1. Nicholas Carr
“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

2. Four main claims
1) Media shape our thoughts.
2) The new media of the internet and smart
phones aim at efficiency and in this ways they
are different qualitatively different from the old
media of books.
3) Human intelligence is more than a mechanical
process.
4) The internet could make human thought and
culture more mechanical/superficial and less
reflective/deep.

3. Analyzing his argument #1:
Is it true or false
• Where does he provide evidence?
• How does his evidence compare with our
experiences?
• How does his evidence compare with our
research?

4. Analyzing his argument #2:
Is it persuasive or unpersuasive?
• Are his logical appeals sound?
• Does his establish his authority on this topic?
• Are his emotional appeals fair?

5. Analyzing Carr’s Argument
In what ways is Carr’s argument true, false,
persuasive, unpersuasive?
Please take notes as we discuss each point in
detail.

6. Claim #1: Media shape our thoughts.
• Evidence: His experience. The experiences of
others. Academic studies. Expert opinion.
• Comparison to your experience:
• Comparison to your research:
• Methods of persuasion: Your evaluation.

7. Claim #2: The new media aim at efficiency
and are different from books.
• Evidence: 1) Nietzsche’s writing “from arguments
to aphorisms” b/c of typewriter. 2) The effects of
the clock on our appetites. 3) Taylor and scientific
management of Midvale Steel.
• Comparison to your experience:
• Comparison to your research:
• Methods of persuasion: Your evaluation.

8. Claim #3 Human intelligence is more
than a mechanical process.
• Evidence: ?
• Comparison to your experience:
• Comparison to your research:
• Methods of persuasion: Your evaluation.

9. The internet makes human thought/culture
mechanical/superficial not reflective/deep.
• Evidence: Playwright Richard Foreman.
• Comparison to your experience:
• Comparison to your research:
• Methods of persuasion: Your evaluation.

10. Overall analysis:
Question for discussion:
In what ways is Carr’s argument true, false,
persuasive, unpersuasive?