Analysis Of 'Is Google Making USupid?'

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“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”: An Article Analysis
In “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (2008), Carr maintains that the advent of the Internet has produced a shallow generation of information customers who lack the ability to deeply engage with and critically think about a text. To support his argument, Carr draws on personal and historical anecdotes and one study. By writing this article, Carr aims to open a dialogue about the potentially adverse effects the Internet could have on peoples’ cognitive processes. Carr establishes an informal relationship with the audience, which is primarily composed of well-educated individuals. Because this audience is educated, they are capable of critical thinking. However, because they are humans they are easily …show more content…

However, the primary issue with his essay is that both premises are either backed up by weak or irrelevant evidence or lack proper evidence all together. This faulty logic threatens the article’s logical soundness. An argument that properly appeals to logos has strong reasoning, avoids logical fallacies, and cites reputable sources. Carr’s article fails on all these …show more content…

To introduce Turning’s research, Carr claimed that the internet will have “…far-reaching effects on cognition.” (7) Carr then explained how Turning’s studies suggested the possibility of a multifunctional Web. However, a versatile Internet is unrelated to changing cognition. This mismatch between Carr’s claim and the evidence presented therefore makes it a non-sequitur because it does not follow that a multifunctional Web will produce cognitive changes. As mentioned previously, using a logical fallacy to support a premise detracts from the argument’s

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