The ideas Carr talked about were, for the most part, very interesting. The thought that our brains, through constant exposure to digital media platforms, have been rewired to reject conventional ways of reading makes a lot of sense. I sometimes feel that when I try to read paper-and-ink books, it takes a bit more effort to engross myself than when reading an e-book. Perhaps the screen factors in somewhere?

I did not like the tone Carr took, however. It was too smug, too “media is bad blarbl warrble!” He made his point and brought supporting evidence, but then he never goes beyond that, content to sit on those facts and use them to justify dozens more pages without saying anything new.

Carr makes a compelling argument, one I find has lots of merit for further study. Are our brains being reworked? I’d say “yes.” His evidence of research is backed by my own feelings and experiences on the subject. But he does not try any harder to offer suggestions on how to go around this problem, just that it is a problem. All in all, the book is decent. Good, intriguing ideas and hypothesis, yet marred by Carr’s repetitive attempts to pound it into our heads.

Thought for the day:

That which is made by mankind must serve mankind. Just because it is dangerous does not mean it does not have a purpose.