Nathan Camarena

Professor Atkinson

English 101

14, August 2023

Paper 3 rough draft

The advancements in technology have reshaped our human society in so many different

ways, it influences the way we communicate with people even from across the globe , the way

we work, and think. Nicholas Carr and Clive Thompson both have written essays on this in 2

different opinions, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" and "Smarter Than You Think: How

Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better,", they both cancel eachother out which can

create a captivating argument about the impact that technology has on our thinking abilities and

our well beings overall. While Carr says and argues that technology is not good to our

intellectual prowess, Thompson claims that it enhances our free thinking abilities. Carr and

Thompson are two great writers who use different types of techniques to make readers

understand them. We will explore their arguments and the significance of their views in the

context of today’s society.

In Nicholas Carr's essay he mainly argues that the rise of technology, especially the

internet and search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing! This led to a decline in our ability to

participate in deep and deeper thinking debates and even assignments we have in school. Carr

uses ethos to further add to his arguments by referencing various historical people like Socrates,

who expressed concerns about writing affecting his ability to remember stuff. When talking

about the mind and memorization Carr says “Socrates bemoaned the development of writing. He
feared that, as people came to rely on the written word as a substitute for the knowledge they

used to carry inside their heads”. This is proving his point that relying on writing can sometimes

be a bad thing. He dives into his personal experiences, demonstrating an approach that is very

reflective of his life. Carr uses stories and historical context to highlight the nature that

transformed us into this generation of technology and human thinking. Toward the beginning of

the article Carr says “I get fidgety, lose the thread, and begin looking for something else to do. I

feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text”. This explains how Car can

hardly focus because of his addiction to the internet.I agree with some of Carr’s claims because I

see some of his arguments applying to my life. For example when I am doing something like

debating someone online I can't really think for myself sometimes because of my constant

reliance on using Google to find facts. By showing many different counterarguments, Carr adds

a fine distinction to his position, by still showing all the benefits while understanding that the

negative stuff is worse to our mindset due to technology.

In contrast, Clive Thompson is a lot more optimistic and almost lenient when it comes to

the stance in his essay, he argues that technology enhances our critical thinking abilities and

benefits our society at large. He supports his claims through a combination of logos and

real-world examples. He utilizes statistical data, opinions from experts, and personal

experiences, Thompson builds a very strong case for the potential of technology in our world. He

shows and explains many instances where technology has improved his own and other people's

lives, he also emphasizes the many different types of ways in which digital tools have changed

the way us humans have had critical thinking capacities. I also think that Thompson makes great
points because of things I have experienced. I personally know of many people who have

actually learned a lot of things from google and the internet. For example, let's say you just got a

guitar for your birthday instead of having to go to in person classes and paying lots of money.

You can just look up tutorials and learn by yourself without the need of other people.

Thompson's use of many personal stories and data-driven arguments helps add a lot of credibility

to his perspective that mainly remains optimistic throughout his argument.

Carr and Thompson's different approaches to the arguments showing both their respective

perspectives provides very important insight into the complex nature of the technology debate

that continues to go on. Carr relies on historical context and personal observations to show his

main concerns about the negative impact that technology has. His use of ethos and his use of

historical figures allows readers to connect the past with the present, showing that this debate

will always be relevant even as mankind continues to evolve, technological influence will always

be a hotly debated topic. Thompson, on the other hand, employs a more data-driven approach, he

uses logos extensively to showcase the very big benefits that technology has. His reliance on

statistical evidence and expert opinions lends a sense of maturity and a more trustworthy

foundation to his claims, he is appealing to the logical side of the readers.

The essays by Nicholas Carr and Clive Thompson offer a great and overall inclusive view

of the ongoing argument that is surrounding the impact of technology on the human mind and

society as a whole. Despite their different viewpoints, these essays contribute to a well-rounded

understanding of both sides of the argument which can often be a very complex relationship

between humans and technology. Carr's use of many historical events that are often used as
context and his use of personal reflection create a very well thought out argument. Alongside this

Thompson's use of data and real-world examples, gives readers a great opportunity to assess the

complicated nature of technological influence critically. As technology is still evolving even to

this day, the perspectives presented by Carr and Thompson will remain relevant for multiple

years. This is giving us many opportunities to continuously and constantly evaluate the role of

technology in shaping our minds and the world around us.. Through their discussions and articles

which can be at times even though-provoking , Carr and Thompson ensure that the conversation

about the influence of technology remains a big part of our lives, showing the diverse opinions

that surround this crucial issue.