Summary

In Chapter 7, called “The Juggler’s Brain,” Carr explains that the history he retold in the previous few sections is his route of thoughts in coming to understand what science can tell people about the way the Internet affects one’s mind. Research has shown that the Internet places users in an environment that encourages skimming, distractions, and superficial learning. Carr goes through the frequency with which people use digital technologies and how the Internet rewards quick responses and demands users’ attention. He focuses on the interactive feature of the Internet as an avenue to allow users to be social through this platform. He points out the paradox in which the Internet captures users’ attention in the moment and then leads to more scatter-mindedness in the long-run. He ruminates on the positive and negative qualities of distractions.

Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry...