Technology has been a big factor in our generation, Gen Z, affecting us in a beneficial way but also in negative ways. There are many different opinions about whether technology is improving us or making things worse. Two authors I’ve read, journalist Nicolas Carr and editor and writer Kevin Kelly, offer their point of views on this topic. In his essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr argues that technology, especially the internet, is messing with our ability to focus and think deeply. Meanwhile, Kevin Kelly takes a more optimistic approach in “Technophilia”, claiming that technology’s impact on us is just part of who we are. I tend to agree with Kelly because I’ve grown up with all this technology around me and it has played a big role in my life, allowing me to stay connected with today’s world. That has made me become more reliant on the use of technology. 

Carr doesn’t hold back in expressing his concern about the effects of technology, especially the internet. Carr thinks that with all the information we can access so quickly, we’ve lost the ability to really focus on anything for long periods of time. Instead of reading deeply or engaging in critical thinking, we’re skimming through text and jumping from one thing to the next. He quotes,“The ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply,” is slipping away (Carr, Pg 6). When I read that, it really hit me, especially after hearing my classmate Noah’s perspective. He also agrees with Carr’s concerns, pointing out that the more information we have access to, the less effort we put into understanding it. Instead of taking the time to focus on processing the information, we’re distracted by our phones and social media. Noah also mentioned how this constant switching between tasks is making it harder to focus for long periods of time, something Carr would definitely agree with.