Essay Example: Negative Impacts of the Internet on Contemporary Culture

The advancement of technology in the twenty-first century ensured that internet is spread everywhere, and this was advantageous to most people as various issues were eased. For example, unlike in the past when people had to rely on postal addresses to communicate with their friends and relatives, today there is social media where people can chat and receive immediate feedback. Furthermore, research and writing have been made easier with the use of internet since scholars and students can quickly find information on the internet. Nicholas Carr and Malcolm Gladwell have interest in the advancement of technology and the introduction of the internet, and that is the reason why they write their journals in the discussion. While in Is Google Making Us Stupid? Carr writes about the change in the reading culture, Gladwell discusses modification of social movement in his journal which is titled Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted. Nonetheless, both authors are confident that the internet has a negative impact on contemporary culture since it has made people lazy and they cannot achieve what the previous generations accomplished.

Similarities in the Authors Observations and Ideas

First, both authors have the idea that the internet has improved specific issues in the community today. For Carr, he writes about the ease in research for students and scholars in the present world unlike during the twentieth and the previous centuries. Notably, he asserts that researchers just have to use the Google search engines and they will find all the details they are looking for in an hour. Contrary, it was quite hard to accomplish research in the past since an individual first had to visit various libraries to collect necessary information for developing the studies. Similarly, Gladwell notes that unlike in 1960s when revolutionist took a more extended period to spread information regarding the strategies of social movements, today it is much easier to disseminate information since a person can just tweet via Tweeter and they will reach to thousands or millions of people (Gladwell 170). In this idea, both writers are content that the internet has made work more manageable.

Second, both authors have also observed that the internet has made people lazy. While reading through Is Google Making Us Stupid, one will note that Carr is complaining throughout the journal about the influence the internet has had on the reading culture. First, he starts by narrating how in the previous years he would read volumes of books without feeling tired. Moreover, the writer describes that during the last years Carr was able to research without the use of the internet, but this culture has faded (Carr 88). Carr not only writes about himself but he also identifies some other persons who have even confessed to him that they no longer read books, and this is because of the internet. Notably, Carr believes that it is the internet which has created this lazy culture amongst people, and they use the internet since they just want to read the main ideas and assume that is the complete detail, For me, as for others, the Net is becoming a universal medium (Carr 84). Relatively, Maxwell Gladwell also believes that the internet has made people lazy and unreliable unlike in the past. In his writing, he compares the social movement that happened in the previous years to those which have occurred after the spread of the internet. For example, he states that the Greensboro movement of 1960 was successful without the use of the internet, but revolutionists still gathered, and their voices were heard. However, some recent social change has failed terribly since the people only talk via tweeter but they fail to assemble when they are to gather for demonstrations. According to Gladwell, the refusal to convene by most people who pose as revolutionist online is a sign of laziness.

Third, these authors also have a similar observation which maintains that individuals will have to do away with the internet if they will have to achieve certain matters. As much as the internet is helpful today, they believe that its relevance will fade shortly since it will have hindered many strategies. According to Carr, researchers must avoid the internet so that they can complete the best journals or thesis, and this is because the internet is killing the reading culture. Continuous use of the internet will create difficulty amongst scholar because they will not manage to compose lengthy studies. Comparative, Maxwell Gladwell uses his title, Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted to state why people must do away with the internet to achieve their motive, . The new tools of social media have reinvented social activism (Gladwell 181). The interpretation of that heading is that revolution shall not happen on Twitter or generally via the internet, but citizens must get out and fight for what they believe in the streets.

Differences in the Authors Observations and Ideas

Whereas both authors have the observation on the harmful impact of the internet on contemporary culture, the paper also notes their different approaches and ideas. The main variance between the two authors is that one of them applies the use of social movements and revolution while the other uses education and research. For, Maxwell, although he has noticed that the internet has a destructive effect on the people, he applies the use of social movements to table his argument. As previously highlighted in the paper, Gladwell compares the twenty-first and twentieth-century revolutionary movement techniques, and that proves that citizens have changed, but negatively. Contrary, Carr decides to make use of education and research to address the impact of the internet on todays cultures. For example, Carr argues that everybody is lazy to read, and it is not just the books but everything. The author refers to a colleague who is a blogger, as he claims that his friend tells him that people only open the links of the blogs to catch up with the main ideas and then close up the tabs. As much as these two authors had the interest of addressing adverse results of the internet, they vary since they use different ideas.

In brief, the paper has highlighted the emergence, growth, and negative impacts of the internet. After the development of the internet, most people were confident that the world would change for the better, but this has not been the issue. Nicholas Carr and Maxwell Gladwell have composed their journal articles where they both observe that the internet has had negative impacts on contemporary culture. Therefore, the paper has compared and contrasted the ideas of both Maxwell Gladwell and Nicholas Carr. First, it was essential to discuss that both authors agree that the internet has had a little positive impact on peoples lives. For example, Carr states that it is now easier to complete research since information is readily available on Google. Comparatively, Gladwell notes that the internet has improved communication and now information spreads faster compared to the previous centuries. Moreover, the other comparison is that Carr and Gladwell confirm that there are adverse impacts of the internet on the present behaviors. In Carrs narration, people are lazy to read, and Gladwell maintains that revolution is now a dream as people cannot get out and revolt. Nonetheless, the main difference in these two journals is that one decides to use educational matters to point out his argument while the other employs the use of political revolution and social movements. That is Gladwell compares the twenty-first and twentieth-century revolutionary movement techniques, and that proves that citizens have changed, but negatively. Dissimilar, Carr decides to make use of education and research to address the impact of the internet on todays cultures. Notably, Carr argues that everybody is lazy to read, and it is not just the books but everything.

Works Cited

Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid?." 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology (2014): 87-98.

Gladwell, Maxwell. "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted. ." 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology (2014): 169-180.