Revised Intro and first body paragraph

Google and the Internet have made major impacts on our lives. Humans as a whole have all become heavily attached and dependent on this advanced technology. The Internet has evolved tremendously in the short amount of time that it has been around, and people are so drawn to it because of the many things that it provides, from entertainment to informative knowledge. Have you ever thought about what role the Internet and Google have played in your life and how it has shaped your learning habits and thinking patterns? In the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr argues that Google and the Internet cause negative effects on human cognition and is detrimental to human concentration and contemplation. I agree with Carr’s claim that the Internet and Google have negatively affected human thinking and cognition skills. Humans heavily rely on the Internet for information instead of finding out answers on their own. His argument proves to be persuasive to his audience due to his analysis of his personal experiences and the experiences of others and his theories about how the internet has weakened human thinking processes. Carr uses the rhetorical strategies of logos, cause and effect, and exemplification to argue his claims. 

Exemplification is one to the rhetorical strategies that Carr uses. Exemplification uses examples and cases to point out his claim. This strategy tends to be beneficial to people making an argument because it gives others real life accounts and experiences with the problem at hand. Carr introduces multiple examples of how the Internet has become a major part in shaping how the human brain works. He uses is own person experiences to back up his claim by stating what part the Internet plays on his own life. He says how “the Net is becoming a universal medium,” and is “the conduit for most of the information that flows through my eyes and ears and into my mind.” Just like most people these days, Carr shows how most of the information that he analyses and receives comes directly from things displayed on the Internet. Carr also states how when he brings up these accounts with his friends that they too are experiencing the same effects. He uses the strategy of introducing his own personal experiences as examples of his claim to take his argument to a more personal level. He wants to show his audience and readers that this issue is not just affecting others but himself too. By using this strategy, Carr wants his audience to relate to his own accounts with how the Internet has played a part in his life and realize how the Internet is affecting their lives as well. This example furthers his previous claim by providing person experiences with the Internet and taking his writing to a more personal level. Carr also introduces Bruce Friedman into his writing. Bruce Friedman is a blogger who regularly talks about the use of computers in medicine. He describes how the Internet has altered his mental habits. He states that, “I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print.” Due to his heavy reliance and constant usage of the Internet, Friedman states, “I can’t read War and Peace anymore. I’ve lost the ability to do that. Even a blog post of more that three or four paragraphs is too much to absorb. I skim it.” Friedman accurately exemplifies how even a matured adult has lost touch with his ability to focus and comprehend long pieces of writing. This strategy of introducing an experienced blogger gives readers another perspective on the issue. Bruce Friedman’s account shows that even if a person was once a connoisseur of reading and writing that after becoming heavily reliant on the Internet those habits can change dramatically. Carr wants his audience to realize that even if they are experienced readers and writers that the Internet has the strong effect of diminishing those abilities if used too often. This helps to further his claim by showing readers another perspective of how the Internet is negatively affecting human cognition. The strategy of using examples to get his argument across to his audience proves to be effective. The use of exemplification strengthens Carr’s argument because he takes his writing to a more personal level and gives another perspective to this audience by introducing Bruce Friedman.