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quartzmaya 's review for:
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
by Nicholas Carr
Nicholas Carr's The Shallows presents an ambitious premise: that the Internet is altering our brains in ways that diminish our ability to think deeply and critically. While I appreciate Carr's effort to examine the cognitive implications of our hyper-connected lives, the book itself falls into the trap it warns against—becoming tedious and repetitive, much like the shallow, skimming culture it criticizes.
From the outset, Carr relies heavily on personal anecdotes and loosely connected studies to make sweeping generalizations. While there’s truth in his argument that technology shapes how we think, he tends to exaggerate its effects and overlook the nuances of individual experiences. For instance, his personal frustration with reading books post-Internet doesn’t necessarily reflect a universal phenomenon, though he projects it as such. This tendency to blur the line between his subjective experience and objective truth weakens his argument.
The book’s central thesis—that the Internet is rewiring our brains for superficial thinking—is supported by research, but Carr often glosses over contradictory findings or alternate explanations. His selective use of evidence feels more like fearmongering than thoughtful analysis, and his argument loses credibility because of it. For example, Carr’s romanticization of a pre-digital age, where people supposedly enjoyed deep, uninterrupted thought, is idealistic and ignores the historical reality that information overload and distraction were not invented by the Internet.
What ultimately frustrates me about The Shallows is that it drags on far longer than necessary. Carr hammers home the same points repeatedly, beating the concept of neuroplasticity into the ground as if his audience needs constant reminding. Ironically, the book’s drawn-out nature made me want to skim through large sections, a behavior it claims the Internet has conditioned me to adopt.
Carr's work is undoubtedly thought-provoking, but it’s marred by overkill, oversimplification, and an alarmist tone. Had he condensed his arguments into a shorter, more focused essay, the impact would have been far greater. Instead, The Shallows leaves readers stuck in the shallow end, waiting for something deeper that never arrives.
From the outset, Carr relies heavily on personal anecdotes and loosely connected studies to make sweeping generalizations. While there’s truth in his argument that technology shapes how we think, he tends to exaggerate its effects and overlook the nuances of individual experiences. For instance, his personal frustration with reading books post-Internet doesn’t necessarily reflect a universal phenomenon, though he projects it as such. This tendency to blur the line between his subjective experience and objective truth weakens his argument.
The book’s central thesis—that the Internet is rewiring our brains for superficial thinking—is supported by research, but Carr often glosses over contradictory findings or alternate explanations. His selective use of evidence feels more like fearmongering than thoughtful analysis, and his argument loses credibility because of it. For example, Carr’s romanticization of a pre-digital age, where people supposedly enjoyed deep, uninterrupted thought, is idealistic and ignores the historical reality that information overload and distraction were not invented by the Internet.
What ultimately frustrates me about The Shallows is that it drags on far longer than necessary. Carr hammers home the same points repeatedly, beating the concept of neuroplasticity into the ground as if his audience needs constant reminding. Ironically, the book’s drawn-out nature made me want to skim through large sections, a behavior it claims the Internet has conditioned me to adopt.
Carr's work is undoubtedly thought-provoking, but it’s marred by overkill, oversimplification, and an alarmist tone. Had he condensed his arguments into a shorter, more focused essay, the impact would have been far greater. Instead, The Shallows leaves readers stuck in the shallow end, waiting for something deeper that never arrives.