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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
El libro es un duro alegato contra el efecto que la Red está causando en nuestras mentes. Carr hace un repaso de diversos estudios que demuestran la plasticidad de nuestro cerebro y cómo es capaz de reconfigurarse para adaptarse a entornos distintos. Ante un medio tan absorbente como la red, que ofrece cantidades ingentes de información y recompesas inmediatas, el cerebro se adapta para ser capaz de trabajar con la avalancha de estímulos. Pero este cambio tiene un precio: al mejorar nuestra habilidad para movernos entre grandes flujos de información perdemos capacidad de concentración y pensamiento profundo. Cada vez nos cuesta más realizar tareas que impliquen focalizar nuestra atención y tendemos a distraernos.
Los argumentos están bien presentados, al menos en su primera parte, y realmente asustan. Sobre todo cuando uno reconoce en sí mismo algunos de los síntomas. Pero también tiene algunas cosas que no han terminado de convencerme. Por un lado está la tendencia del autor a dar una dimensión cada vez más terrible a la Red. No contento con mostrarnos sus consecuencias sobre nuestro cerebro, en la parte final acaba arremetiendo contra Google y su modelo de negocio (no por ser Google, sino por ser líder en su modelo de negocio). En algún momento pasa de enseñar a pontificar.
El segundo de los problemas que le encuentro es que conforme avanzas cada vez da más la impresión de que te está mostrando sólo la parte que le interesa que veas del cuadro. Aunque de vez en cuando mencione estudios o reflexiones que apunten en una línea opuesta a la suya, siempre lo hace con menor profundidad que los que están a su favor y con entrecomillados escogidos para poder ser desmentidos inmediatamente.
Quitando estos puntos negativos, es un libro que considero que merece la pena leer para todos aquellos que pasamos un tiempo de nuestra vida navegando en la Red. A mí mismo me ha hecho empezar a replantearme mis hábitos de uso (dijo él mientras escribía un comentario en una página web).
Los argumentos están bien presentados, al menos en su primera parte, y realmente asustan. Sobre todo cuando uno reconoce en sí mismo algunos de los síntomas. Pero también tiene algunas cosas que no han terminado de convencerme. Por un lado está la tendencia del autor a dar una dimensión cada vez más terrible a la Red. No contento con mostrarnos sus consecuencias sobre nuestro cerebro, en la parte final acaba arremetiendo contra Google y su modelo de negocio (no por ser Google, sino por ser líder en su modelo de negocio). En algún momento pasa de enseñar a pontificar.
El segundo de los problemas que le encuentro es que conforme avanzas cada vez da más la impresión de que te está mostrando sólo la parte que le interesa que veas del cuadro. Aunque de vez en cuando mencione estudios o reflexiones que apunten en una línea opuesta a la suya, siempre lo hace con menor profundidad que los que están a su favor y con entrecomillados escogidos para poder ser desmentidos inmediatamente.
Quitando estos puntos negativos, es un libro que considero que merece la pena leer para todos aquellos que pasamos un tiempo de nuestra vida navegando en la Red. A mí mismo me ha hecho empezar a replantearme mis hábitos de uso (dijo él mientras escribía un comentario en una página web).
This book was important a decade ago. It feels essential now. (Counter to that, whether you read the original or updated version is mostly irrelevant. The ways in which smartphones have bolstered the problematic aspects of the normalized internet are mostly apparent.)
I want to write more later.
I want to write more later.
Can be dry at times. Makes very interesting points. Rings true with a lot of the behavior I have seen in the classroom. Tends to make me feel a little doom and gloom about the future.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I’m trying to write this review with the context that all the author has to go on when he wrote this book was the state of the internet in 2007ish. With that in mind, this book is mainly useful as a historical document. It showcases some of the deepest fears and concerns we had about the internet’s influence at that point in time.
However, it has little use after that. The author starts out by objectively naming technologies that unnerved people throughout human history. (Including Socrates disdain of the written word, which he said would make human memory obsolete.) Each mention of a new technology that worried people was a little comical. I thought the author would go on frame the net in a similar way, I.e. it’s inevitable and should be embraced but with caveats.
Instead, he goes onto join Socrates, droning on about the terrors of hyperlinks, the horrors of embedding pictures in online articles, and the tragedy of children maybe no longer learning cursive (which old people still love to complain about 15 years later despite the fact that it hasn’t happened). The chapter about artificial intelligence is comically outdated.
Today, knowing the actual dangers presented by the web (see the book “The Chaos Machine” by Max Fisher), the topics in this book are ultimately misguided at best and irrelevant at worst. I know the author was working within the context of 2007-2010 internet, but the things he systemically takes down give off “old man yells at cloud” energy and make the topics seem frivolous rather than serious.
Anyone really looking to learn how the internet is requiring our brains should seek a more modern book. But anyone looking to understand the social unease around the internets early 2000s takeover may be appeased by this book’s contents. At least as long as they enjoy entire chapters on how reading on screens will be the downfall of society.
However, it has little use after that. The author starts out by objectively naming technologies that unnerved people throughout human history. (Including Socrates disdain of the written word, which he said would make human memory obsolete.) Each mention of a new technology that worried people was a little comical. I thought the author would go on frame the net in a similar way, I.e. it’s inevitable and should be embraced but with caveats.
Instead, he goes onto join Socrates, droning on about the terrors of hyperlinks, the horrors of embedding pictures in online articles, and the tragedy of children maybe no longer learning cursive (which old people still love to complain about 15 years later despite the fact that it hasn’t happened). The chapter about artificial intelligence is comically outdated.
Today, knowing the actual dangers presented by the web (see the book “The Chaos Machine” by Max Fisher), the topics in this book are ultimately misguided at best and irrelevant at worst. I know the author was working within the context of 2007-2010 internet, but the things he systemically takes down give off “old man yells at cloud” energy and make the topics seem frivolous rather than serious.
Anyone really looking to learn how the internet is requiring our brains should seek a more modern book. But anyone looking to understand the social unease around the internets early 2000s takeover may be appeased by this book’s contents. At least as long as they enjoy entire chapters on how reading on screens will be the downfall of society.
This book is a journey you must go on. As tempting as it is to read the “cliff notes”, I think thats part of the point of the book — each page is an opportunity to reflect and decide what the cited facts, research, and opinions mean in your context and experience, and contribute to your own internal store of knowledge.
Ironically, and likely to the author’s dismay, I read this book on a Kindle. Really thoughtful walkthrough of historical changes in technologies and resulting neurological and psychological changes in humans. A little slow and academic to read at first, the latter part reads quickly as it becomes increasingly relevant to me as a reader. What a striking last sentence of the epilogue. Excellent writing and cited research.
Ironically, and likely to the author’s dismay, I read this book on a Kindle. Really thoughtful walkthrough of historical changes in technologies and resulting neurological and psychological changes in humans. A little slow and academic to read at first, the latter part reads quickly as it becomes increasingly relevant to me as a reader. What a striking last sentence of the epilogue. Excellent writing and cited research.
While the author and I don't always agree on the 'dangers' of the internet and new technology as a whole, we do agree on the core message of this book. The internet is pulling us in a million directions and creating such a flood to deal with that we suffer for it.
It is no wonder that I've found myself with lack of time to do everything I want, considering just how many games I have left to play, books to read and series to watch. And then there are a myriad of interesting online communities to partake in. While I certainly am not bored, I do often feel conflicted about how I am letting people down as I jump from interest to interest.
Likewise a lot of time is easily wasted when online, thanks to Facebook or Reddit. While tracking my time and facing the facts of just how many hours go to these sites, as well as many Skype conversations, I still indulge in them. I've found that peeling myself away from the computer to work on things seems to slow time down remarkably. An hour online is wasted swiftly, but in an hour you can achieve quite some housework.
And then there is the fact that we become adepts at everything but masters of none. How many boast to know the sciences and other subjects that once one would only take up conversation about after a good period of study. People skim a few articles on a subject and think they can talk with the masters. It leads to many unproductive debates and the spread of false information. While we can verify everything, and easily cite the facts we claim to know, not many do this.
Finally, there is the effect this has on the brain. Eventually we become wired so differently that taking a week's vacation in the wilds leaves us wondering how to spend all that time. More casually as well people seem to have lost interest in reading. I admit, I too skim long articles online when the subject only vaguely interests me. But one thing I am thankful for, and that is that Goodreads has restored in me the habit to read. And so, I cannot say yes to everything the author writes, but I will certainly heed the warning and consider avoiding being online when I really need to put my nose to the grindstone.
It is no wonder that I've found myself with lack of time to do everything I want, considering just how many games I have left to play, books to read and series to watch. And then there are a myriad of interesting online communities to partake in. While I certainly am not bored, I do often feel conflicted about how I am letting people down as I jump from interest to interest.
Likewise a lot of time is easily wasted when online, thanks to Facebook or Reddit. While tracking my time and facing the facts of just how many hours go to these sites, as well as many Skype conversations, I still indulge in them. I've found that peeling myself away from the computer to work on things seems to slow time down remarkably. An hour online is wasted swiftly, but in an hour you can achieve quite some housework.
And then there is the fact that we become adepts at everything but masters of none. How many boast to know the sciences and other subjects that once one would only take up conversation about after a good period of study. People skim a few articles on a subject and think they can talk with the masters. It leads to many unproductive debates and the spread of false information. While we can verify everything, and easily cite the facts we claim to know, not many do this.
Finally, there is the effect this has on the brain. Eventually we become wired so differently that taking a week's vacation in the wilds leaves us wondering how to spend all that time. More casually as well people seem to have lost interest in reading. I admit, I too skim long articles online when the subject only vaguely interests me. But one thing I am thankful for, and that is that Goodreads has restored in me the habit to read. And so, I cannot say yes to everything the author writes, but I will certainly heed the warning and consider avoiding being online when I really need to put my nose to the grindstone.
A very interesting book about how the Internet is training our brains to be distracted, and leading to more shallow learning. It causes me to ask myself how I, as an educator can help students make deeper connections to their own learn when they live in an increasingly online world?
I don't want to say it was a bad read.
But non ironically it could have been a short blog post.
But non ironically it could have been a short blog post.
informative
reflective
medium-paced