It is clear that users are not reading online in the traditional sense; indeed there are signs that new forms of “reading” are emerging as users “power browse” horizontally through titles, contents pages and abstracts going for quick wins. It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense. -The Atlantic
That was a quotation from Nicholas Carr’s assertion that Google is making us all stupid. Ph.D. Trent Batson has a substantial refutation and he, indeed, asserts that Google is making us smarter. We liked the analysis about the impact of the changes of reading and the new hybrid orality:
- ...We are reading as we speak when we are in a group. We "listen" to one statement, then another and another in quick succession: Our reading on the Web is like listening to a bunch of people talking. It's hybrid orality. We find ourselves once again the naturally gregarious humans we always were. We find ourselves creating knowledge continually and rapidly as our social contacts on the Web expand. We have re-discovered new ways to enjoy learning in a social setting.
I read both books and web and certainly there are differences but by no means, web content can possibly make us dumb. Not at all. Point to Trent Batson!
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