i blame the concept of 'school': education should not be intense and forced and should not last for just 20% of your life, it should be a fun enjoyable process (indeed all young children love to learn, its being forced to learn 'this' and not 'that', being stressed into thinking you 'must', 'or else..' that makes people resent learning) and education should last your whole life. People finish school and think they're educated, i.e. they 'know' life and celebrate not learning anything more
@gazadegaz How the hell you can say that? I wanted to say the same thing, but I can now only say that people makes mistakes. Education is not school. Humanity needs something new. Until 9th grade I didn't mind I need to go to school, I kinda liked it. Now I am in 11th and I can say that it is really bad. I went to school because I was treated good by teachers, it was my school if I can say so. Now I don't care about people who don't take me serious or respect me. So, school is bad?
@teknown Everything is as good or as bad as you want it to be. School is a good idea, not the best, but it is still a convention that it is supposed to work, like language, etc. Language make us communicate, this is very important, but also makes us not use our brain as it was supposed. Our processor is faster than our RAM, we think faster than we can react to it, so we lose information in the process. Back to school, as I said it is just as good as bad as we want it to be.
@teknown Oh, one more thing: Remember that there are smart people out there, with common sense, people that want to change the word. As for the internet, the subject of the video, humans adapt to everything, so humans who use internet very much they will use it as part of the brain. The only wrong thing about internet is that out there is very much wrong interpreted information. False information keeps us in alert, so it is good. Nice to meet you too. Have a good day, sir!
@teknown MARTIN MARTINEZ MEDICO DE UAM viola a sus hijos MARTINEZ FIERRO GAY de ARANDAS 139 y huele el orto de la PINCHE ruca maria isabel y da consultas gratis en arandas139 los 365 dias SOLO AVIENTEN UNA PIEDRA Y saldra un PINCHE maricon CAGADO d lentes VICTORIA MARIA MARTINEZ FIERRO OJO CON EL PUTO VA A LAS escuelas a INSULTAR Y AMENAZAR a las chavas como Angie Sound el pinche orejon maricon arandas 139NEZA
This is common sense. If you don't train your mind in any form, you will lose the abilities to learn passed what you already know. I wouldn't blame the internet. If people used the internet as a tool for learning, we would all be smart. Sadly its mostly used for entertainment. Which is fine anyway, people will entertain themselves if they want to be entertained. I would blame our lazy culture, our parents and our schools.
I agree civilization is becoming dumber but more importantly civilization is becoming happier. Of course deep thinking and sophisticated society is fading but to be honest that's not a bad thing, the truly important thing is ethics.
There'll always be thinkers in a world of billions of people perhaps not as big percentage will be thinking but with such a large population and with smart computers it will be enough and so we will move into an age of less intelligence but more joy :)
This is mistitled - he isn't talking about the internet, he's talking about the computer. There are many many interveiws and videos on the internet that are an hour or more - in depth interviews that do allow for the kind of in-depth thinking that he is talking about and that do allow the quiet he is missing. It's a particular way of using the computer that is causing the kind of behaviour he is lamenting.
Most humans never did "deep thinking", ever... And have this guy been around some forums? There are more guys deep thinking and communicating those deep thoughts than ever was. The main difference now is that they can actually put those thoughts out there for other people to see them where as in the past they would just die with them because more often then not, there was no easy delivery medium.
Internet is fun,we live to have fun,there's no other reason to be alive.Fun means happy.With all these rules in the 21st century I can't even clean my ass without breaking the law.The people are stupid, because all those ridiculous rules make them go like a train on the rails,only one road possible.Soon our ability to choose will fade away.So f**k you all who are trying to take away even this little fun that we have in life. And f**k you all who promote negative energy. End of the world my ass.
I disagree also, I found that when I gave a stupid person the internet, they immediatley got smarter. For all you that think you lose your deep thinking. You are retarded in the first place. Not stupid. Be stupid my friend!
for me the internet does the opposite, thats most likley due to the fact that the majority of my time on the internet is used look at scientific videos.
@METALGEARSOL1D i can't have room for entertainment? do i not have 1/4 of my favorites as scientific and documentaries? what about the 1/3 of my subscriptions to deep thinking people. if i see a funny video i will favorite it. if i see a scientific video i watch it and sometimes favorite it. 90% of my youtube time is spent on science and deep thinking. if you could see my history of videos i watched an hour long speach about athiesm in the church and many hour long videos like it.
@AForkSpoon Just because you watch a bunch of Athiestic videos doesn't mean you can come here and say how far ahead you are compared to everyone else. Guy, you are in denial. Athiest videos have absolutely ZERO to do with science. They are just made by overly opinionated bigots. If you come here and boast that you only watch scientic videos, be prepared to back it up with evidence. You haven't showed shit other than the fact that you are a stupid HALO REACH bitch.
@AForkSpoon Man, you are a hilarious idiot, aren't you. I think your approach to "scientific thinking" needs some tune-up. You do know that science doesn't involve popping statistics out of your ass, huh. Your "evidence," which you still haven't shown other than the fact that you seem to love Athiesm doesn't even hold up. On another note, counting down your points is more pre-school than a 3 year old. In other words, you pretty much just destroyed yourself.
@xdarkxflowerx The speaker would agree with you in that the electronic stimulation/activities improve certain parts of your brain, just not ones related to contemplation and reflection. As an example, it is possible to do bicep curls that make your arms stronger, but not impact your quads. Same story here where one part is getting exercize and another is not, only in this case we are talking about different parts of your brain.
@TheWinterNights Yep haha the internet or enything else can or can not effect you it depends if you want it to effect you or not, is that simple, but the ppl forget how to live that's the only problem here.We forget how and what to eat how to work , sleep etc.
That is so fucking true! Sometimes I'll get so caught up in something that I'm doing on the net and I end up eating a late meal or going to bed late. I need more discipline. =(
I'm sure it has been said in the comments, but... there is JUST as much "trivial" information in a common/traditional library as there is on the internet. Reflexively... there is just as much "very important" information in a common/traditional library as there is on the internet.
Truth though? Nowhere else but the internet (right now) could you intertwine, tie together, unite, cross-ref and double-check such information. And never so efficiently.
The internet's not going anywhere, but while I think it may be a bit of a blanket statement to blame all numb mindedness on the internet per se, I can definitely see how it can be a factor. Not only the stimulus overload aspect, or the idea of being tempted by strengthening unsubjective opinions...but also from a standpoint of arrogance. I definitely think for all the great benefits the internet brings, it has definitely also bred a new type of irrational arrogance amongst some.
There's truth in his speech. It is true that when i wacth this video i go over something else the minute after, but it doesn't mean i won't think about it deeplier later. I think school is here to give us critic sens that is essential to treat an information properly. Internet is a tool and if you didn't learnt how to ask the right questions and it it is just wind. Internet gives an extraordinary memory while school teaches us.
Well he didn't say the internet discourages deeper thinking, but he'd be right to.
Yes Wikipedia's great. But what have you learned from it in the end? Most read it passively with unfocused attention since you can always load it up on your iPhone if you need to. Why learn something when you can just remember how to find it if you need it?
There's a reason no employer cares how much you read on the net vs. another candidate with a real education. If this sounds like intellectual elitism IT IS.
I didn't hear him once say the internet was bad. He said that repetitive use of it can make our thinking one-tracked. I think he probably meant that finding information over the internet is one way of thinking. However re-evaluating and thinking about the information that we found is another type of thinking which is less excersised. That may have been what he meant.
Don't pin the millions upon millions of worldwide internet users with the braindead facebook users and world of warcraft players that give the internet a bad name. The forms of unbiased and unfiltered news along with vast sources of knowledge such as Wikipedia have the potential to teach a Human being more than ever possible in a classroom or university.
Teaching ones self is the most effective method of learning. The internet allows you to do this.
he has a point just watching a screen for your knowledge, experience, understanding makes us incapable of either thinking a certain way, of learning a certain way. Worst case scenerio here are the COD players their brains are completely fried.
I still get completely chewed out by some online numbskull every time I say anything they insist is a prurient interest in children. The internet is not an instrument of liberty. It's an instrument of democracy. Just like language, the printing press, television, radio and excruciatingly polite conversation. Us nerds will always be a tiny minority of users. The eighties and nineties of nothing but nerds and wits online are a thing of the past.
Nicholas makes an interesting point here, the methods and tools we use to gather information can be restrictive by their very nature. Reflection and meditation were very important aspects of learning in the past, because we have such an overwhelming mass of information at our fingers via the internet it can be difficult to focus ones attention on a specific topic for any length of time.
He has a point. I find myself slipping into automatic mode and just clicking random shit that serves as nothing but mild amusement or overhyped trivial bullshit.
I watched this for 30 seconds and got distracted by MegF142857's comment. I started to read it but it was too long and I saw something on the right about Project Runway and think I may have seen a boob... gotta go....
@Asiablue Sad but true. The Irish education system doesn't allow them in classes or tests until the leaving Cert(final year exams), when you've already shown you've aquired the necessary skills. This serves to simply save time so more can be packed in to the test itself. We don't always get things right(ha, thats generous of me) but the level of maths competency in Ireland is very good.
A lot of information on the internet is wrong, and people should be more aware of that. I'm personally guilty of simply using Yahoo answers and Google searches when I have questions.
I think people should avoid using .com sites and wikis for research, as they're susceptible to bias. Be more aware of what you read, because not everything is true.
@djsnakeyes Re: FORA believes users will pay for this content?
I know, very weird. There's just too much free "think tank" talk to start paying for it. Especially when almost nothing has a practical use, and figuring out what does isn't possible by the snippets they give us.
Interesting, but the internet is not just games and not all games are just "shoot bad guys get to the end of the level and win". I think that some games can be a form of art and actually make you smarter and wiser. Also, I wonder if this guy knows he on the internet XD
Than he should be promoting the internet. Those people who never use the internet for delving deep into topic wouldn't delve otherwise. But those who DO may not otherwise have the opportunity.
By the way, what he's comparing the internet to, mistakenly, is the autopilot mode people go into when, say, checking items all day in a store, or running people through security. From the interface side, computers are not an assembly line, they're a collection of tools being used in a constantly changing context. The physical equivalent would be walking across mechanical obstacles with a screw and using that as a water pump, a bolt, or an axle depending on which use facilitates progression.
Obvious to point this out I know, but it seems that who you are already will dictate how deep you think while on the net. I have my braindead days and my investigative days, but I do both out of fun so theres a limit to how deep I go whenever
What I thiink the net discourages is honesty and humility and encourages egotistical behaviour. Nit picking is defended as critical thinking & is the basis of most 'deep' debates on the net. Like using the exception to the rule or attacking spelling.
The name of this video is stupid and misleading. He never said that the Internet discourages deep thinking. He said that the Internet is good for some parts or the brain, but doesn't DEVELOP other parts. What he is basically is saying is that we shouldn't be 24/7 on the Internet. That was the main point he was saying.
Well he's viewing it objectively, like and old guy would. The internet is more than that, it's a feeling of having the whole world at the tip of your fingers. Just try going without internet for a few months, oh you'll be back.!
the interface and the internet will change drastically in the next 10 years... the current way t interface with the network is terribly clunky - but as that changes and as it becomes more kintetic, sensory and embedded in the external world - and at the same time more ubquitous but less intrusive - that space for the contemplative mind I think will expand...
Does anyone else find it funny that I more than likely would not have ever heard of this guy or his theory and been able to contemplate and consider it...it this video were not hosted on the Internet?
I wonder what this speaker thinks the traditional rewards were for deep thinking and introspection? Many people pre-internet shied away from such actions for fear of being considered nerds and eggheads. Many still have never read books or don't like to. Yet the Internet can expose people to ideas far beyond anything they would have found in pre-internet days--even if they do spend hours playing solitaire. The shallow may remain shallow. Opportunities are a click away for the rest.
@laraesque He also doesn't seem to understand that the forums emerging are ALL about exposing MORE people to deeper discussion via FORA TV, TED, GoogleTalks, BookTV, CSPAN, MIT Lectures, Stanford courses...you can audit all kinds of classes now at the great universities of the world....
As my dad used to say LEARNING IS ITS OWN REWARD...and now MORE avenues are available to MORE people..
@CityzenJane Of course, I must admit, there is a LOT of crappiola out there. But then, as one Fora lecturer said, even creating captions for LOLcats is more creative than passively watching TV.
@Megf142857@david521598 Chapter 8 of the FULL VIDEO, which is essentially an HOUR LONG condensation of A BOOK that would presumably take even longer to read, if one were to think "deeply" about it, is called "Deep Reading is Possible Online".
It is due to the power of the internet that I have the access to knowledge and thought I do. Maybe those morons who spend their lives on TWITer have the short attention spans, but there are those of us who use the internet as a portal to the world.
People skimming the meaning in a video about the decline of "deep thinking" in our internet dominated age...huh....who would've thunk it? How's that for some evidence?
"Hmmkk...hmmkk...heeeyyy!!!! This guy say internet bad!!!!"
There's all forms and sources of knowledge on the internet. Many of these may encourage "deep thinking", but you have to admit that a lot of the internet is complete bs.
As for his "lack of evidence", I find it somewhat ironic that people are questioning/criticizing the TWO MINUTE VIDEO CLIP that's talking about a trend of decreased "deep thought exercise" in our society. "Lack of evidence"? I don't know if he gives it or not, but I'm going to reserve judgment, until I watch the full video.
I see that this has already gotten the same basic criticism I had to offer.Where is their test group?Shouldn't they be saying that it"may be possible"depending on how it's used?I know,without a doubt,that I have learned quite a bit from using the internet and my daughters have improved their vocabulary and typing skills at the very least.People don't just mindlessly sift through nonsense for instant gratification,at least not from my experience,they look for things that are of interest to them.
I don't think you guys quite get what he means. He's not saying were doing less thinking. He's saying were doing less intensive involved thinking. When was the last time you spent 3 hours working in front of your computer that wasn't for work or school.
@MikDonsen "He's saying were doing less intensive involved thinking. When was the last time you spent 3 hours working in front of your computer that wasn't for work or school."
If it's not for school or work, it's not intense? Just the opposite: I've been watching videos about anarchy, defense, and types of gov't for about a year. That's not school or work related. But then again, I'm not exactly your usual person. But, like the comments earlier than this one say,
@SomethingSea1 Lol maybe your different or you just put yourself on an imaginary pedastil. Lol the fact that you mention you've been watching vids on political theories only prooves the point. Most vids on those types of things are usually superficial and only informative to amatuers, if you want some real info your gonna have to select a better source. Either way your not the norm and aren't really contracdicting the point.
@MikDonsen The point I want to emphasize is that the vast majority of people are lazy and stupid, and the internet merely makes this problem clear. It's not because of the internet that most people are lazy and stupid. It simply makes it view-able.
Yes, the internet does have a tendency for shallow thinking. But since we're coming from colleges' perspective on this, don't you think they'd have a dim view of anything not "authoritative"?
@SomethingSea1 I'm not saying the mediums don't have an effect on people. I'm saying that we're pointing the finger at the internet, when the problem actually lies with us, not objects that we use.
Scientists have tarnished their record. They don't seem to adhere to the scientific method any more. Instead they use the blind trust people give them to make sweeping statements about politics, how we should live our lives, etc. These conclusions are not based on scientific evidence, but based on their own biased preferences & sheltered perspective. It's a shame. Science and reason are our two most important tools for survival. And they have been weakened by political activists with an agenda.
You're right. the man in this video is not a scientist, but that does not disprove my statement.
Data collection, result presentation, conclusions, predictions & dissemination are all vulnerable to bias, political agenda & corruption. An irrational fear of global warming, nuclear energy & DDT, & even the unpublicized effects of Vitamin C on cancer patients are examples of how political agenda corrupts the scientific community resulting in more human suffering.
Fantastic hypothesis, but no research? No evidence? He just "thinks" X is true without any study whatsoever? Jesus-butt-fucking-Muhammad, I can be on ForaTV too! =P
I would have given him credit for at least sounding like he knew what the fuck he was talking about were he to state his hypothesis is that the internet is a giant virtual skinner box, but he even failed to do that.... totally not what I expect from this channel...
Don't become a tool, Use your computer, Don't be used by your computer...
Learn to touch type and you'll fly, I never look at my keyboard.. LOL
I'm lying on my side stretching my arms out to type this at an angle I couldn't read the keyboard if i tried..., And watching the vid at the same time.
Thats interesting, if im not using a specific part of a brain, it starts to decay away or something.No wonder i suck with girls.Anyway, im gonna play some video games now ;)
Try playing the popular physics games which require u to think 5 steps ahead and simulate physical interaction of multiple objects simultaneously, to solve for a solution. Or you can just go play a game of chess which requires you to think several steps ahead of your opponent.
Not sure what he is implying, maybe "video" games bad, everyone should sit for hours in "contemplative" deep thought while staring at the monitor? Most people don't have the attention span for that.
Why do ppl think we always need some kind of reward for everything we do? Internet is the most superb instrument for sharing knowledge and news and I just use it as if. The leaders are starting to get nervous about where all this free knowledge will take them. No surprise <.p
Nicholas Carr is debating way too much of a broad topic here. Of course some parts of internet are bad, but why say the "whole" internet is discouraging deep thinking thats very inaccurate and too judgementalist of such a massive collection of information.
Clearly watching lecture videos, looking up information, and learning things you wouldn't otherwise are all detrimental for us! Maybe this guy would like us to live in the stone age and for us to wear tin foil hats to protect ourselves from aliens!
I think he is talking about the computer and his internet connection as "a tool he uses" rather than a "key to new experiences, knowledge and differing perspectives."
I have learned how to be a troll and how to address a troll. Thanks to trolls I have learned how to have intense discussions without being offensive.
I suggest that some of these discussions have required "deep thinking" skills that a book wont precipitate because a book is passive.
You can use the internet that way, but you don't need to do so. I love the internet because can dig deeper on topics, learn from people from all over the world, listen to university lectures or talks from world leaders, look up facts and news and opens up the world and informational options. I've lived with no internet and in comparison it sucked to the opportunities available now. Turn off those alerts, focus, skim for interests then dig deeper. Shallow is you man, not everyone.
@MegF142857 He never said that there wasn't anybody who thought deeply on the internet or that it is impossible to do so. He simply said that the majority of people spend the majority of their time on the internet with the types of activities he described. And he's right - just look at what the popular (read: used by the majority of people in the majority of their time on the internet) sites are: Facebook, social news sites, gaming sites, funny YouTube videos, and other short, shallow places.
@SilenceBeGolden Yes, I was recently shocked to realize that many folks sign up for Facebook merely to play a game called "Farmerville". Well, many folks may consider my viewing lots of horse training videos on Youtube as a waste of time. ;-)
I haven't listened to the complete FORA video. Usually I listen to them while doing other semi-brainless work on or near computer (as no need to actually watch many talking head type videos).
@MegF142857 I agree - I get so annoyed at people who comment on the net but are not adept at using it in a humanizing manner...how he uses the net is more telling about him than it is about the net...as it ever is.
If it weren't for the ease the internet provides, I probably would have never checked sources before. Now I find research incredibly addictive, especially if I try and contribute the research to Wikipedia. I'll go without eating until I can finish covering a section. It's all about how you use it.
@MegF142857, dear Net-friend, the problem is that the way or style of using Internet you speak is and will be - perhaps for ever - very exceptional, very unsusual. I think it's easy you agree with me. Most of my students use hi5, Messenger and Facebook in a very and nothing else... and in a very little creative way. It's hard for them stop, deeply reading, thinking, and change of ideas.
@MegF142857 i don't think you are being realistic. I think your comment is wishful thinking. I think SilencBeGolden's reply is closer to the reality of the situation.
I do not mean this as an attack on you personally - but I am a tad worried that this particular comment you have written has gotten so many thumbs up.
@MegF142857 You are proving his point. When you talk about digging deeper, your examples are about obtaining additional knowledge about a topic. The speaker, on the other hand, is talking about contemplation and reflection (i.e. thinking about things and not just "knowing" them). You do not necessarily need additional information about a topic to think critically, e.g. determining bias, examining how conclusions impact your values, thinking about the "big picture"/interactions of topics.
@oneutawstreet I'd disagree. By adding information you can expand your knowledge base, which then adds connections & will extend your thinking depth. Sure... you can just dig for mere trivia, but it is a lot more than that. The mere act of looking for information requires judgement and critical thinking, as there is a lot of crap to wade through on the internet. I don't even watch these snips anymore, as too shallow. Go straight to FORA instead on topics of interest.
@MegF142857 How does you claim about having an increased knowledge base address the speaker’s claims about how our brains will treat that knowledge? He is saying 1) highly repetitive nature of actions, intensiveness, involvement of a lot of stimuli, etc. from the internet experience reinforce specific ways of thinking and furthermore 2) the internet experience is not set up to reward "more attentive modes of thought", i.e. contemplation and reflection.
@oneutawstreet I am not constantly getting "signals, alerts and messages that we respond to", as I don't use the internet that way. Sure you can, but that is fault of human vs inherent in the internet.
The repetitive actions, like typing or clicking, seem no more repetitive than walking to me. Does walking discourage deep thinking? Skimming & scanning is no different than was done with books from a library. Did a library discourage deep thinking?
@MegF142857 It is not just the repetitive action that discourages deep thinking. It is the combination of the intensiveness of the activity, the activity having a lot of stimuli, and a physical and mental component. Your average walk would not meet the criteria he establishes. Assuming your typical library pre-internet installation, you would not likely have the intensiveness, volume of stimuli, or consistent physical activity piece (page turning assumed to be at a slower rate)..
@oneutawstreet There IS "deep reading" available on the internet! One CAN "reflect" and "contemplate" from such reading. There are a wide range of opportunities to interact with different people to discuss ideas. If people's brains are "dissolving" - using his terms from video in the quotes - then that is their fault and it is NOT inherent in the internet.
The reward for "more attentive modes of thought" are within the self & always have been, IMO. I find it quite rewarding without any beeps.
@MegF142857 I have not found anything from the speaker where he advocates banning the internet. He is stating that the way it is set up and typically used now lends itself to certain consequences. If he is right, should he not warn people, or should we as you suggest put the blame on the user who does not know any better as "...that is their fault..."?
@oneutawstreet Okay, you are being repetitive and distracting! LOL! If you want, then go watch the full FORA video. I don't know why you seem perturbed that I don't see his concerns. The Google guy he is discussing with makes many good points and don't think everyone agrees with all this man's points. He is not a scientist, btw. Warn away, as if that will make any difference in such people who allow themselves to be so distracted. His arguments fall flat to me.
@oneutawstreet " You do not necessarily need additional information about a topic to think critically" - Been thinking about your point... What keeps coming to mind is fundie religious folks who reference the Bible as their life knowledge source. They need more knowledge to be able to think better, but they often refuse. I think learning does often require more knowlege vs just thinking on a topic over and over. You need data to ponder on, but also need to be able to think to process data.
Carr isn't being as specific as he should be for a topic of this magnitude. What I would argue is that the more popular internet applications (facebook, twitter, etc) don't encourage deep thinking, but very rapid and shallow interactions. They're attraction is their real time modes. Most internet apps that operate in "real time" are geared towards the polar opposite of long contemplative decision making.
Hey bluesman. I take and amused umbrage to the fact that men like Carr are encouraged to spread ideas that are so plainly rooted in the politics of ancient power structure. It's comical. As I see it Carr and his ilk serve a programmatic attempt to dismantle freedom of thought in its naissance. A very weak, transparent attempt. Any halfways decent logician would quite literally eviscerate the man.
he makes a very good point though, people need to get out in nature/the real world more, some kids sit on their computer/tv for hours! which is obviously bad & addictive like any drug
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer: Yes.
schmuckenheimer9 5 days ago
lol
Joshuaclade 2 weeks ago
I don't agree with this. I think I'm smarter and more introspective today than I was five years ago, precisely because I found Youtube.
Youtube has made me smarter.
52000rightwing 1 month ago
i blame the concept of 'school': education should not be intense and forced and should not last for just 20% of your life, it should be a fun enjoyable process (indeed all young children love to learn, its being forced to learn 'this' and not 'that', being stressed into thinking you 'must', 'or else..' that makes people resent learning) and education should last your whole life. People finish school and think they're educated, i.e. they 'know' life and celebrate not learning anything more
gazadegaz 3 months ago
@gazadegaz How the hell you can say that? I wanted to say the same thing, but I can now only say that people makes mistakes. Education is not school. Humanity needs something new. Until 9th grade I didn't mind I need to go to school, I kinda liked it. Now I am in 11th and I can say that it is really bad. I went to school because I was treated good by teachers, it was my school if I can say so. Now I don't care about people who don't take me serious or respect me. So, school is bad?
teknown 3 months ago
@teknown Everything is as good or as bad as you want it to be. School is a good idea, not the best, but it is still a convention that it is supposed to work, like language, etc. Language make us communicate, this is very important, but also makes us not use our brain as it was supposed. Our processor is faster than our RAM, we think faster than we can react to it, so we lose information in the process. Back to school, as I said it is just as good as bad as we want it to be.
teknown 3 months ago
@teknown Oh, one more thing: Remember that there are smart people out there, with common sense, people that want to change the word. As for the internet, the subject of the video, humans adapt to everything, so humans who use internet very much they will use it as part of the brain. The only wrong thing about internet is that out there is very much wrong interpreted information. False information keeps us in alert, so it is good. Nice to meet you too. Have a good day, sir!
teknown 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@teknown MARTIN MARTINEZ MEDICO DE UAM viola a sus hijos MARTINEZ FIERRO GAY de ARANDAS 139 y huele el orto de la PINCHE ruca maria isabel y da consultas gratis en arandas139 los 365 dias SOLO AVIENTEN UNA PIEDRA Y saldra un PINCHE maricon CAGADO d lentes VICTORIA MARIA MARTINEZ FIERRO OJO CON EL PUTO VA A LAS escuelas a INSULTAR Y AMENAZAR a las chavas como Angie Sound el pinche orejon maricon arandas 139NEZA
JonathanRfierrro 1 month ago
This is common sense. If you don't train your mind in any form, you will lose the abilities to learn passed what you already know. I wouldn't blame the internet. If people used the internet as a tool for learning, we would all be smart. Sadly its mostly used for entertainment. Which is fine anyway, people will entertain themselves if they want to be entertained. I would blame our lazy culture, our parents and our schools.
Kedwald1 4 months ago
42 people use the internet.
Bremerxxxx 5 months ago
I agree civilization is becoming dumber but more importantly civilization is becoming happier. Of course deep thinking and sophisticated society is fading but to be honest that's not a bad thing, the truly important thing is ethics.
There'll always be thinkers in a world of billions of people perhaps not as big percentage will be thinking but with such a large population and with smart computers it will be enough and so we will move into an age of less intelligence but more joy :)
deanmullen10 6 months ago
@deanmullen10 You are the perfect candidate for slavery.
XpEAnUTBuTtERsUckSX 6 months ago
@XpEAnUTBuTtERsUckSX what's that suppose to mean? I was simply stating an opinion?
deanmullen10 6 months ago
This is mistitled - he isn't talking about the internet, he's talking about the computer. There are many many interveiws and videos on the internet that are an hour or more - in depth interviews that do allow for the kind of in-depth thinking that he is talking about and that do allow the quiet he is missing. It's a particular way of using the computer that is causing the kind of behaviour he is lamenting.
MargaretABartley 7 months ago
well not now.....
Mocka731 7 months ago
I don't have time to think about it, because I'm currently watching a Youtube video.
Fl0Vid 7 months ago
i got bored within 5 seconds.
beckstrzrocks 7 months ago
oh my god that blew my mind....
crowman131 8 months ago
Most humans never did "deep thinking", ever... And have this guy been around some forums? There are more guys deep thinking and communicating those deep thoughts than ever was. The main difference now is that they can actually put those thoughts out there for other people to see them where as in the past they would just die with them because more often then not, there was no easy delivery medium.
costa200 8 months ago
This guy should write a book about moderation. PROBLEM SOLVED!
davitodude 8 months ago
Internet is fun,we live to have fun,there's no other reason to be alive.Fun means happy.With all these rules in the 21st century I can't even clean my ass without breaking the law.The people are stupid, because all those ridiculous rules make them go like a train on the rails,only one road possible.Soon our ability to choose will fade away.So f**k you all who are trying to take away even this little fun that we have in life. And f**k you all who promote negative energy. End of the world my ass.
bazdd 9 months ago
Internet vs forest(assumed as natural living place of humans)
Forest: A huge ass big cat species stalking your ass, some monkeys doing it hardcore on the right, birds,ants,grass,trees,etc
Internet: Huge ass adds all over the place, photoshoped boobs and asses here and there, lots of links to previously mentioned content, more links...
Looks like the same shit to me.
Altair565 9 months ago
Yeah, bad habits are a phenomena of the new media, I guess Aristotle was anticipating the Xbox Kinect when he penned virtue ethics. Carr is a hack.
brokennarcissist 11 months ago
Idk I think certain parts of the internet to ( youtube, facebook, porn)
Ryusan11 1 year ago
Interesting FORA lecture with science behind neuroplasticity is:
Norman Doidge "On The Brain That Changes Itself".
More interesting than listening to Carr.
MegF142857 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
US Citizens are with you Julian!!! Thanks for opening our eyes! God Bless and keep you and Wikileaks supporters SAFE!!!
laurajdahl 1 year ago
Thats crazy that the circuits in our brain actually respond to what we give them or the lack thereof!
calebp9503 1 year ago
@calebp9503 Actually it is true, so be careful what you feed your brain.
MegF142857 1 year ago
I disagree also, I found that when I gave a stupid person the internet, they immediatley got smarter. For all you that think you lose your deep thinking. You are retarded in the first place. Not stupid. Be stupid my friend!
jacksblack1 1 year ago
for me the internet does the opposite, thats most likley due to the fact that the majority of my time on the internet is used look at scientific videos.
AForkSpoon 1 year ago
@AForkSpoon Yeah, Halo Reach is so a scientific video.
METALGEARSOL1D 1 year ago
@METALGEARSOL1D i can't have room for entertainment? do i not have 1/4 of my favorites as scientific and documentaries? what about the 1/3 of my subscriptions to deep thinking people. if i see a funny video i will favorite it. if i see a scientific video i watch it and sometimes favorite it. 90% of my youtube time is spent on science and deep thinking. if you could see my history of videos i watched an hour long speach about athiesm in the church and many hour long videos like it.
AForkSpoon 1 year ago
@AForkSpoon Just because you watch a bunch of Athiestic videos doesn't mean you can come here and say how far ahead you are compared to everyone else. Guy, you are in denial. Athiest videos have absolutely ZERO to do with science. They are just made by overly opinionated bigots. If you come here and boast that you only watch scientic videos, be prepared to back it up with evidence. You haven't showed shit other than the fact that you are a stupid HALO REACH bitch.
METALGEARSOL1D 1 year ago
@METALGEARSOL1D
1: I never said I was any further than anyone else.
2: 90+% of scientists are atheists, atheisim allows you to see with a scientific view.
3: I gave You evidence, most of my favorites and subscriptions are scientific.
4: what does the form entertainment and the game I choose have anything to do with deep thinking?
5: I am not the one getting out of hand here being opinionated, i'm not the one calling "you are a stupid HALO REACH bitch"
6: I win, you lose
Thank you
AForkSpoon 1 year ago
@AForkSpoon Man, you are a hilarious idiot, aren't you. I think your approach to "scientific thinking" needs some tune-up. You do know that science doesn't involve popping statistics out of your ass, huh. Your "evidence," which you still haven't shown other than the fact that you seem to love Athiesm doesn't even hold up. On another note, counting down your points is more pre-school than a 3 year old. In other words, you pretty much just destroyed yourself.
METALGEARSOL1D 1 year ago
@METALGEARSOL1D I can't argue with ignorance, i'm done.
AForkSpoon 1 year ago
@AForkSpoon No, you can't argue, period.
METALGEARSOL1D 1 year ago
You would think that all of the electronic stimulation would actually improve brain activity... hm.
xdarkxflowerx 1 year ago
@xdarkxflowerx The speaker would agree with you in that the electronic stimulation/activities improve certain parts of your brain, just not ones related to contemplation and reflection. As an example, it is possible to do bicep curls that make your arms stronger, but not impact your quads. Same story here where one part is getting exercize and another is not, only in this case we are talking about different parts of your brain.
oneutawstreet 1 year ago
I think it's great that a load of YouTube users think they know more about the brain than the people who are doing the research.
BAVideography 1 year ago
No, the internet does not discourage deep thinking, television does.
undeadpresident 1 year ago
The irony kind of struck me when I realised I am actually hearing this through the Internet.
TheWinterNights 1 year ago
@TheWinterNights Yep haha the internet or enything else can or can not effect you it depends if you want it to effect you or not, is that simple, but the ppl forget how to live that's the only problem here.We forget how and what to eat how to work , sleep etc.
futavadumnezo 1 year ago
@futavadumnezo
That is so fucking true! Sometimes I'll get so caught up in something that I'm doing on the net and I end up eating a late meal or going to bed late. I need more discipline. =(
NemonicLee 1 year ago
@NemonicLee That is what happens to me but we can change our ways and discipline our selves.
futavadumnezo 1 year ago
I'm sure it has been said in the comments, but... there is JUST as much "trivial" information in a common/traditional library as there is on the internet. Reflexively... there is just as much "very important" information in a common/traditional library as there is on the internet.
Truth though? Nowhere else but the internet (right now) could you intertwine, tie together, unite, cross-ref and double-check such information. And never so efficiently.
The way you INTERPRET information is key.
greytale 1 year ago
The internet's not going anywhere, but while I think it may be a bit of a blanket statement to blame all numb mindedness on the internet per se, I can definitely see how it can be a factor. Not only the stimulus overload aspect, or the idea of being tempted by strengthening unsubjective opinions...but also from a standpoint of arrogance. I definitely think for all the great benefits the internet brings, it has definitely also bred a new type of irrational arrogance amongst some.
Kiyosuki 1 year ago
the internet encourages deep throating
GhettoBlaster100 1 year ago 14
There's truth in his speech. It is true that when i wacth this video i go over something else the minute after, but it doesn't mean i won't think about it deeplier later. I think school is here to give us critic sens that is essential to treat an information properly. Internet is a tool and if you didn't learnt how to ask the right questions and it it is just wind. Internet gives an extraordinary memory while school teaches us.
kroooassant 1 year ago
So if I spaceout and then remember I hadn't clicked the button and thats why its not started. My brain s dissolving?
Witig 1 year ago
Well he didn't say the internet discourages deeper thinking, but he'd be right to.
Yes Wikipedia's great. But what have you learned from it in the end? Most read it passively with unfocused attention since you can always load it up on your iPhone if you need to. Why learn something when you can just remember how to find it if you need it?
There's a reason no employer cares how much you read on the net vs. another candidate with a real education. If this sounds like intellectual elitism IT IS.
SkormFlinxingGlock 1 year ago
I didn't hear him once say the internet was bad. He said that repetitive use of it can make our thinking one-tracked. I think he probably meant that finding information over the internet is one way of thinking. However re-evaluating and thinking about the information that we found is another type of thinking which is less excersised. That may have been what he meant.
dasocks 1 year ago
This is bullshit. Very simply.
Don't pin the millions upon millions of worldwide internet users with the braindead facebook users and world of warcraft players that give the internet a bad name. The forms of unbiased and unfiltered news along with vast sources of knowledge such as Wikipedia have the potential to teach a Human being more than ever possible in a classroom or university.
Teaching ones self is the most effective method of learning. The internet allows you to do this.
ImperialLegionTV 1 year ago
He posted his book on his facebook page.
Hairofmetal 1 year ago
The fact that such an intriguing thought provoking question is presented in a video on the *internet* is the very picture of irony.
futurestoryteller 1 year ago 14
This has been flagged as spam show
The internet is what you make of it. You can learn a lot pretty much about anything. It is just what you use it for I guess.
Televizzle07 1 year ago
he has a point just watching a screen for your knowledge, experience, understanding makes us incapable of either thinking a certain way, of learning a certain way. Worst case scenerio here are the COD players their brains are completely fried.
swiv2d 1 year ago
I still get completely chewed out by some online numbskull every time I say anything they insist is a prurient interest in children. The internet is not an instrument of liberty. It's an instrument of democracy. Just like language, the printing press, television, radio and excruciatingly polite conversation. Us nerds will always be a tiny minority of users. The eighties and nineties of nothing but nerds and wits online are a thing of the past.
1emanres 1 year ago
The internet is mans attempt to overcome the consequences of building the tower of babel.
globalmagnet 1 year ago
Nicholas makes an interesting point here, the methods and tools we use to gather information can be restrictive by their very nature. Reflection and meditation were very important aspects of learning in the past, because we have such an overwhelming mass of information at our fingers via the internet it can be difficult to focus ones attention on a specific topic for any length of time.
globalmagnet 1 year ago
He has a point. I find myself slipping into automatic mode and just clicking random shit that serves as nothing but mild amusement or overhyped trivial bullshit.
bavwill 1 year ago 27
@bavwill And that's exactly what you look for.. nothing that actually "stimulates" your mind.
Izzmo76 1 year ago
@Izzmo76 then that's what you'll find.
bavwill 1 year ago
@bavwill how I got to this video.
seshoki 1 year ago
@seshoki hmmm
bavwill 1 year ago
And to think we are watching this on the computer.
Weegician 1 year ago
What, you can't do deep reading on the internet?
JanColdwater 1 year ago
I watched this for 30 seconds and got distracted by MegF142857's comment. I started to read it but it was too long and I saw something on the right about Project Runway and think I may have seen a boob... gotta go....
LocumRex 1 year ago 35
Nicholas Carr- Author, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. An example of someone getting it completely fucking wrong.
d3vall 1 year ago
i watched this but zoned out during, I heard him, but wasn't listening to anything he said, kinda just missed it
TheJamesPope 1 year ago 4
interesting
itiseasytoforget 1 year ago
the internet has always been a double edged sword.
Vendarian 1 year ago 2
Ever since the invention of the calculator math scores in the USA have declined.
Asiablue 1 year ago 2
@Asiablue Sad but true. The Irish education system doesn't allow them in classes or tests until the leaving Cert(final year exams), when you've already shown you've aquired the necessary skills. This serves to simply save time so more can be packed in to the test itself. We don't always get things right(ha, thats generous of me) but the level of maths competency in Ireland is very good.
thebrassdubliner 1 year ago
A lot of information on the internet is wrong, and people should be more aware of that. I'm personally guilty of simply using Yahoo answers and Google searches when I have questions.
I think people should avoid using .com sites and wikis for research, as they're susceptible to bias. Be more aware of what you read, because not everything is true.
Lawsuit 1 year ago
I've asked it before and I'll ask it again. FORA believes users will pay for this content?
djsnakeyes 1 year ago
@djsnakeyes Re: FORA believes users will pay for this content?
I know, very weird. There's just too much free "think tank" talk to start paying for it. Especially when almost nothing has a practical use, and figuring out what does isn't possible by the snippets they give us.
I'm curious if they sell any of these at all.
neoaeonian 1 year ago
Interesting, but the internet is not just games and not all games are just "shoot bad guys get to the end of the level and win". I think that some games can be a form of art and actually make you smarter and wiser. Also, I wonder if this guy knows he on the internet XD
notfunny103 1 year ago
The irony of watching this on the internet. It's almost hyper-contradictory.
jesal21 1 year ago 7
I wonder if he knows that this video is on the internet.
builditwithlegos 1 year ago 2
Than he should be promoting the internet. Those people who never use the internet for delving deep into topic wouldn't delve otherwise. But those who DO may not otherwise have the opportunity.
ArcaneKarma 1 year ago
By the way, what he's comparing the internet to, mistakenly, is the autopilot mode people go into when, say, checking items all day in a store, or running people through security. From the interface side, computers are not an assembly line, they're a collection of tools being used in a constantly changing context. The physical equivalent would be walking across mechanical obstacles with a screw and using that as a water pump, a bolt, or an axle depending on which use facilitates progression.
LokiClock 1 year ago
so our brains (the ones who research) would have a giant lobe for internet using?
frvfilms 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I wonder if he knows that he is saying this on the internet?
Saktoth 1 year ago
No, we have FOX to thank for that.
FlowerClown 1 year ago
using the internet you can find pressure groups making it easier to pressure those it power by mass organising.
kayman92 1 year ago
Obvious to point this out I know, but it seems that who you are already will dictate how deep you think while on the net. I have my braindead days and my investigative days, but I do both out of fun so theres a limit to how deep I go whenever
What I thiink the net discourages is honesty and humility and encourages egotistical behaviour. Nit picking is defended as critical thinking & is the basis of most 'deep' debates on the net. Like using the exception to the rule or attacking spelling.
JustB3NJI 1 year ago
The name of this video is stupid and misleading. He never said that the Internet discourages deep thinking. He said that the Internet is good for some parts or the brain, but doesn't DEVELOP other parts. What he is basically is saying is that we shouldn't be 24/7 on the Internet. That was the main point he was saying.
Rationalist411 1 year ago
Well he's viewing it objectively, like and old guy would. The internet is more than that, it's a feeling of having the whole world at the tip of your fingers. Just try going without internet for a few months, oh you'll be back.!
LYinKansas 1 year ago
The fuck is the internet?
MultiUniv3rsal 1 year ago
the interface and the internet will change drastically in the next 10 years... the current way t interface with the network is terribly clunky - but as that changes and as it becomes more kintetic, sensory and embedded in the external world - and at the same time more ubquitous but less intrusive - that space for the contemplative mind I think will expand...
CityzenJane 1 year ago
Does anyone else find it funny that I more than likely would not have ever heard of this guy or his theory and been able to contemplate and consider it...it this video were not hosted on the Internet?
WideWorldOfWisdom 1 year ago 3
I wonder what this speaker thinks the traditional rewards were for deep thinking and introspection? Many people pre-internet shied away from such actions for fear of being considered nerds and eggheads. Many still have never read books or don't like to. Yet the Internet can expose people to ideas far beyond anything they would have found in pre-internet days--even if they do spend hours playing solitaire. The shallow may remain shallow. Opportunities are a click away for the rest.
laraesque 1 year ago 3
@laraesque He also doesn't seem to understand that the forums emerging are ALL about exposing MORE people to deeper discussion via FORA TV, TED, GoogleTalks, BookTV, CSPAN, MIT Lectures, Stanford courses...you can audit all kinds of classes now at the great universities of the world....
As my dad used to say LEARNING IS ITS OWN REWARD...and now MORE avenues are available to MORE people..
His 'circuits' may be dissolving..THAT'S ON HIM.
CityzenJane 1 year ago 4
@CityzenJane Of course, I must admit, there is a LOT of crappiola out there. But then, as one Fora lecturer said, even creating captions for LOLcats is more creative than passively watching TV.
laraesque 1 year ago
@laraesque Sure there's a lot of crap out there.... they let just ANYONE post. "D
CityzenJane 1 year ago
Comment removed
knowgostick 1 year ago
@Megf142857 @david521598 Chapter 8 of the FULL VIDEO, which is essentially an HOUR LONG condensation of A BOOK that would presumably take even longer to read, if one were to think "deeply" about it, is called "Deep Reading is Possible Online".
knowgostick 1 year ago
It is due to the power of the internet that I have the access to knowledge and thought I do. Maybe those morons who spend their lives on TWITer have the short attention spans, but there are those of us who use the internet as a portal to the world.
1RadicalOne 1 year ago
@MikDonsen Maybe the proof is in the pudding.
People skimming the meaning in a video about the decline of "deep thinking" in our internet dominated age...huh....who would've thunk it? How's that for some evidence?
"Hmmkk...hmmkk...heeeyyy!!!! This guy say internet bad!!!!"
"Video STILL playing!?!?! BBBOOOOO!!!!!"
knowgostick 1 year ago 5
There's all forms and sources of knowledge on the internet. Many of these may encourage "deep thinking", but you have to admit that a lot of the internet is complete bs.
As for his "lack of evidence", I find it somewhat ironic that people are questioning/criticizing the TWO MINUTE VIDEO CLIP that's talking about a trend of decreased "deep thought exercise" in our society. "Lack of evidence"? I don't know if he gives it or not, but I'm going to reserve judgment, until I watch the full video.
knowgostick 1 year ago
I see that this has already gotten the same basic criticism I had to offer.Where is their test group?Shouldn't they be saying that it"may be possible"depending on how it's used?I know,without a doubt,that I have learned quite a bit from using the internet and my daughters have improved their vocabulary and typing skills at the very least.People don't just mindlessly sift through nonsense for instant gratification,at least not from my experience,they look for things that are of interest to them.
david521598 1 year ago
This guy's full of it.
DanDanTheSexMan 1 year ago
I don't think you guys quite get what he means. He's not saying were doing less thinking. He's saying were doing less intensive involved thinking. When was the last time you spent 3 hours working in front of your computer that wasn't for work or school.
MikDonsen 1 year ago 3
@MikDonsen "He's saying were doing less intensive involved thinking. When was the last time you spent 3 hours working in front of your computer that wasn't for work or school."
If it's not for school or work, it's not intense? Just the opposite: I've been watching videos about anarchy, defense, and types of gov't for about a year. That's not school or work related. But then again, I'm not exactly your usual person. But, like the comments earlier than this one say,
'Lazy? That's on you.'
SomethingSea1 8 months ago
@SomethingSea1 Lol maybe your different or you just put yourself on an imaginary pedastil. Lol the fact that you mention you've been watching vids on political theories only prooves the point. Most vids on those types of things are usually superficial and only informative to amatuers, if you want some real info your gonna have to select a better source. Either way your not the norm and aren't really contracdicting the point.
MikDonsen 8 months ago
@MikDonsen The point I want to emphasize is that the vast majority of people are lazy and stupid, and the internet merely makes this problem clear. It's not because of the internet that most people are lazy and stupid. It simply makes it view-able.
Yes, the internet does have a tendency for shallow thinking. But since we're coming from colleges' perspective on this, don't you think they'd have a dim view of anything not "authoritative"?
The medium is what you make it.
SomethingSea1 8 months ago
@SomethingSea1 I'm not saying the mediums don't have an effect on people. I'm saying that we're pointing the finger at the internet, when the problem actually lies with us, not objects that we use.
SomethingSea1 8 months ago
Why is this guy using the internet to give this message? Shouldn't be using a book in that case... To encourage "deep thinking"...
yogagye 1 year ago
Scientists have tarnished their record. They don't seem to adhere to the scientific method any more. Instead they use the blind trust people give them to make sweeping statements about politics, how we should live our lives, etc. These conclusions are not based on scientific evidence, but based on their own biased preferences & sheltered perspective. It's a shame. Science and reason are our two most important tools for survival. And they have been weakened by political activists with an agenda.
truthadvocate 1 year ago
@truthadvocate He is not a scientist.
CityzenJane 1 year ago
@CityzenJane,
You're right. the man in this video is not a scientist, but that does not disprove my statement.
Data collection, result presentation, conclusions, predictions & dissemination are all vulnerable to bias, political agenda & corruption. An irrational fear of global warming, nuclear energy & DDT, & even the unpublicized effects of Vitamin C on cancer patients are examples of how political agenda corrupts the scientific community resulting in more human suffering.
truthadvocate 1 year ago
@truthadvocate ... you need to introduce yourself to sourcewatch . org and spend a lot of time there...
CityzenJane 1 year ago
Fantastic hypothesis, but no research? No evidence? He just "thinks" X is true without any study whatsoever? Jesus-butt-fucking-Muhammad, I can be on ForaTV too! =P
I would have given him credit for at least sounding like he knew what the fuck he was talking about were he to state his hypothesis is that the internet is a giant virtual skinner box, but he even failed to do that.... totally not what I expect from this channel...
Truthiness231 1 year ago
this video was too long i couldn't stay focused
pussnuts 1 year ago 3
@pussnuts It must be because our minds can't skim videos anymore because of all those alerts we keep.... oop... facebook post, brb
aaron2414 1 year ago
@pussnuts This video was too short and I felt disappointed.
SomethingSea1 8 months ago
Don't become a tool, Use your computer, Don't be used by your computer...
Learn to touch type and you'll fly, I never look at my keyboard.. LOL
I'm lying on my side stretching my arms out to type this at an angle I couldn't read the keyboard if i tried..., And watching the vid at the same time.
DackIsBack 1 year ago
FORA discourages deep thinking.
DackIsBack 1 year ago
Thats interesting, if im not using a specific part of a brain, it starts to decay away or something.No wonder i suck with girls.Anyway, im gonna play some video games now ;)
cyberdaemon 1 year ago
Try playing the popular physics games which require u to think 5 steps ahead and simulate physical interaction of multiple objects simultaneously, to solve for a solution. Or you can just go play a game of chess which requires you to think several steps ahead of your opponent.
Not sure what he is implying, maybe "video" games bad, everyone should sit for hours in "contemplative" deep thought while staring at the monitor? Most people don't have the attention span for that.
ddnguyen278 1 year ago
@ddnguyen278 Or can play "Foldit".
MegF142857 1 year ago
Why do ppl think we always need some kind of reward for everything we do? Internet is the most superb instrument for sharing knowledge and news and I just use it as if. The leaders are starting to get nervous about where all this free knowledge will take them. No surprise <.p
kaxitaksi 1 year ago
Nicholas Carr is debating way too much of a broad topic here. Of course some parts of internet are bad, but why say the "whole" internet is discouraging deep thinking thats very inaccurate and too judgementalist of such a massive collection of information.
SkepticalDreamer 1 year ago
Clearly watching lecture videos, looking up information, and learning things you wouldn't otherwise are all detrimental for us! Maybe this guy would like us to live in the stone age and for us to wear tin foil hats to protect ourselves from aliens!
Zubinen 1 year ago
the only deep thinking i ever do occurs as the direct result of using the internet.
volound 1 year ago
I think he is talking about the computer and his internet connection as "a tool he uses" rather than a "key to new experiences, knowledge and differing perspectives."
I have learned how to be a troll and how to address a troll. Thanks to trolls I have learned how to have intense discussions without being offensive.
I suggest that some of these discussions have required "deep thinking" skills that a book wont precipitate because a book is passive.
Passivity + Opinions? Not on YouTube.
Candyliz2003 1 year ago
Does the internet discourage deep thinking?
does the internet make people fat?
Does the internet make people more obnoxious
Does the internet make do this, and that, or that, blah blah blah
No, the internet isn't responsible for doing anything. It just helps people show what they already are.
Mrmoc7 1 year ago
@Mrmoc7
on the other hand, i would say that does apply to television.
freaks182 1 year ago
Right, i am off to read a book whilst taking detailed notes at the end of each paragaph......
SkepticalFist 1 year ago 2
You can use the internet that way, but you don't need to do so. I love the internet because can dig deeper on topics, learn from people from all over the world, listen to university lectures or talks from world leaders, look up facts and news and opens up the world and informational options. I've lived with no internet and in comparison it sucked to the opportunities available now. Turn off those alerts, focus, skim for interests then dig deeper. Shallow is you man, not everyone.
MegF142857 1 year ago 68
@MegF142857 He never said that there wasn't anybody who thought deeply on the internet or that it is impossible to do so. He simply said that the majority of people spend the majority of their time on the internet with the types of activities he described. And he's right - just look at what the popular (read: used by the majority of people in the majority of their time on the internet) sites are: Facebook, social news sites, gaming sites, funny YouTube videos, and other short, shallow places.
SilenceBeGolden 1 year ago 2
@SilenceBeGolden Yes, I was recently shocked to realize that many folks sign up for Facebook merely to play a game called "Farmerville". Well, many folks may consider my viewing lots of horse training videos on Youtube as a waste of time. ;-)
I haven't listened to the complete FORA video. Usually I listen to them while doing other semi-brainless work on or near computer (as no need to actually watch many talking head type videos).
MegF142857 1 year ago
@MegF142857 I agree - I get so annoyed at people who comment on the net but are not adept at using it in a humanizing manner...how he uses the net is more telling about him than it is about the net...as it ever is.
CityzenJane 1 year ago
If it weren't for the ease the internet provides, I probably would have never checked sources before. Now I find research incredibly addictive, especially if I try and contribute the research to Wikipedia. I'll go without eating until I can finish covering a section. It's all about how you use it.
LokiClock 1 year ago
@MegF142857, dear Net-friend, the problem is that the way or style of using Internet you speak is and will be - perhaps for ever - very exceptional, very unsusual. I think it's easy you agree with me. Most of my students use hi5, Messenger and Facebook in a very and nothing else... and in a very little creative way. It's hard for them stop, deeply reading, thinking, and change of ideas.
fernandopintopt 1 year ago
@MegF142857 i don't think you are being realistic. I think your comment is wishful thinking. I think SilencBeGolden's reply is closer to the reality of the situation.
I do not mean this as an attack on you personally - but I am a tad worried that this particular comment you have written has gotten so many thumbs up.
roryphelan 1 year ago
@MegF142857 You are proving his point. When you talk about digging deeper, your examples are about obtaining additional knowledge about a topic. The speaker, on the other hand, is talking about contemplation and reflection (i.e. thinking about things and not just "knowing" them). You do not necessarily need additional information about a topic to think critically, e.g. determining bias, examining how conclusions impact your values, thinking about the "big picture"/interactions of topics.
oneutawstreet 1 year ago
@oneutawstreet I'd disagree. By adding information you can expand your knowledge base, which then adds connections & will extend your thinking depth. Sure... you can just dig for mere trivia, but it is a lot more than that. The mere act of looking for information requires judgement and critical thinking, as there is a lot of crap to wade through on the internet. I don't even watch these snips anymore, as too shallow. Go straight to FORA instead on topics of interest.
MegF142857 1 year ago
@MegF142857 How does you claim about having an increased knowledge base address the speaker’s claims about how our brains will treat that knowledge? He is saying 1) highly repetitive nature of actions, intensiveness, involvement of a lot of stimuli, etc. from the internet experience reinforce specific ways of thinking and furthermore 2) the internet experience is not set up to reward "more attentive modes of thought", i.e. contemplation and reflection.
oneutawstreet 1 year ago
@oneutawstreet I am not constantly getting "signals, alerts and messages that we respond to", as I don't use the internet that way. Sure you can, but that is fault of human vs inherent in the internet.
The repetitive actions, like typing or clicking, seem no more repetitive than walking to me. Does walking discourage deep thinking? Skimming & scanning is no different than was done with books from a library. Did a library discourage deep thinking?
MegF142857 1 year ago
@MegF142857 It is not just the repetitive action that discourages deep thinking. It is the combination of the intensiveness of the activity, the activity having a lot of stimuli, and a physical and mental component. Your average walk would not meet the criteria he establishes. Assuming your typical library pre-internet installation, you would not likely have the intensiveness, volume of stimuli, or consistent physical activity piece (page turning assumed to be at a slower rate)..
oneutawstreet 1 year ago
@oneutawstreet There IS "deep reading" available on the internet! One CAN "reflect" and "contemplate" from such reading. There are a wide range of opportunities to interact with different people to discuss ideas. If people's brains are "dissolving" - using his terms from video in the quotes - then that is their fault and it is NOT inherent in the internet.
The reward for "more attentive modes of thought" are within the self & always have been, IMO. I find it quite rewarding without any beeps.
MegF142857 1 year ago
@MegF142857 I have not found anything from the speaker where he advocates banning the internet. He is stating that the way it is set up and typically used now lends itself to certain consequences. If he is right, should he not warn people, or should we as you suggest put the blame on the user who does not know any better as "...that is their fault..."?
oneutawstreet 1 year ago
@oneutawstreet Okay, you are being repetitive and distracting! LOL! If you want, then go watch the full FORA video. I don't know why you seem perturbed that I don't see his concerns. The Google guy he is discussing with makes many good points and don't think everyone agrees with all this man's points. He is not a scientist, btw. Warn away, as if that will make any difference in such people who allow themselves to be so distracted. His arguments fall flat to me.
MegF142857 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@oneutawstreet " You do not necessarily need additional information about a topic to think critically" - Been thinking about your point... What keeps coming to mind is fundie religious folks who reference the Bible as their life knowledge source. They need more knowledge to be able to think better, but they often refuse. I think learning does often require more knowlege vs just thinking on a topic over and over. You need data to ponder on, but also need to be able to think to process data.
MegF142857 1 year ago
your mom discourages deep thinking
TRAdamTM 1 year ago
There are three orders of evil
Lies, damned lies, and statistics.
I will debate this nitwit and pwn his very genetic code unto the mists of Neptune.
The internet is the very essence of Deep Thought. Carr = Empirical Simpleton
ThotherBrother 1 year ago
@ThotherBrother
everybody down rate this vid so Fora will raise its standards
AGNOSTICEXTREME 1 year ago
@AGNOSTICEXTREME
Yeah, you should be really upset that you didn't get more out of a 2-minute clip(sarcasm).
I thought he did a good job of explaining in lay terms. I understood the very brief point extracted from what was obviously a longer talk.
MiranUT 1 year ago
@ThotherBrother
Carr isn't being as specific as he should be for a topic of this magnitude. What I would argue is that the more popular internet applications (facebook, twitter, etc) don't encourage deep thinking, but very rapid and shallow interactions. They're attraction is their real time modes. Most internet apps that operate in "real time" are geared towards the polar opposite of long contemplative decision making.
scbluesman13 1 year ago
@scbluesman13
Hey bluesman. I take and amused umbrage to the fact that men like Carr are encouraged to spread ideas that are so plainly rooted in the politics of ancient power structure. It's comical. As I see it Carr and his ilk serve a programmatic attempt to dismantle freedom of thought in its naissance. A very weak, transparent attempt. Any halfways decent logician would quite literally eviscerate the man.
Pax Bro
ThotherBrother 1 year ago
I think he has a point. Especially about the lack of deep thinking, which is encouraged by a good book.
dewinthemorning 1 year ago
Someone should tell this guy there is more to the internet than flash games.
ArchNME 1 year ago 57
@ArchNME Maybe he just looks for porn and suspects that's what others do as well..lol
david521598 1 year ago
Yea, don't blame the internet, blame the user who is looking at the internet. :]
GunShard 1 year ago
@ArchNME
Wait ... What?!
lupocephalic 1 year ago
@ArchNME
Seriously?? Man I need to broaden my horizons... Okay next video.
Braintrain123 1 year ago
Does the television discourage deep thinking?
kja5 1 year ago
This guy obviously knows nothing of Foratv.
Phelan666 1 year ago
His reference to neurosurgeons in the third person leads me to doubt his credibility.
Fora, your standards dropped too low here
AGNOSTICEXTREME 1 year ago 3
@AGNOSTICEXTREME Please listen again.
He said, "neuroscience also tells us that when we don't practice different ways of thinking, we begin to lose those."
goog2k 1 year ago
@goog2k
0:19
AGNOSTICEXTREME 1 year ago
@AGNOSTICEXTREME 0.19 "What I think neuorscientists have found is that . . .
Do you really have any idea what he's talking about?
goog2k 1 year ago
he makes a very good point though, people need to get out in nature/the real world more, some kids sit on their computer/tv for hours! which is obviously bad & addictive like any drug
djdnauk1977 1 year ago