Nicholas Carr argues in The Shallows that:
- The Internet alters the ways in which we think and take in knowledge.
- Reading books demands focused linear thinking, but reading Internet articles fragments how we process information.
- Our brains are hardwired for distraction; the more we're distracted, the more distraction our minds crave.
- The Internet encourages superficial thinking, perfunctory reading and shallow learning.
- Studies show that web viewers retain less information than readers of printed text.
- Memory is no longer so necessary because technology makes information readily available.
Much of this feels, prima facie, about right, but some points are less clear cut. For example, "fragments" can be a very good thing, allowing end-users to engage with content directly without it being skewed and distorted by intermediaries.
