uses ads that pop up making one distracted, which in return causes people to understand less about what they are researching. Google is not wanting to slow people down. The faster you click through the ads, the more money they are making. 

Even though Google offers solutions to many problems, some of these are not accurate for every person. Most of the articles online are peoples’ written works, and they provide solutions that they deem correct to them. These solutions may vary for different individuals in different settings. When one uses an alternative used by another to solve their problem, it may not produce the same desired results for both parties. Along with that goes, if one is searching for articles from a news network or any major political debate, a person that is searching Google will only find the particular side that one enters into search, rather than bringing up the opposing side as well for one to see both articles. If someone were to get a magazine or a book, it would likely tell all sides to give you the information to then make your siding decision based off facts.

In conclusion, it is very apparent that Google has been a very useful tool that has very many benefits that majorly focus on passing along information and making the whole world a community that is at once reach through the click of a button. However, the fact remains that although it is a very simple and easy route that people like to take, Google makes humans stupid in the sense of being able to comprehend and do our own research. People would benefit from going to the library or just taking the time to search through the books and research articles for the information they need. Google is still in its infancy stage in terms of usage, and more opportunities are aimed to be achieved. With such a realization, I believe people should not take the short cuts and just take the extra time to work the brain and think for themselves.