48 pages 1 hour read

Nicholas Carr

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2010

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Before You Read

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr explores how the Internet impacts human cognition, learning, and societal development, drawing on personal experiences and academic research to show the cognitive overload and memory disruption caused by constant online engagement. Carr calls for critical examination of Internet use to combat its negative effects and maintain robust cognitive and emotional development.

Reviews & Readership

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows explores the Internet’s impact on cognition. Positive reviews praise its engaging prose and thought-provoking analysis on digital distraction. Critics argue it sometimes overstates technology's detrimental effects. Overall, Carr's work is lauded for highlighting an urgent cultural conversation.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Shallows?

Readers fascinated by the intersection of technology and human cognition will find The Shallows by Nicholas Carr compelling. Comparable to Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media and Sherry Turkle's Alone Together, this book appeals to those interested in how the Internet shapes our brains and impacts our attention.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Science / Nature

Technology

Sociology

Period

Information Age

Themes

Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Values/Ideas: Literature

Life/Time: The Future

Genre

Education

Technology

Psychology