⋇⋆✦⋆⋇A Must-Read⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

This essay is mostly for those readers who remember the days before Google, but as someone who hasn't lived many years without Google, this was still surprisingly relatable. Does anyone else feel more impatient when reading online compared to reading offline? Is anyone else frequently tempted to open a laptop or phone? Does anyone else find it difficult to close a device even though you know you should?

Carr argues that the brain is able to reprogram itself, with "nerve cells routinely break[ing] old connections and form[ing] new ones". He explains how the internet is a place of distraction, from the hundreds of posts on your social media pages to the advertisements, banners, and sidebars spaced on nearly every webpage, and even to the slew of tabs that most people have open on their devices. "The last thing these companies want is to encourage leisurely reading or slow, concentrated thought," Carr says. "It's in their economic interest to drive us to distraction." After all, the more links we click, the more information Google and other sites gains, and this information makes them money.

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