The Shallows begins with the author, Nicolas Carr, describing his life and reasons for writing the book. Born in 1959, he grew up in a world without many computers, so his childhood and adulthood were separated by the amount of technology or lack thereof. One day, Carr came to the realization that the Internet was not as great as it may seem at first, because it causes users to lose focus. Much research has been done on the topic, and it appears that the multitude of data stored on the Internet allows users to quickly shuffle through information, which shortens the long term human attention span.
The next chapter of the book describes a lot about the neuroplasticity of the brain - that is, its ability to change based on the situation it is in. Carr explains that the writing equipment that someone uses subliminally changes the way they are thinking - for example, when you are handwriting something, you are more easily to attain it than when you are typing it.
As we age, our interpretation of the things around us will change, and the Internet is a bit like artificial aging in that respect. With the Internet came a new understanding of the things around us. However, this technology, unlike other technologies, doesn't necessarily expand pur abilities to do other things - wasting time on the Internet stifles the amount of time that could be used for the types of creative growth.
Intellectual technology is described in the book as something that is used to further our own understanding of our own mind, much like writing did when it became commonplace. Carr points out that our mind is constantly in a state of distraction, so reading a book and being able to comprehend it was quite amazing when it was accomplished by nearly everyone. However, the Internet is far from the quiet meditation that a book can bring, instead feeding the human sense of distraction to jump from database to database.
In chapter five, Carr points out that the ubiquitous use of the Internet for all aspects of life is problematic - as humans, we naturally need separation between our activities. Yet, when the Internet connects us to both business and social media at the same time, it is easy to fall into a well of distraction. Carr warns that the overall amount of time that people spend in front of screens is increasing, which can be harmful to the memory.
At the time the book was published, it was anticipated that the fate of the printed book was only years ahead. As of now, we see that is untrue, but the use of ebooks is continuing to increase. Carr tells that reading a book on a screen is much different that reading it on paper, with its proximity to other texts available online. In some versions of online texts, there are links available that can take you somewhere else, which can help you lose the complete immersion and focus in what you are reading.
Carr warns that the Internet is not only used so often because of what it offers, but because of the way it was designed to fit our needs. The addictive and habit-forming aspects of social media and the Internet in general cause people to keep coming back again, often for no reason at all. While Carr says that not all types of distraction are bad, he points out that being rerouted from website to website can be harmful to your mental health.
Over the years, memorization has become less commonplace, as people increasingly rely on the Internet to store a calendar, phone numbers, and other things that people once memorized. This sum of lack of memorization and loss of focus, Carr warns, will eventually lead to a society that is overly dependent on technology and will decrease the amount of creative thought.
