Saturday, July 17, 2010

Go Slow

For some time now there has been a debate whether Google has made us stupid.  And now it is also said that internet encourages fast reading.  We are constantly doing so many things online at the same time.  So many tabs open.  Reading news, reading/writing blogs, social networking, mailing, speaking over the phone....even working... and in the process only skimming through information.

And that according to Nicholas Carr, is only making us stupid. He says our mental faculties are getting slower.

The Stanford Poynter Project has also been researching this aspect for the past four years now. Initially it was to gather information of what people were reading. Now they even have eye tracking equipment to track where people pause to read and how much they skim matter online. Early results suggest that many no longer have the concentration to read articles. People are in general becoming less attentive. The process of analyzing information, contemplation is no longer there

And this has also a similar impact on the printed word. People are becoming less attentive book readers.

It has even led Pierre Bayard a Paris University literature professor, to write a book that went on to become a best-seller -  How to Talk About Books that You Haven't Read, so that "It's possible to have a passionate conversation about a book that one has not read, including, perhaps especially, with someone else who has not read it".   Bayard  offers tips on how to cover up ignorance of a "must read" book.  I must add here that I am just writing what I read about the book, I have not read it.  Nor do I intend reading it.

But let's give some credence to the research that is going on.  After all it is does not hurt if we did slow down reading. 



Personally, I could stay away from the internet maybe for a week.  I do not want to try that. It would have been of immense help if I had access when I was a student.  Maybe I am wiser ( in the absence of internet).  Who knows?

Anyway.....it is time to -  Slow down and Feel Groovy.

Slow down, you move too fast.

You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.

Simon And Garfunkel - The 59th Street Bridge Song
PS: Is the word 'groovy' in usage?  I only hear words like hip, hot and cool.

16 comments:

  1. Interesting post. I have seen that, longer the article, the tendency is to skip the lines in between so that they can read fast.

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  2. I think there is some truth to this. I find my attention span has reduced. Also, it is not as easy to read the printed word as before - didn't think there was a relation to internet usage though. Assumed it was progressing in age/having a young child around/paucity of time.

    On the other hand, I like the fact that I can google for terms I come across - in books, newspapers or when conversing - and don't comprehend.

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  3. So true Radha, so many things attended to simultaneously, women are more expert at parallel processing. :) Not very healthy actually.

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  4. I think it is quite true that our attention span is getting shorter. Internet may not be the sole cause. I think TV also has a lot to do with it. People want to watch a news item on the TV rather than read about it in the newspaper, although the latter is sure to have more inputs.

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  5. It is certainly easier to get information about any subject nowadays because of the internet. That is an advantage, of course.

    On the other hand, perhaps we forget to use our imaginations to solve any problem. We just 'google the answer'!

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  6. I have always felt that way Radha. On the other hand, now living in such an isolated community I can only be thankful for the easy access to internet where there are simply NO other resources for information for work OR for human contact sometimes.

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  7. I could do without the internet or maybe just FB for a few weeks. And maybe there is some credence to the research. Bloggers have so many posts in their readers to go through, who has time to read the whole thing before they comment?
    On the other hand, I find myself restricting the amount of blogs/ sites I visit so I can read the posts at leisure. Same with books. But then, I can see why sometimes it is easier to skim too, if the subject isn't interesting and that is all you have to read.
    But yes, I could definitely "Go Slow" sometime. :)

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  8. I could do without the internet or maybe just FB for a few weeks. And maybe there is some credence to the research. Bloggers have so many posts in their readers to go through, who has time to read the whole thing before they comment?
    On the other hand, I find myself restricting the amount of blogs/ sites I visit so I can read the posts at leisure. Same with books. But then, I can see why sometimes it is easier to skim too, if the subject isn't interesting and that is all you have to read.
    But yes, I could definitely "Go Slow" sometime. :)

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  9. Very interesting post. Attention span has become very short. And, now IPad has come. This is going to replace books....even school and college books.

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  10. Rajesh - I think we are all guilty about skipping lines. Unless, it totally holds our interest, or there is a compulsion to read - say for a test.
    Arundati - Lack of time, is what we all complain about. And so much to read and multi-tasking at the same time.
    But do not ever try skipping a page while you are re-reading a story to your son, he will not allow you to.
    Lotusleaf - TV has also altered reading habits, especially that of the newspaper.
    Indrani - we women are experts are 'parallel processing'.
    Manju - Googling the answer - I am so guilty of that.
    Trish - Internet has allowed me to get a glimpse of your interesting life!! And re-connecting with old lost friends. I agree with you.
    Jaya - In total agreement. Despite not being on FB, I still find a lot to do online. And if it was not for the internet, I would not have had access to The Guardian..
    SG- Technology is about making life easier , but to give up reading books altogether? I wonder if that is a good thing.

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  11. I'm waiting for Carr's book named "Shallows". He has a point! When everybody is becoming technology evangelist, there should be luddites too in order to have a balanced view.

    "How to Talk About Books that You Haven't Read" reminds of an article in an inflight magazine that I came across years ago! The author gives cheatsheet to master a technical book without reading it and show off! :(

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  12. Agree. The pace at which technology is going, all of us seem to be on the double as well, so we're not left behind! Wonder what our children, and our children's children would turn out to be - with virtual reality becoming reality!

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  13. I am suffering with the same problem Radha...

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  14. There is such a surfeit of reading material. Before the Internet had me in its thrall, I was an avid newspaper reader, but now it is rare for me to finish my four library books in the two week issue period, forget about the crossword puzzles I used to do.
    On a brief holiday last week I was happy to spend four days away from the 'net, but of course I was carrying some books.

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  15. hmm well it depends as you say when we were student internet would have helped a lot .. but then it also means we could have been WISER with more knowledge..

    But yeah its true we have less attention span ..

    even though it has become easier to get info but still people have to work on it .. :)

    a very interseting and lovely article :)

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  16. Attention span began going down with the invention of satelite tv, and with the internet, the attention span is almost non existent. I think our generation has seen both the neds, we are as we say on the cusp. Our kids dont know that end of the world at all, nor the word 'groovy'! they are as confused as their terms hot and cool!!

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