Importance of the Medium

Carr frames the thesis of the novel through the importance of the medium because viewing the Internet through the lens of a powerful medium allows users to understand the experience of accessing content in a unique way. Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase, “the medium is the message” (2). In Carr’s context, this means that the Internet is a lens through which users access content. Therefore, they may perceive any content that they see through the Internet differently than if they had used a different medium.

This consideration allows for a discussion of the effect of Internet use on the brain because it gives the Internet a sort of agency to be able to influence humans. Carr states, “The tight bonds we form with our tools go both ways. Even as our technologies become extensions of ourselves, we become extensions of our technologies” (209). This interconnectedness allows...