Samantha Veilleux

Technology Essay Part 2

ENG 110

29 September 2023

 A Conversation About Technology

           Technology affects everyone differently, and everyone has vastly different options on said effect. Some may believe that technology has completely shifted their lives, others may believe it hasn’t changed them at all, and many are simply in the middle, believing that technology has affected them but not declaring to what extent. Small differences in beliefs and opinions often causes us to overlook the opinions of others, casting aside any idea of theirs because it challenges ours. Yet if we take the time to look deeper, to listen, learn, and understand what others are saying we can learn a lot, and we might just surprise ourselves by how many similarities we find. This is clear when looking at the opinions and personal experiences of writers Siobhan Smith, Ian Grimm, and Nicholas Carr, who wrote essays regarding technology and the effect it is having on us. At first glance, one might note Smith and Grimms different approaches and essay contents, with Smith writing of relationships and education, and Grimm writing of physical health and fake news. This surface level examination of these essays shows little similarities, yet if one was to look deeper, they would see the many connections. Though specifics and severity of their beliefs differ, the two writers align in their connection and shared opinions with Nicholas Carr, with all three writing of the effects and changes that have occurred due to our reliance and dependence on technology. 

            One such instance of this shared connection and belief is in the author’s writing of misinformation and communication. Throughout their respective essays, all wrote of the effects of the Web as a communication system, and the drastic repercussions that can occur as a result. One view of this is Grimms, who wrote on his opinions about technology and misinformation. According to Grimm, “technology allows for false narratives and misinformation to spread and thrive” (Grimm). Grimm continued to discuss how technology is making it harder for us to determine what is real and what is fake, and that as a result the information we receive, and consequently the knowledge we gain is being directly affected, and as he argues negatively, by technology. Looking at another perspective, yet echoing similar concerns and beliefs is Smith’s essay, which focuses instead on the social effects that technological misinformation and communication can cause. This essay brings up the concerns of “false rumors traveling on the web” (Smith) and communication becoming harder as technology continues to grow and develop, as well as stating the idea that “relationships with friends, family, and significant others are all based on communication” (Smith). It is Smith’s belief that technology has led to an increase of rumors and misinformation and that along with the rise of technology, communication has consequently become more difficult. Although the specifics of Ian and Smiths points are different, the main idea is the same. Both ideas tie into Carr’s beliefs, that being that the web is a “communications system [that plays] so many roles in our lives- [and] exert[s] such broad influence over our thoughts” (Carr, 6). While I can see value and truth in all the authors’ perspectives, for me it is aspects of Smith’s writing that I agree the most with. Her ideas that our relationships are based on communication rings true, and while her points are valid, I might offer up an alternative idea. Despite the negative effects that technology has had on communication, it has also vastly improved the speed and ease that we can communicate with those far away, perhaps strengthening relationships along the way. Although the authors, and I, may all have focused on different specific aspects and have slightly differing opinions, all the works tie into the central idea that technology, although the extent to which may be debated, is influencing communication and information.

            Furthering the tie between the authors is their writing on the physical effects technology has had, which consequently tie into Carr’s belief on technological reliance. In Grimm’s essay he brings up the topic of physical health effects that technology has created. In fact, he takes a rather strong stance on this point, stating simply “We’re fat” (Grimm), and citing “the growth and rise of digital technology” (Grimm) as the reasoning for this. He continues to write on his belief that technology is leading to poorer health by stating ideas such as his beliefs that a variety of health issues, such as mental health, have risen along with the rise of technology. Although not taking as strong of a stance, Smith also comments on the physical effect of technology, but focusing rather on the lack of physical material, specifically in terms of education. In terms of education, the author brings up how pen and paper have all but disappeared from the classroom, as well as physical books being replaced by their online counterparts. According to Smith, this increase in technology in the classroom has “made [her] learning experience extremely difficult” (Smith), and “these struggles are only going to get worse with the ongoing advancements in technology” (Smith).  As a result of these physical education tools being removed from the classroom, education and learning are being affected, as students are having a harder time comprehending material. As a result, knowledge and key skills are decreasing. Though different from Ian’s discussion on obesity and health issues, Smith’s points share the common idea of physical changes, and both ideas echo a key idea of Carr’s writing. This idea is simply that we are becoming reliant on technology, and that this technology is changing us, as Grimm wrote, and our environments, as Smith wrote. With this idea I can agree with the writers, good or bad, technology has had an effect, that point is undebatable. Though expressing different specifics, this change was expressed and agreed upon throughout Grimm, Smith, and Carr’s writings. 

            Moreover, both Carr and Grimm align strongly on the topic of technology and its effects on our intellect. In “Is Google Making Us Stupid” Nicholas Carr echoes Richard Forman’s fears, that being that we are becoming “’Pancake people’ in contrast to the ‘cathedral-like’ people of ‘complex and inner density’” that we used to be (Carr). These “pancake people” that Carr writes of simply means people who are “flat” and have no substantial personality, knowledge, or intellect, and it is Carr’s belief that technology is the reason for this. Coinciding with Carr’s beliefs, Grimm writes similarly, stating that “Technology has changed our intellect for the worse” (Grimm) and furthers his previous statement by writing “We aren’t as smart as we used to be. Our computers are smarter.” (Grimm). It is Grimms opinion that technology has led to this decrease in intelligence, and in fact led to an increase of intelligence in our computers, which many often mistake as an increase in our own human intelligence. Grimm however, states very clearly that it is not. Looking towards the other writer, Smith does not write directly about the effects of technology and intellect, however as touched on before, she writes on the effects of technology and education. In this she states her opinions on how technology is negatively affecting our education and how “these struggles are getting worse with the ongoing advancements in technology” (Smith). Throughout my own personal experiences, I can once again agree with Smith, as I too have seen the effects of technology in the classroom, specifically in terms of books. As technology has increased, the prevalence of physical books has decreased, and along with this decrease has risen a personal struggle to read online. It is clear that Smith brings up a valid point regarding technology, learning, and intelligence and although her specifics and topic are different than that of Carr and Grimm, the overall idea remains the same, shining a light on yet another similarity between all authors. 

            The opinions and beliefs contained within each of these authors’ essays illuminates the need to look deeper than surface level when reading. By taking a more in depth look at each author’s writing, similarities are revealed amidst the differences. With a deeper look, connections between Carrs, Smiths, and Grimms writing become apparent, and shared opinions such as technology affecting communication and information, as well as changing us and our environment become clear. Among all this, not only do we learn of the effects of technology, but we also learn an important lesson. We learn to understand. Though each author might not whole heartedly agree with the writing of the others, they can find similarities and bits of shared opinions within each writing. From that, while they might not agree with the other, they can form an understanding of them and their opinions, and this understanding is important. This idea of understanding is not only important in writing and education, but it is important in every aspect of life. If this understanding was a universal practice, then perhaps we would start to see positive changes in our society, amidst all the negative that these authors wrote of. 

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 11 Feb. 2022, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023. 

Smith, Siobhan. “Essay 1, Part 1” UNEportfolio, https://ssmith105.uneportfolio.org. Accessed 29 September 2023

Grimm, Ian. “Essay #1, Part 1” UNEportfolio, https://igrimm.uneportfolio.org. Accessed 29 September 2023