The Importance of Reading -- according to the scientific results!

The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas G. Carr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a very interesting book. It addresses concerns that I have had about what the internet is doing to my brain. Is it harmful to wade in the shallows (the net and it's small bits)? Or is it just fun and escape? I remember having the same concern about video games -- there were a few in my younger years that I was definitely addicted to! But I didn't play them all the time, just like I don't social media all of the time. Still, the thought lingers -- how bad for my brain is all of this? How much is the internet affecting my ability to deep think? Why do I sometimes have a need for a net "hit"?
This book was reassuring to me. Carr explains and demonstrates from scientific studies (hope they were valid ones) that even if you notice you are addicted to the shallows, it doesn't have to define you or encompass you. It is important to force some down time, read a book, get outside, (and I add, listen to music), and your deep thinking will continue to hum with pleasure.


According to Carr and the research he cites, deep thinking makes us smarter, better at what we are doing, and more empathetic. That is not to say that we can't thoroughly enjoy ourselves in the shallows! We must just watch that it doesn't overtake our lives, and our brain.

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