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Manuel Martinez

White

AP Language and Composition - Pd.7

20 November 2020

The Shallows ​Diction Analysis

In the 21st-century, progress and growth have become synonymous with Google and

Apple. To many, the dot-com bubble marked the peak of humanity, where everyone and

everything became easily accessible with a click of a mouse. To others, this obsession and craze

with the Internet and technology proved to be quite dangerous. Within ​The Shallows: What the

Internet is Doing to Our Brain​ by Nicholas Carr, the use of abstract diction reveals how

technology and progress promote assimilation, causing humans to sacrifice their individuality in

exchange for short-term benefits and one-sided relationships. Moreover, without interaction and

self-expression, humanity will slowly guide itself back to its primitive ways.

To stress this issue, Carr implements diction that appeals to the reader’s awareness and

sense of urgency. Midway through the book, Carr discussed his past and reminiscenced on how

he once was able to read diligently for hours, but he soon began to question why this focus and

hobby did not follow him into adulthood. Soon after, Nicholas Carr began to explain how the

Internet was full of distractions and how it lowered a person’s attention span and focus--even if

they were not looking at a monitor. Additionally, Nicholas detailed how companies capitalized

on humanity’s newfound limited engagement:

A search engine often draws our attention to a particular snippet of text, a few

words or sentences that have strong relevance to whatever we’re searching for at the

moment, while providing little incentive for taking in the work as a whole...As
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companies like Google and Microsoft perfect search engines for video and audio

content, more products are undergoing the fragmentation that already characterizes

written works (Carr 87)

In this quote, Nicholas Carr employs diction that evokes somber emotions. Carr uses words and

phrases like, “little incentive” and “fragmentation” to describe the relationship between humans

and technology. The word “little” refers to an item or idea of small importance or value. But,

connotatively, the word “little” implies feelings of insecurity or doubt, especially when it

precedes the word “incentive.” An “incentive” is something that propels one to take action; many

times, these “incentives” promise benefits to recipients, thus encouraging this behavior or

determination. Connotatively, the word “incentive” evokes feelings of reassurance or security.

However, by using “little” as a descriptor, Carr implies that these “incentives” or benefits are not

what one expects. If these benefits are “little,” then Carr argues that they are almost unnecessary

or trivial to one’s development or progress, which ultimately contradict the purpose of

technology. The rise of the digital age was facilitated by people’s attraction and commitment to

improvement, but if these benefits are minimal, then humanity’s relationship with technology

becomes one-sided. With this unequal exchange, humans are less likely to advance, which is

why Carr appears somber or disappointed when describing his experiences. Carr expected to be

rewarded for his dedication to technology and progress, but he found that he began to lose his

engagement and individuality at his own expense in an effort to participate in the digital age.

Thus, without proper interaction and expression, humans are bound to become more

absent-minded and disengaged, leading to a more simple, homogenous society. Carr, though,

also mentions how technology fails to foster creativity and collaboration in its production. Carr

utilizes the word “fragmentation” to describe trends in product development at Google and
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Microsoft. The word “fragmentation” refers to the state of being broken or in distinct parts.

Connotatively, the word “fragmentation” evokes feelings of anxiety or fear. Technology’s goal is

to connect ideas and people, and humans place their trust and confidence in these corporations’

ability to do so. If these products are “fragmented,” then one begins to question if technology

promotes progress or if it leads to inaction and complacency. If humans adopt the same mindset

and attitudes, then they will not question ideas, foster discussion, or promote mankind’s

evolution and advancement. Carr warns readers about this pattern of assimilation when

discussing his teenage years. At the beginning of the book, Nicholas Carr talked about his

college experience at Dartmouth. Carr explained how Dartmouth had a computer science center

known as the Kiewit Computation Center, which also served as a traditional library. There, Carr

spent the majority of his time in the library but also a little bit in the computation center playing

games. However, after college, he began to develop an interest in computers, which led to what

he coined the “upgrade cycle”:

By the mid-nineties, I had become trapped, not unhappily, in the ‘upgrade cycle.’ I retired

the aging Plus in 1994, replacing it with a Macintosh Performa 550 with a color screen, a

CD-ROM drive, a 500- megabyte hard drive... The new computer required updated

versions of most of the programs I used... By the time I had installed all the new

software, my hard drive was full. I had to go out and buy an external drive as a

supplement. I added a Zip drive too—and then a CD burner. Within a couple of years, I’d

bought another new desktop, with a much larger monitor and a much faster chip, as well

as a portable model that I could use while traveling (40)

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Carr used abstract diction to appeal to the reader’s feelings of anxiety or remorse. When

describing mankind’s obsession with the “upgrade cycle,” Carr uses words like “trapped” and

“not unhappily.” The word “trapped” refers to the act of taking control or placing a person in a

restricting position. Connotatively, the word “trapped” implies feelings of fear, worry, and

anxiety. However, the word “trapped” follows the phrase “not unhappily,” which is a double

negative. The word “unhappily” suggests that an action is completed without pleasure or joy.

Here, it is preceded by the descriptor “not.” With this addition, Carr suggests that he feels guilt,

especially when he does not appear to regret the short-lived benefits of the “upgrade cycle.” By

juxtaposing these two phrases “trapped” and “not unhappily,” Carr establishes feelings of

remorse. Carr’s experiences and attitudes are representative of humanity’s interdependence on

technology. Carr preferred to accept and purchase upgrades without questioning their use or

applicability. Similarly, humans have become accustomed to limited engagement, interaction,

and thought. If this complacency and assimilation continues, then humanity will not only find

themselves in this endless “upgrade cycle” but also in this stagnant “growth cycle.” As Carr

warns, the Internet may affect the human brain negatively long-term and may ultimately replace

them through AI. In the epilogue of the book, Carr brought up a story he heard about Edexcel,

the largest educational testing firm in England. Edexcel had just announced that it was going to

introduce an artificial intelligence-based automated marking of exam essays, which would grade

students' essays. Upon hearing this, Carr began to question the efficacy of AI and how it would

discern those rare students that broke away from the conventions of writing. Carr was convinced

that computers--no matter how advanced they became--could not surpass human compassion and

intelligence. Though, he worried that AI would become the new focus and investment in the

scientific field, which is why he warned about the point of no return. He said,
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“Even if we don’t need Weizenbaum’s words, we owe it to ourselves to consider them, to be

attentive to what we stand to lose. How sad it would be, particularly when it comes to the

nurturing of our children’s minds, if we were to accept without question the idea that ‘human

elements’ are outmoded and dispensable (197). In this quote, Carr employs abstract diction that

provokes a sense of fear and sadness. Carr uses words like “lose”, “outmoded,” and

“dispensable” in order to explain the potential consequences of one-sided relationships and

assimilation. The word “lose” refers to failure to maintain something. However, when looking at

the connotation of this word, it evokes feelings of sorrow or regret. Additionally, the word

“outmoded” refers to something no longer being usable or practical. Connotivately, the word

implies feelings of irrelevance or triviality. Furthermore, “outmoded” was paired with the word

“dispensable,” which refers to something that is able to be replaced or be done without.

Connotatively, the word “dispensable” suggests feelings of doubt or insecurity. Both the words

complement each other to provoke feelings of remorse, reflection, and regret. Combined, these

three words illustrate the risks there are in allowing technology to surpass human thought and

comprehension. As Carr mentioned before, mankind focuses on the short-term benefits of

technology and progress. In this case, professors would spend less hours grading exams. In the

long-term, these professors may be replaced entirely or they may lose the skills or adaptations

that allowed them to understand, critique, and teach. With the rise of AI, it becomes more

apparent that humans are in a one-sided relationship with technology. Until they realize that they

are promoting their own regression, humans will continue to sacrifice their creativity,

individuality, and self-expression at the expense of short-lived rewards. If mankind continues

this process of assimilation and complacency, then they will soon become not only simple and

absent but also “outdated.” Nicholas Carr, scholar of technology, culture, and business, made
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headlines when he released ​The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain​. Rather than

celebrating the Internet and the latest iPhone, Carr chose to reveal the shocking truth and

subsequent dangers of technology. Within ​The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our

Brain​, the use of abstract diction reveals how this obsession with progress promotes assimilation,

causing humans to sacrifice their individuality in exchange for short-term rewards and one-sided

interactions. Thus, without mutual relationships and self-expression, mankind will slowly revert

back to its primitive ways and lose not only their place in society but also in evolution.
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Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. ​The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains.​ W.W. Norton &

Company, 2010.