A Blessing for Some, Curse for Others

In an ever-changing world it can often be hard to predict the consequences and repercussions that can come from new technology and innovations. It can be scary when trying to consider the negative effects that new technology could potentially pose on society. In the article titled Is Google Making us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr, the author proposes that the Internet gives us an easy out in accessing information and suggests that this takes away a sort of “deep reading that used to come naturally” (Carr, 1). He comments on how Google provides an undemanding way to skim through information that has become instantly available to us. Carr does make a valid point that while it does provide instant access to information, a sort of deep understanding is easy to pass by if not used correctly. One could argue however that while the Internet does “scatter our attention and diffuse our concentration” it allows us to delve deeper into one certain subject (Carr, 4).

In a study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) on information use in National Institute of Health (NIH) laboratories, Grefsheim and his team concluded from their study that “[j]ournals were the single most important information resource for biomedical researchers in this study, and online journals were overwhelmingly preferred by all types of scientists and all age groups” (Grefsheim, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2000785/).  Protesting that online journals are a fast and common way of obtaining information that is needed for innovative studies, allowing the researcher to understand more fully their method and process. Not only was this the most popular way of obtaining material for researchers but for all generations as well, demonstrating that it is not just the young generation that takes advantage of the vast access to information available on the web but other generations as well.

The research world is based on the building off others ideas and with the access to information that is available now this is easier to do. This instant access allows us to interpret what is already known and also to expand and question this intelligence, pushing our knowledge of the world to greater heights. In an article distributed by the American Medical Association researchers Marshall and Haley argue that a collaborative medical research site is essential to efficiency in the laboratory setting. “Investigators continuously generated test results and needed access to core demographic and scheduling information that constantly changed. Central statistical and epidemiologic staff needed access to current data to perform interim analyses for grant extension applications,” noted the researchers (Marshall, http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/284/14/1843.full.pdf). Showing the positive affect that the instantaneous access to information can provide. Grefsheim’s team agrees commenting that “[a] library Website that makes finding and accessing needed information easy can positively affect researcher productivity” (Grefsheim).

While Carr does make a good point that the Internet can certainly be abused, used simply as a short cut to deeper research and reading, it is also a tool that can help advance innovations and research in many fields. The Internet can provide a space for people to gain a knowledge and understanding of what is known and expand upon that knowledge. So along with everything else in the world the Internet can be seen as both a blessing and a curse depending on how it is used.