As everyone has been finishing up their research essays, I started wondering whether being able to research using the internet has changed the way we do it. Certainly it’s more convenient to simply go to the database and find some articles than the old days when you would have to actually go and find the book or journal you needed. When people like Carr criticize the internet for making us less intellectually rigorous, maybe they’re right, but surely we can see around us the benefits that are also provided. In writing my paper, I wound up including information from sources as varied as government researchers and German universities; would this even be possible without the internet to allow us to share this abundance of information and knowledge?
Of course, the problem here is that for the most part we don’t use it that way. Sure, when you need to write a paper for class you go on and find great swathes of knowledge surpassing anything in the past; when you use the internet for fun you end up on Facebook or something similar. I may be wrong about this, but it seems like the internet is a kind of dichotomy: when we use it seriously, it is maybe even more useful than traditional media – when we use it for leisure, it is far worse. I just feel that we get more out of reading for leisure than we do from surfing the web; what do you think?
I like the idea that you brought up about getting information around the world from the internet. With out the technology and use of the internet this could not be possible in an efficient manner. Some educators see technology taking away from learning, but in reality it gives us sources within minutes online.
ReplyDelete-Colin Williams
I agree, getting sucked into Facebook is not necessarily the most educating thing. In fact, it borders on wasteful. But is it? Social interaction between peers is important in order to build on relationships. Maintaining (notice I use the word maintaining, not forming) relationships online, in my opinion, is just as important as educational learning. Learning how to function in society is just as necessary as knowing about another country, if not more important.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm sort of confused about your question. Are you saying that we learn more by reading more educational stuff online compared to just surfing?
-Victoria Hines
I think you can say this about any type of medium. When radio was first invented and for a long time, it wasn't necessarily music being played on most stations ad it is today. Intellectual speeches and plays were recited and performed on the air to stimulate the minds of the listeners and other stations would play just music for entertainment. Each medium has its good, but with that comes the bad.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Gerbosi
I would agree, when I sit down and actually use the Internet for research it is one of the most powerful tools around. It can also be one of the most distracting too. It only takes one click and you can be right back on Facebook or a similar site. The internet has helped me academically in many ways. Similar to you, most of the research I gathered would not have been possible without the Internet.
ReplyDelete-Austin Johnson
While, as always the issue of how we choose to use our media is key,the issue isn't just the Internet, but digitization too. You can get information from various websites when you go online, but you can also access the many databases of digitized printed material available. has anyone checked out the old books you can see at ECCO or EEBO? Go to the OU library main page and check it out!
ReplyDeleteI have spent a lot of time talking about the negative effects of internet for the past two papers I have written! Haha But you bring up such an awesome point. My research paper would have been SO much significantly harder to write if I had not had the internet to help me find various articles and books to choose from. Utilizing the OU library page we talked about in class was a lifesaver and I ended up using it in three other classes after I learned about it. It has been so very useful! As for my Facebook addiction... that has not! But on the other hand it has allowed me to keep in contact with all of my high school friends! For that piece of good, I think I can handle the negative side effects -Macey Flowers
ReplyDeleteI honestly don’t think normal people would have this much access to information without the internet. There would be no way to ensure that everyone would have anywhere close to the same access to finding books they were interested in if we had to rely on old fashion libraries for our books. The internet has opened so many huge doors for our society. I don’t want to say Facebook and Pandora are ruining the individual and creative mind, but they are pretty darn close. We have to watch out what we let the electronic era take over in our lives. I have no problem letting the electronic era take over my scholarly research job, so that all I have to do is search a scholarly search on Google to get quality information rather than digging through books at the neighborhood library. We have to watch out for letting the electronic era take over areas such as our social life, such as Facebook. Some people can’t talk to anyone face to face, but when you sign on Facebook they are the first person to Facebook chat you. And letting the electronic era take over your personal skills is not a good choice.
ReplyDeletePatrick Carver