Information, Attention, the Internet, and Our Brains – Nicholas Carr

Freedom Matters

Is the internet making us stupid? What is the difference between information and knowledge, and just why is attention so important?

This week we're in conversation with Nicholas Carr. Nick is an acclaimed writer whose work focuses on the intersection of technology, economics, and culture. In 2008, he wrote an article for The Atlantic entitled "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" His subsequent book, The Shallows – What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, was the first of its kind, calling on us to question the value of the internet and the impact that it was having on our brains.

A New York times bestseller when it was first published and now hailed as a modern classic, The Shallows won the Pulitzer Prize and has been translated into 25 languages. It remains a touchstone for debates on technology's effects on our thoughts and perceptions. And a second edition of the shallows was published in 2020.

In this episode we discuss:
- what led Nicholas to write the book and why it was so important
- the relationship between the internet, information, knowledge, memory and our brains
- just why attention is so important

This episode is part of of a new mini-series, which explores 'who's in control - the tech, or us?' Look out for subsequent episodes with Nir Eyal and Anna Lembke, when they will be sharing their own views.

Nicholas Carr: http://www.nicholascarr.com/

Host and Producer: Georgie Powell https://www.sentientdigitalconsulting.com/

Music: Toccare https://spoti.fi/3bN4eqO