Nicholas G. Carr’s articles on technology are numerous. His writings include: Does it matter? Information Technology, Competitive Advantage, The Big Switch: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google. Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is a great example of his work. It easily persuades readers to believe the Internet takes over our minds. The title of this article raises a question that readers are likely to ask themselves. Carr uses relatable imagery, metaphors and analogies to lead his audience towards a reasonable solution. Carr begins by using pathos in order to connect us to his argument on a deeper level. The unsettling computer scene is also used to make the reader feel concerned or uncomfortable. It is to show the reader that what he says is important. Carr’s clever use of pathos makes it easier for the audience to sympathize with his fidgety tendencies, his lack of concentration and his struggle. Ethos can be found in the self-consciousness of the narrator, as well as in his comparisons with other bloggers and academic contacts.
After a simple yes, the author concludes by calling for a clearer picture of the impact that Internet usage has on the brain. Carr relies heavily on logos from research. Carr uses scientific evidence to support the shift in reading habits. Users research sites using power browsing and skim titles and selections in order to find information that appears to be of importance. Carr uses it to illustrate how, despite the fact that people have access to long texts and can research effectively, they tend to skim over them. Carr describes the Internet and explains how it affects humans. He refers to the technology as an infection that absorbs human commands, spreads information and scatters our concentration. Carr’s final appeal to the ethos is to list possible benefits and his own faults for being a worrier. Carr uses personifications a lot when he talks about the Internet. Carr simply calls the Net “the Net” while describing what it is capable of, such as “reprogramming our minds” and “influencing our minds”. The Internet appears to be a greater threat for his readers. Carr compares your mind to that of a jetskier or diver in the second paragraph at page 962. This helps his readers understand his argument and makes it more relatable. Carr quotes famous professors or professional writers to show his knowledge. Wolf says that a focus on productivity could be eroding the value of reading and thinking. Carr uses the same method to try to convince his audience.
Carr uses Bruce Friedman’s and Scott Karp’s anecdotes in his book to appeal emotionally to the reader. Karp has admitted to not reading books. While this isn’t surprising at all, given how few people are reading books regularly on a weekly or daily basis, it’s unusual because Karp majored in Literature in college. Karp suggests his lack of interest in reading may be due to the change in his thinking, which is relevant to Carr’s arguments. Carr uses anecdote as a way to make the reader doubtful and skeptical. The article is filled with pathos, logos, and almost no ethos. Carr’s experience in front of the audience is the only instance where ethos is mentioned.
Carr further damages the ethos in his essay by relying so heavily on his personal experience, as well as circumstances that are average for everyday people. His essay is further harmed by his reliance on his personal experience, which he uses to represent the experience of the average person. If an author fails to include enough ethos within his article, it will be difficult for readers to discern whether or not the article is valuable. Carr uses many examples for pathos and Logos, but the argument in the article seems to be lacking if there is no strong support for ethos.
