'Google it'
This phase is increasingly becoming common not
only within my friendship group but also among my siblings and work colleges.
It sums up how far in terms of information flows we have come through
globalisation. As they say the answer now to a question is only a click of the
button. Whether stuck on an answer to a question or simply want to know the
result of a sporting contest- Google has all the answers. Google has revolutionized
the way people research and find results by providing an instantaneous response.
This statement is strongly supported by various
sources, Scholar Arthur C. Brooks states that ‘over the past decade, Google and its rivals have enhanced the ease of
information-gathering, lowered research costs and made creativity cheaper and
easier’. [Gelernter, 2008]
Another example of how technology has changed our
means of media and communication is through Google maps. Melways are well and
truly a thing of the past with an ever-increasing number of people having
access to smart phones. Smart phones have the ability to pin point your exact
location and put in specific location and give you alternative routes. This is
a dead set timer saver, when only a few years ago you’d be forced to rifle
through several pages and coordinates to find your starting point and location.
Google, Google maps have increased efficiency but
also can be blamed for laziness.
Gelernter, David, September 2008, 'Has Google changed the world' http://www.aei.org/article/has-google-changed-the-world/, Page 1
Yea, that’s true. The common language between me and my friends, or even my family is, “just Google it”. Here are some examples from me: When I organize a gathering with my friends, the only thing that I do is to search the address of the venue and share it to them using the Smartphone. This is the easiest and fastest way to let everyone knows the venue. For my family, if we want to get more details of the news, my parents would ask me to Google it; type the key words and press enter, then you would get what we want to know. However, I just wonder that, how about what would happen if we cannot use Google one day? What people would do?
ReplyDeleteGood work!
I am also a victim of the phase "just Google it". I agree with your post 100%, without realising it, Google has increased laziness amongst all of us and we have become heavily reliant on Google. However the Google maps function is great when you need to find directions and even the Google Street View is a bit creepy but shows the development of technology from Melways to Google Maps. There is really no need to GPS’s even more as the majority of people do have the maps function on their Smartphone. Imagine if we didn’t have Google, will we be smarter in a way that we will have to read books and sources to find out an answer instead of typing it into Google and it coming up right away?
ReplyDeleteGood Post!
I totally agree with what you have mentioned towards the end of your post regarding Google Maps and Smart phones. Google maps is fantastic! I currently feel so out of the loop because I am yet to purchase a Smart phone... waiting on my contract to end which means that I'll be soon to become an efficient navigator! Nevertheless, all my friends have smart phones so we never are in doubt when trying to find where we're going. Google maps is such a useful resource! I'm sure we all know how to look up a street/house in the Melway but its just imposssible when you're driving on your own to keep pulling over and trying to read a map! Which is why smart phones and GPS/TOM TOMS's are so incrediably brilliant! I would honestly be lost without my GPS! and of course we'd all be lost without google! It's like second nature we just use these programs/resources without even thinking about them!!
ReplyDeletewell done!! :D
Claire I completely agree with what you have posted, I could not imagine a life without google or google maps. The other day I left my phone at home and had to use my melways... little did I know that it was from 1999! I'm not sure whether the introduction of google has made us lazy however, I think more than anything, we are more able to find information at the drop of a hat whereas say 10 years ago, I couldn't have cared less why clouds were white or what the capital of Brazil is.. Google has made life easier for me!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Sarah