Rough Draft

New technologies, such as the Internet and Google, have become a major part of people’s lives. There has been an increase in the dependance on the Internet for new information, social media, and communication. What do you use the Internet for? How has the Internet been beneficial to you? Many people have opposing opinions about how the Internet has shaped and affected human cognitive abilities. The main argument made by Thompson is that the vast increase in public writing inspired by the Internet is an important, new, beneficial change for individuals and for society. Whereas, Carr makes the argument that the Internet is hindering human cognitive abilities, such as their ability to concentrate. I personally believe that there are true factors in each author’s arguments. I will further analyze each author’s belief and provide my own opinion on the topic of how the Internet affects human thinking. 

Clive Thompson is the author of the article, “Public Thinking.” In his article, Thompson’s main purpose is to answer the underlying question of “how has the evolution of public writing affected and influenced people’s thinking?” His main argument is that the Internet and new digital technologies are beneficial to people and society. People believe that it has profound cognitive, cultural, and political implications. In many ways, the Internet has been advantageous to human thinking and writing abilities. Thompson provides various claims that support this argument such as that the new forms of digital writing significantly improves writing and thinking. The increase in writing due to digital technology has helped clarify thinking, generate ideas, and improve memory, according to Thompson. The increase also advances democracy and civil society. The new forms of writing expand connections and improve the social networks that support research. Thompson also claims that this new digital medial is creating a golden age for literacy because students are reading and writing more than in the past which results in better writers and improved thinking patterns. He introduces quotes from professional writers, provides anecdotes, and brings up research studies to support his claim. The arguments made by Thompson prove to be effective through his sub claims that are easily relatable to others. 

Through his article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Carr gives an explanation of why he believes that the Internet is only negatively affecting human cognition and is detrimental to human concentration and contemplation. Carr uses personal experiences, scientific research, and past events to make his argument effective. He believes that people have become heavily reliant on the Internet and that it is hindering humans’ abilities to let the brain evolve. Instead of allowing people to use their own thought process to come up with possible answers or ways of reasoning, the Internet gives people all of the answers. Many people have stopped questioning things and have stopped thinking for themselves. Carr even admits that the Internet has become his main source of retrieving information. Carr brings up the blogger, Bruce Friedman, and Friedman introduces the idea that because of how times have changed and the dependance on the Internet, many people have lost the ability to read and absorb long articles or pieces of writing. As a result, people have turned to “a form of skimming activity.” Carr’s use of personal anecdotes and experiences of other helps make his argument more effective because these accounts have also been experienced by many other people. 

There is some truth to both of the arguments made by Thompson and Carr. I agree with Thompson when he states that the Internet can help to generate new ideas and can inform people on things that they did not know before, and I also agree with Carr when he states that because of the influence of the Internet, people’s brains are being hindered from evolving and humans are becoming unable to concentrate.Though these authors have stated some insightful reasons behind the effects of the Internet on human cognition, I think they are forgetting to realize that these factors only play a part depending on how and how much people use the Internet. The determining factor of how and how people use the Internet is a key aspect of how people are affected by these digital technologies. The amount of time spent using the Internet and the reasons why the Internet is being used ultimately makes the difference when determining both the positive and negative affects. If people limited their use and did not abuse the conveniences and aids of the Internet then maybe the negative affects stated by Carr would not occur. If people allowed their brain to analyze and contemplate information and situations then the Internet would not be needed as much. Allowing the brain to analyze things for itself would also allow the brain to evolve and retain new information. I believe that if people stopped taking advantage of what the Internet offers and used it during appropriate times, then the Internet could be a helpful and positive source of information and entertainment. Because of the heavy reliance on the Internet, the view of what the Internet has to offer is being turned into a negative connotation.  I have personally experienced both sides of the argument of how the Internet affects human cognition. I feel like my thinking has been enhanced and broadened after reading digital writings. I have learned things that I did not know about before and I gained that information from texts that I have read online. I have also been writing and reading more since the most common texts that I read are found online on social media sites. I have also experienced the drawbacks of using the Internet too often. I feel like my memory has been hindered due to the use of the Internet because I do not have to memorize many things. My ability to concentrate has also been diminished. I have never been a big fan of reading, therefore, I can relate to Carr’s claim that people are no longer able to read long pieces of writing without getting distracted. Especially because of the all of the different aspects of the Internet, it is easy for me to get distracted or to loose concentration because I am thinking about somethings else that I could be doing on the Internet. I have also limited my brain’s abilities by always turning to the Internet for answers. Instead of allowing my brain to analyze information and come up with ideas on its own, I turn to the Internet for answers. 

There has become a heavy reliance on the Internet over the years due to all of the new things that become available and it affects people in different ways. Different people have various opinions about how these new digital technologies are affecting human cognition. For example, Thompson believes that the Internet has been beneficial and has a positive affect on human thinking. He argues that the Internet helps clarify thinking, generate new ideas, and improve memory. Whereas, Carr believes that the Internet limits human thinking and diminishes people’s ability to concentrate. There is validity in both author’s arguments, and I have personally experienced many of the things they are saying happens from using the Internet. It is true that the Internet can teach people things that they did not know before and that it can hinder people’s ability to concentrate, but all of these things are solely dependent on why and how much people use the Internet. People should be turning to the Internet as a useful source and not abusing what it has to offer. 

Introduction: In the Introduction, I will state the main argument about how digital technology and the Internet are affecting human cognition skills. I will further analyze how those forms of technology positively and negatively affect human thinking. I will also be providing my own logic and reasoning about my position on the topic.

1st Body: In my first body paragraph, I will introduce Clive Thompson's article, "Public Thinking." I will give a brief summary about Thompson's belief that the Internet has a positive effect on human thinking and state the ways in which he backs up his argument. I will also state the strategies that he uses and further analyze his sub claim that the increase in writing with these technologies helps to clarify thinking, generate ideas, and improve memory. I will also state the effectiveness of his sub claim.

2nd Body: In my second body paragraph, I will move on to introducing Carr's article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" I will explain how Carr has opposite beliefs than Thompson on the topic of how the Internet is affecting human cognition. I will briefly summarize Carr's main argument that the Internet has negative affects on human thinking and how he backs up his argument. I will state what strategies Carr uses to explain his argument and then analyze his sub claim that the Internet lowers people's ability to concentrate. I will also state the effectiveness of his sub claim.

3rd Body: In my third body paragraph, I will introduce my own thoughts about the topic of how the Internet affects human cognition. I will first state how I agree with certain parts of each author's arguments and then state how there can be positive and negative effects of the Internet. I will provide my own anecdotes and personal experiences with the Internet and state how I have been affected. I will further explain my belief that the Internet's affect on others is solely based on how and how much people use the Internet.

Conclusion: In my conclusion, I will wrap up my argument by restating Thompson's and Carr's beliefs on the topic of the effects of the Internet. Then I will restate how I agree with certain parts of each author's argument and provide how I have personally been affected. I will also state why this topic is important and how it affects everyone.

Intro Paragraph

New technologies, such as the Internet and Google, have become a major part of people’s lives. There has been an increase in the dependance on the Internet for new information, social media, and communication. What do you use the Internet for? How has the Internet been beneficial to you? Many people have opposing opinions about how the Internet has shaped and affected human cognitive abilities. The main argument made by Thompson is that the vast increase in public writing inspired by the Internet is an important, new, beneficial change for individuals and for society. People believe that it has profound cognitive, cultural, and political implications. In many ways, the Internet has been advantageous to human thinking and writing abilities. Thompson provides various claims that support this argument such as that the new forms of digital writing significantly improves writing and thinking. The increase in writing due to digital technology helps clarify thinking, generate ideas, and improve memory. The increase also advances democracy and civil society. The new forms of writing expand connections and improve the social networks that support research. Thompson also claims that this new digital medial is creating a golden age for literacy because students are reading and writing more than in the past which results in better writers and improved thinking patterns. Through the analysis of three different works of writing by separate authors, I will determine how the Internet and new digital technologies are affecting human cognition, and I will provide my own personal analysis of the issue. 

Anecdote

I believe that my thinking has actually been enhanced and broadened after reading and writing online. I have either learned about things that I did not know about before or I have learned more about a specific topic that I was familiar with but did not know much about. Because of online social media and sites, I tend to read and write more often too. I am not a big fan of reading books but I will read interesting articles or posts that catch my eye on the Internet. I use various forms of social media online where I can read about what other people are doing and write about things that I am doing or thinking about. I also use these forms of social media to communicate with others, which is another way that I use reading and writing through the Internet. I have found clarity on topics when I use the Internet to find out information on things I did not know about before. I understand that everyone can see what I put online and that they Internet has an enormous audience. Once something is uploaded to the Internet, it is there forever. Information and pictures posted on the Internet can never be fully taken down; therefore, it is important to think about what one is putting on the Internet and to be responsible because they can never get it back. I feel like my memory has been hindered after using the Internet so much. I usually do not have to memorize that many things now that the Internet has become so prevalent in my life. The Internet helps me stay connected to my friends and people that I do not see on a regular basis through the use of various social media sites. These sites allow me to either look at people’s pictures or read their posts or chat with them through instant messaging. I think that my ability to concentrate has been lowered through the use of the Internet because there are so many things available online that distract me from doing the things i am supposed to be doing. Through the information online, it has challenged my thinking and shows me that there are things that I do not already know. I have gained more knowledge through reading things online because there are people that post their knowledge and it helps people to learn new things. 

Final Draft

Google and the Internet have made major impacts on our lives. Humans as a whole have all become heavily attached and dependent on advanced technology. The Internet has evolved tremendously in the short amount of time that it has been around, to the point that people are 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 are 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 rather than finding out answers on their own. His argument proves to be persuasive to the audience as a result of the 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, narration, and exemplification to argue his claims. I will analyze Carr’s claims and describe how he uses each rhetorical strategy to argue his points. I will also evaluate how effective one of his strategies is on persuading his audience.

Carr uses the rhetorical strategy of exemplification by the use of examples and cases to point out his claim. This strategy tends to be beneficial to people making an argument because it gives the audience 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 his own person experiences to back up his claim by showing 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 the majority of people these days, Carr shows how most of the information that he analyzes and receives comes directly from things displayed on the Internet. Carr also states that when he brings up these accounts with his friends, 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 further proves his previous claim by providing person experiences with the Internet and relating it to peoples’ lives. Carr also introduces the blogger Bruce Friedman into his writing. He describes how the Internet has altered his mental habits. He states, “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 explains, “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 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, 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. 

Carr uses the rhetorical strategy of logos to help persuade his audience into believing his claims on the issue of how the Internet and Google negatively effect human thinking. Logos is one of the three Aristotelian Appeals, which are ethos, pathos, and logos. Logos refers to the use of logic, reason, facts, statistics, data, and numbers. Carr presents how research was conducted by scholars from the University College London on the topic of online research habits. Their research suggested that “we may well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think.” These scholars have been examining computer logs and are documenting the behavior of visitors of two specific websites, one that is operated by the British Library and another that by a U.K. educational consortium, that allow access to journal articles, e-books, and other sources of written information. They have come to the conclusion that the users of these sites use “a form of skimming activity,” otherwise meaning that they move from one source to another at fast paces without ever returning to the previous sites. Users tend to only read a few pages of an article or book then they move to a new site. Carr’s strategy of introducing scientific research works with his persuasive writing because it shows his audience that professionals are highly interested in the topic and that they want to get answers for themselves on how the Internet is affecting human activity and why. Readers can now see that this is a major issue and that researchers are interested in coming up with answers. Carr uses this particular strategy of introducing scientific research to show readers that this is an important issue and that there are people studying the topic to come up with answers to this unsolved phenomenon. These researchers are showing real life examples of how the human brain is being diminished by the use of the Internet. Humans are no longer able to read long texts and have to use a skimming strategy. This strategy furthers his central claim by showing readers from another perspective how people are invested in this topic of how the Internet affects human thinking.

Narration is another rhetorical strategy that Carr uses to persuade his audience. This strategy involves recounting an event. Carr introduces Friedrich Nietzsche’s story about him and the typewriter. Nietzsche’s vision was diminishing and he could barely keep focus on a page of reading. He was forced to put a hold on his writing and was scared that he would soon have to give it up. The typewriter ended the idea of Nietzsche having to give up writing. Once he got used to using the typewriter, he was able to use it with his eyes closed. He was once again able to transfer his thoughts onto paper. Carr states how the mind is “almost infinitely malleable.” Most people believed that our brains were fixed at a certain point by a certain time in our adulthood, but researchers have discovered reasons to believe otherwise. James Olds was a professor of neuroscience at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University, and he stated that “the mind is very plastic” and that “The brain has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions.” Carr uses this account to his advantage of showing how the brain works in order to present another reason of how the brain can change at any moment. Since the brain can change at any time, it can surely start to diminish in certain qualities due to the lack of practice in that area of work. By using the Internet and Google for long periods of time, the brain can surely start to loose practice in certain areas because those parts are not being used as often. The use of narration helps the audience to realize the brain works in ways that are still unclear to human research, and by bring up this account, it shows readers that it is scientifically possible that human brain qualities can be diminished from the frequent use of the Internet and Google. 

As a result of reading Carr’s article and analyzing his use of rhetorical strategies to prove his claims, I was effectively persuaded into believing that the heavy reliance on the Internet and Google have negatively affected human cognition skills. I never realized how substantial of an effect the Internet could have on our lives, and I have come to realize that people’s reliance on the Internet and Google are hindering the human brain’s ability to grow and evolve to greater lengths. The brain is not being challenged and is just being handed information instead of having to think things through to come up with answers. Carr proves to be effective in his intent to persuade his audience into agreeing that the Internet and Google are diminishing human concentration and contemplation. He provides his audience with personal experiences and examples of real life people who have experienced these side effect of using the Internet. They say that they are no longer able to read extensive amounts of writing and that the Internet has become their sole source of new information. Carr also introduces the work and research of scholars from the University College London. These researchers have come to the conclusion that since people are no longer able to fully read and analyze long accounts of writing that people have turned to “a form of skimming activity.” The story of Friedrich Nietzsche shows a real life event of how the brain can adjust to different situations and that it is beneficial for the brain to be challenged so that it can continue to evolve. Nietzsche was set back by his diminishing eye site but thanks to the typewriter and the ability of the brain to change, he was able to continue with his writing. Therefore through the use of exemplification, logos, and narration, Carr has effectively given the audience multiple accounts and reasons to back up his claim that human dependency on the Internet and Google has inhibited the brain’s ability to concentrate on long texts and analyze information.

Intro through 3rd 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, narration, 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. 

Carr uses the rhetorical strategy of logos to help persuade his audience into believing his claims on the issue of how the Internet and Google negatively effect human thinking. Logos is one of the three Aristotelian Appeals, which are ethos, pathos, and logos. Logos refers to the use of logic, reason, facts, statistics, data, and numbers. Carr presents how the research was conducted by scholars from the University College London on the topic of online research habits. Their research suggested that “we may well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think.” These scholars have been examining computer logs and are documenting the behavior of visitors of two specific websites, one that is operated by the British Library and another that by a U.K. educational consortium, that allow access to journal articles, e-books, and other sources of written information. They have come to the conclusion that the users of these sites use “a form of skimming activity”, otherwise meaning that they move from one source to another at fast paces without ever returning to the previous sites. Users tend to only read a few pages of an article or book then they move to a new site. Carr’s strategy of introducing scientific research works with his persuasive writing because it shows his audience that professionals are highly interested in the topic and that they want to get answers for themselves on how the Internet is affecting human activity and why. Readers can now see that this is a major issue and that researchers are interested in coming up with answers. Carr uses this particular strategy of introducing scientific research to show readers that this is an important issue and that there are people studying the topic to come up with answers to this unsolved phenomenon. This strategy furthers his central claim by showing readers from another perspective how people are invested in this topic of how the Internet affects human thinking. 

Narration is another rhetorical strategy that Carr uses to persuade his audience. This strategy involves recounting an event. Carr introduces Friedrich Nietzsche’s story about him and the typewriter. Nietzsche’s vision was diminishing and he could barely keep focus on a page of reading. He was forced to put a hold on his writing and was scared that he would soon have to give it up. The typewriter ended the idea of Nietzsche having to give up writing. Once he got used to using the typewriter, he was able to use it with his eyes closed. He was once again able to transfer his thoughts onto paper. Carr states how the mind is “almost infinitely malleable.” Most people believed that our brains were fixed at a certain point by a certain time in our adulthood, but researchers have discovered reasons to believe otherwise. James Olds was a professor of neuroscience at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University, and he stated that “the mind is very plastic” and that “The brain has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions.” Carr uses this account to his advantage of showing how the brain works in order to present another reason of how the brain can change at any moment. Since the brain can change at any time, it can surely start to diminish in certain qualities due to the lack of practice in that area of work. By using the Internet and Google for long periods of time, the brain can surely start to loose practice in certain areas because those parts are not being used as often. The use of narration helps the audience to realize the brain works in ways that are still unclear to human research, and by bring up this account, it shows readers that it is scientifically possible that human brain qualities can be diminished from the frequent use of the Internet and Google. 

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.