The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains →

chrisbowler:

Author Nicholas Carr in an article in Wired.

On the Net, we face many information faucets, all going full blast. Our little thimble overflows as we rush from tap to tap. We transfer only a small jumble of drops from different faucets, not a continuous, coherent stream.

A fascinating — and frightening — reinforcement of what we are all coming to know. The article focuses on web pages littered with links, images, and video, but I would assume that computers with a multitude of applications has a similar affect on our work.

And so we ask the Internet to keep interrupting us in ever more varied ways. We willingly accept the loss of concentration and focus, the fragmentation of our attention, and the thinning of our thoughts in return for the wealth of compelling, or at least diverting, information we receive. We rarely stop to think that it might actually make more sense just to tune it all out.

Man, that really hits home.

Wow. What more can I add? Go read the full article. Certainly cause to pause for reflection. Also, I want to mention that Mr. Bowler is one of my personal heroes when it comes to his ability to firewall his time and attention. Therefore, if this hit home with him just think about the nightmares it will give the rest of us.