June 22, 2008
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Is Google Making Us Stupid?
I was reading a post by Leonidas in which he referenced an article titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Here is the link for the article: Link
Leonidas was pointing out the part of the article that talked about how having the Internet has made research easier but actually caused the author to say it was making it harder to read longer books. Leonidas pointed out that he found that to be the case with himself. He is actually not reading as many books as he spends time on the Internet.
It is funny because I have read less long books since I started my xanga three and a half years ago.
Do you think google is causing us to read longer books less?
Comments (127)
Not for me. I love long books.
first
I like long books. They are cool.
Yes, because that’s exactly what I should be doing right now. Dammit.
Read yer messages. I love long books, but I definitely believe their value to others is going down.
Not google specifically, but just that whole mindset.
i don’t read much to begin with but yeah, i’ve started reading less since i’ve been involved with xanga – i spend more time reading online than i do books… i have a book sitting on my table in my trailer that i’ve only read the first two pages of and that was six months ago – and its supposed to be an easy read – go figure…
@Dare2BDiferentt - Actually you were second =P. Eh, I wouldn’t say GOOGLE necessarily. Rather the INTERNET in general. Xanga too! lol. I love to read books, and then came Xanga. I’m a blog whore
Some people.
I don’t think it makes us stupid, but it does let people “fake” an education.
E.g. Scene kids on myspace who quote every genius author … they’ve never read.
Absolutely. Google has almost eliminated the need to read hard books at all. Case and point – when I wrote my research paper for my sociology class and had to use non-internet sources, I used Google Scholar, which pulls up entire academic books for research.
And those were usually outdated and not relevant. Simply put, the most up-to-date information is usually put on the internet first before anyone looks at a hard copy of it.
-David
its helpful
Just earlier this evening I was thinking I should read a book instead of watching TV and doing Xanga… I guess you can see which one I’m doing.
@TigerIly - Hey I was close! Off by a minute. I’ll get it one day! haha
just who the hell has time to read books anymore…..most of us in this family has to work 2 jobs one to pay the bills the other to pay for the freaking gas
Well, I finished my first book the other night. It was just under 400 pages (in large print paperback), and had I not found an interest in reading here on Xanga, I probably wouldn’t have ever picked up a book. The internet, being on my computer which is in one spot and doesn’t move, has helped me gain the ability to sit still and in one place for long periods of time.
not google, but the internet in general. i’d have to say so. i was working my way from little women to 20,000 leagues under the sea in the 5th grade, then slowly eased out of the long book hobby and onto the computer mouse.
Depends on the book – if it’s written well I’d prefer it to be longer.
Mmm. I love reading!
But yeah, i can kinda see what they are saying. I like it for when i have to write stupid surprise 12 page term pages in one night tho. Go google!
I never thought about that, but it’s true that I’ve been reading fewer books in general since I’ve started living on the internet.
I always blamed school, though.
@JJ_Ames - Always hate it when a good book comes to an end >:(
Nope. I am an very avid reader.
Correlation, not causation.
its not google… now-a-days everything is faster, easier.. making us have less patients..
I still like to read long books..
Maybe for some people.
I think google can be a useful tool if your looking for a particular website, but (you know there was going to be a but) I think people use it to a lot to talk smack about people and to get out of doing the reading. It’s kind of like cliff notes for the computer. All cliff notes should be banned. Do the reading. You might actually learn something people.
@TigerIly - heartbreaking, isn’t it?
in some ways yes but I love to read long books
I remember reading that article in the newspaper. He makes great poitns, but I haven’t seen the effects in my reading.
I know, however, that plenty of other people that may have made it through long books won’t even break the century mark now.
@JJ_Ames - Tragic!……..but then there is Dan/Xanga!
I saw that article the other day, but it was so long I couldn’t finish it.
not for me. I was a big reader as a kid. HS put a stop to that. I read more then I did five years ago.
“Us”, as in society, yeah, probably.
Me in particular, not really. I use google some for research, but I love reading a good novel. Problem is, there are so few out there that I only get to read a few new ones a year and I reread old ones.
I would be reading right now if I hadn’t had to return my novel to the library. *Sniff* It was good too. Ah well, I shall get it back Tuesday.
just the internet in general.
YES! Google is to blame for our own laziness.
i read the same book somtimes 3 times.
And I actually was going to read that entire article in one sitting, but my dad wants to watch a movie.
I think National Treasure . . . Yay.
yes
If that’s true then I’m in the minority because I love reading books no matter what the length of them are. Right now I’m in the middle of Flowers in the Attic (a favorite of mine for many years) and Vanity Fair which is something I’ve never read. Reading is fun. Then again, I may be a nerd.
I note that you read “less” long books rather than “fewer.”
I’d answer, but let me Google it first…
it’s not just google..
the internet itself is becoming a short cut
for a lot of things
it’s a bittersweet advance in technology.
I would not blame Google specifically, but am suspicious of many blogs. Crap, I can’t even read your Confessions of a Blogger – sometimes they’re too stinking long.
The internet takes up time that I might otherwise spend on reading. But I don’t think it has turned me off long books.
Books take time and the internet is so “fast”, so efficient, and so informative. Yes I think booksellers are definitely feeling the pinch.
Personally I used to read a book a week, but work and the interent has cut the reading and other pursuits way back. I often wonder what happened to my reading, drawing and photography, Maybe …..yes one day soon.
Not at all. I Xanga and read 2-3 books over 300 pages per week. Reading is how I relax. However, my TV time has significantly been reduced.
In some way yes. I have lesser patient reading longer book ever since I’m on the computer more. Sad but true.
Definitely. Contradictory as it may seem, the internet is more “real world.”
even without internet connection, i do not really read books so i think it does not really matter….
we all make our own choices when it comes to what we read or the time we spend on the internet. somehow the logic in that doesn’t make sense. think about it.
going through google is tougher nowadays!
Is this about the internet or google? are you getitng paid by google to uyse thier name in a blog Dan? ha ha.
I think I read about the same.. I have always read on and off.
I’ve been reading more books as I get older, not less.
Long non-fiction books? Hell to the yes. Google just makes us more efficient.
google? i don’t think it makes us stupid. maybe lazy.
the calculator made me stupid and lazy.
Hmm I go through fazes where I read more or I spend more time on the internet.
Although, I think google/the internet itself is one of the best learning tools we’ve created so far.
i think it depends on the person. I joined 43things.com and added “read 50 books in 2007″ and I did it… And they were legitimate books, not Dr Suess books. HAHAHA.
This year, I plan to read only 25…maybe more, but the goal of 50 was too many. I’m currently reading #10 for 2008.
First off, I ‘m in Yahoo. I use google only for quick reference when needed.
My only reading distraction is Storywrite, where I co-lead some groups and read the member’s story entries. I’ve been an avid reader all my life and still read novels from my favorite authors.
The internet is not an excuse for not still reading the written page. I’m in the middle of a novel right now while keeping up with my group reading..
Anyone who uses that excuse is just a lazy bastard, pure and simple. They need to get a real life. They obviously don’t have one.
I would say it was more the internet in general. You only have so much time so if you spend it here you can’t be reading books.
The internet in general? Yes.
Google? Nooooo.
It’s not just google…I don’t think. I think it’s everything. I used to never enjoy reading books, but ever since I started my Xanga, I’ve been reading books. I started off reading murder/mystery books, but now I just read self-help books so I’ll know how to deal with things if stuff ever comes up.
I would have said no a year ago but here lately I have broken the internet bonds and have found myself more and more reading books with the TV and radio off.
The massive amount of mislabeled information and the countless internet scams have made me realize what matters in life is the things that give me strength and security.
There is no security in the internet and there is no way to experience the fire.
You can read all day about how the fire burns and is both helpful and harmful.
But until you have burned yourself in the fire and used its heat to make your food edible you do not understand it.
in short.
Its not the internet that makes people stupid its living in a singular world without experience.
You can read about the full moon all day but you wont feel its awe unless you take time to experience it.
I read fewer paper books today than I did say five years ago though I don’t blame Google specifically. Technology in general is the culprit. I spend lots of time reading Wikipedia and other informational sites online. I also listen to a hundred or more cds worth of non-fiction audio books per year, a more convenient format for me than paper books. I haven’t stopped learning but rather learn through a different format. Still though, there remains much information in print that I would like to study but which isn’t available in audio form. I don’t doubt that there are many people who have resorted to quick internet searches in lieu of more in depth study methods, which is sad because it is a superficial avenue to knowledge, sort of like skimming the Cliffs Notes instead of reading the book.
O_O I was just thinking this today.
Yes.
I make it a specific part of my weekly life to read long books and I’ve found this enriching to the time i spend on the internet- especially on xanga because then I have something of substance to contribute to various discussions. In the last 2 weeks I’ve read 2 whole books and have begun working through a collection of C.S. Lewis’ classics. Wanna read a brain stretcher? Read his work on “Miracles.” Trust me, it’s nothing like what you think it is- that’s why you should read it for yourself- philosophy lovers will be enthralled.
However, I can understand the assertion that one might become dumbed down by the internet if that is their only source of information and media. The internet and cell phones are already being blamed for the lack of interpersonal behavior among young people when dealing face to face, I could see how the internet could also dull one’s ability to do independent thought…
The key is balance…
I’m prolly reading less books because I’m reading more Xanga posts. Like this one. :] Haha I miss you Dan.
Its making people lazier, but not stupid.
No. Leonidas, I suggest you do some research before jumping to conclusions. A personal example doesn’t say much.
If I want to read a book, I read the book. And I enjoy reading books as much as ever, it’s just that schoolwork over the past two years hasn’t given me much time.
I love me some google. Makes life a little easier sometimes
It honestly depends on the book… and the internet can only do so much for a person until the get tierd of it.
the Internet in general, I think, yeah.
absolutely not. i am able to read longer books and more technical books because google enables me to find the specifics on what im into, so the books i find are more relevant. size of book is nothing if the quality is there.
The internet as a whole, perhaps (less attention span, more entertainment, etc.) but what has poor Google got to do with it?
I think I still read a good amount of books… However, Google Map does make driving/ getting around a lot easier, which makes me stupid when I have to pick out my own route.
No. Laziness causes us to read less…
of course it has… technology changes the way everything is done… not just google of course… but the internet in general has caused a major downfall in the book industry… people are just afraid to admit it
maybe for some people, but i don’t see how the 2 are related at all, lol. i love reading, and read a ton, so it hasn’t effected me at all. in fact, i have read more looooong books in the last year than i have in my life. *shrugs*
i think this blog is so stupid. who really cares about this dumb crap
dunno.
ask all those harry potter fans,
as well as Tom Clancy,C.S. Lewis, and R.A Salvatore fans.
The Internet in general provides easy access to tons of information (not all of which is true), so that, I would say, has an affect on many people’s free time, including mine. After all, I could be reading “The Life of Pi” right now, but I’m on here, writing this comment…
Although for me, personally, I still love long books when they are well-written. Reading still rocks in my world.
I rarely use Google, so it doesn’t affect me. Xanga takes a lot of time away from other stuf though, but I enjoy it. It’s a nice getaway from daily work and meeting folks I never would otherwise.
hey
I’ve enjoy a good book every now and again.
i love long books and i still read long books. google is just causing me mental distress in other areas. like, work.
nope…i still love to read (long) books…the internet hasn’t changed that…
I wouldn’t say it’s making us stupid since we have almost immediate access to more information, more answers, etc… but since we’re apparently becoming accustomed to virtually INSTANT gratification, I think it’s shortening out attention span. Will shortened attention spans eventually lead to stupidity? What would Darwin say?
Not for me. I love books.
But I know for some people, they can’t be bothered and would rather spend all their time on myspace.
THE INTERNET is making us read less
the whole www. is making us stupidly busy.
I guess you could make that connection, yes. Why read something long when you can get the shorter version on the internet?
Its not just google. Its our entire lifestyles. Where all too busy and we need all of our info to be instant and compact. I haven’t read a long book in a while either, but you can’t just blame it on google, thats absurd.
my children make it harder to read longer books, so I could say my children are making me stupid… but really they just take up a lot of my time, now that they are older and I can let them play for a time w/ out watching everything they do (or put in their mouths) I can actually read books again… and have read about 11 books since Christmas… (of course 7 of those were the Harry Potter books and they aren’t that hard to read…)
meh…depends. There are books that are posted online though…and I’ve read them online before.
Psychological? Perhaps. Detrimental? I doubt it.
It hasn’t for me. I love to read. The longer the book the better.
i buy books every week, and i read all the time. i’m in my book club and it’s all good.
Google makes RESEARCH easy, but My love for books shall never cease to exist. I like reading a long book, Especially if it’s an EXTREMELY great one. I love getting excited about how the story is going to turn out (Sci-fi & or Suspense) or even how hot the sex is going to be(erotica, romance novels).
I read in a PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine that Reading novels is one of the authentic ways to live. To read and live, think in another’s perspective.
No, I’m a book worm though. And actually, I don’t have any new books for the summer to read now that I think about it. I think I’m going to go to Borders tomorrow and buy another book, thanks Dan
I needed a reminder!
Probably, but I dont know. Ive never been much of a reader.
nope. i read all the time.
Yes I think so in a way. I love the internet though, I have learned so many things that I otherwise would not know. Need to know why your plant is dying..BOOM it’s right there backed up by “real” people’s comments. Maybe you could justify it as cutting back on gas due to not going to the library? I don’t know
I still read books often. The internet tends to suck me in though, since you will never be able to see it all.
The many books I read are the ones I am using to study for my Microsoft Office Specialist exams.
Not all long books are high quality. lol
Google making us stupid? well if im anything to go by then yes it is lol ^_^
Not in my case. I enjoy reading.
To specifically say “Google”? No. To say the internet is causing us to only seek out ‘quick fixes’, yes. Before the internet I would grab a dictionary or encyclopedia looking for answers and end up reading extra as I went through the pages. Now, I click to what I want, read it, and go on. Rarely, do I sit down and read any more. I used to read a book a week. Now, it is more like a book in three months. Sad.
television and the computer is causing people to read less…short attention span
I never read in the first place.
I love reading, it gives my eyes a break from the glaring monitor
it is not google, it is the internet and the pace of technological information. look at xanga: it needs pulse. look at social networing: it needs one line news feed to get ppl’s attention.
ppl need to unplug and to read a book to get their mind focussed. A.D.D. is not a good thing.
Not for me, but I guess in general it is.
You can’t always trust the information on the internet.
Probably!!!
oihvbuigvciy
No. I’m tired of hearing about that article- I saw it on Disturbing_The_Universe well before Leonidas had it, btw.
It’s stupid to have a 4-page article whining about how the author is getting too old to concentrate anymore because he’s developing alzheimers… especially when he blames it on the internet. What the hell?
My stats teacher claims that internet companionship does not count as social interaction. I’m tired of
people from the older generation having no idea what the fuck they’re
talking about.
yeah some people
Google and the rest of the Internet are causing people to read less…myself included.
No I recently read a book that had 979 pages so I’m not reading less at all since I’m a self proclaimed book slut.
peoples attention spans suck. google isn’t the cause.
Well, I certainly don’t have any need to flip through 20 volumes of hard cover encyclopedia.
I don’t think google is making us stupid. I mean, I still read ALL THE TIME. The internet can’t replace books, at least not for me. Reading a book is so much more relaxing and entertaining than staring at a computer screen.
I’m reading harder books less. The books considered “classic.”
Lazy? YES. Stupid? Maybe with time.
i agree that it’s not google, but people’s habits changing as a general.
i still do read long books. : )
Absolutely not. I think people in general have a shorter attention span, but it’s from all forms of media, not just google.
Actually for me it’s the opposite.
I’m such a nerd that I Google the genre of books I like the most to find books. Then I sit there make a list and head to the library. It’s a really awesome way to find books. My favorite genre now is apocalyptic, post apocalyptic and dystopia novels. Yay google
I love long books =D the interenet has not and will not change that…the internet provides one type of emotion and reading is like my security blanket
Wow. I’m actually answering this question right after I finished reading “Jane Eyre” for the sixteenth time.
But it doesn’t affect me. I read pretty fast.
And I also dont’ see the connection between reading long books and googling.And If I did see it, it doesn’t affect me I guess.
I guess it depends on what type of a person you are and how much you rely on google.
I haven’t really replaced books with google.
I’ve replaced them with a plethora of other things.