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The Shallows by Nicholas Carr is a book often cited in discussions about technology and society but it is a book I had not read. 2020 is its 10th anniversary so I thought I would read it (and The Big Switch and The Glass Cage) and write a review. 1/5 https://medium.com/theupload/diving-into-the-shallows-5ae84428e0d8
10 years is fairly old for internet commentary, yet the book remains relevant. This also means the arguments are still worth fighting since they are still used. Although, like many tech critiques, it excels at outlining problems yet lacks solutions and alternatives. 2/5
I was surprised that about half the book is a fun, interesting history of the printed word and societal reactions to it. Books in 16th century Europe after cheap proliferation became possible were sometimes associated with the devil! It reminded me of work by @pessimistsarc 3/5
The dire warnings though were tiring. Carr is correct that the internet changes our brains. But the why, to what degree, and whether or not those changes are bad or good are, as Carr has stated, up for debate. 4/5
Technology, the internet, and their effects on individuals and society are more nuanced than many critics allege—a a nuance only briefly acknowledged in The Shallows. So let’s continue to learn and examine our own use of technology and its effects. https://medium.com/theupload/diving-into-the-shallows-5ae84428e0d8 5/5
