Pooran Nardeo

Professor Ellis

English 1101

9 December. 2015

The internet, our new virtual world, where we can hunt and gather information. The internet is such a widely used media today, that we seem too adapted to it naturally. One of the world’s biggest search engines today is Google. Google is not what it used to be anymore, for starter the company is not called Google anymore, it is called the Alphabet Inc. This is all due to how widespread Google has become. But back to the point Google, in general, the internet part which included the search engine, images, maps and Gmail. They are more Google tools that are available but for this argument these are the four main one I’m going to talk about. These are the four that made our life better, in the sense that it made us more intelligent.  These four simple but life change tools make our life better because, of the amount of information you can gather with the simple push of a few key. Another reason is the way we view it, both visually and mentally and finally the way we use it to communicate. I will start by giving a short but detail background on what Google is and the four specific tools that I chose and then, I will write how those tools made us smarter, by first explaining how it helps me gather information, then how I view it, both visually and mentally and finally how it helps us communicate. I will also give a few counterclaims, explaining why using these tool might not be such a good idea.

Google is one of the most recognize search engine out there today. You could basically find anything you need to know about something with a simple keyword or phrase. Google was found in 1998 by two brilliant minds Barry Page and Sergey Brin.  Google was created for one reason “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”(Alphabet Inc 1), a goal that they obviously accomplish. Today Google is much more than just information, they had become such a big and multipurpose company, that the company is not called Google anymore. The parent company is called Alphabet Inc and each letter represents a sub company or organizations, for example, the letter G, represent Google.

Google, in general, is a multipurpose media, they are a lot you could obtain for it, but you have to know how to use it. Google is pretty simple to use, just put in a keyword or phrase and hit search, but the search would be different for every subsection, of Google. Google have many subsections, but the one that is most widely use is the simple Google search. That is the one that is mostly use because it is the default setting and you get the most information on the specific search. Google have impacted our life so much that it is even trying to think what we are going to search before we even start searching. Studies have shown that “Google may shed light on relations between real-world events and people’s information search behavior” (Arditi 1). This is how they going to know what we’re about to think before we do it, by using our search behavior. They will be using advanced software system that could interpret our search history and tell what we would possibly be looking up next. This might sound like science fiction right now, but it is possible and when it happen it might be helpful but also scary for some people. For me it would be helpful because it knows what I want to search so it already has the information I’m looking for. This is going to be a time saver because I’m not going to have to scroll through page after page to find a simple document. This might also encourage people to search because they know they’re going to find what they’re looking for.  Studies also have shown that what we search for on the internet clearly affect the real world. “For instance, a relative increase in search of the word ‘debt’ tended to precede stock market decline” (Arditi 1). This is a very important fact because our economy depends mostly on stocks and if a simple google search can change our stock market, it means that it could change everything. Include the way we live. This could also be a good thing because if the word debt can cause a decline then the opposite might cause an increase in the amount of stock we buy. The Google is also the number one destination for people who want to buy stock. Because you could find everything you need to know about a stock company and how good or bad they’re doing. Google search don’t just affect our stock market, it affects the way we live and if we could use it efficiently our life would be better.

Google have a lot to give and another one of its multiple tools is the image search. The image search is a huge collection of photo from Google, user around the world. Google image is not only for entertainment, but it could also be used for research and education purposes. “Think more broadly than merely using image search to find pictures. Instead, consider the myriad ways in which an image may consider additional information or lead to an answer”(Notess 2). Barnard once said, “a picture is worth ten thousand words” and I agree with him because you could use photo for more than just amusement, you could use it to find clues, as evidence, or even as the quote said to lead to an answer. Another reason why image search is helpful is because we could use it, on the go, to help ourselves. “Picture can help with the identification of plants, animals, landmarks and people”(Notee 2). With to use of this, life would be easier because you could quickly look up a plant and know what it is and the entire history of it, the same you could do with a person or animals.  This mean that we don’t have to memorize everything because as human we only try to memorize the important facts. Google images are more than just photos, it’s a data bank of knowledge, both from the past and present.

Google map, the world in our hand. With the use of this, we could travel the world with a few click of a bottom and get information about any destination we like too. I personally use google map to find information about places where I am about to visit. It gives me a heads up on what I should accept, also I use it to get from one destination to another. Google map is not only for personal use, biologists also use it, to gather information. “We present an exploration of design opportunities that the Google Maps interface offers to biomedical data visualization”(Jianu 1). This shows how the map tool is helpful to us a human, it makes it easier and more understanding. With the use of this specific tool biologists around the world with access to Google will be able to gather data and share it with each other. This again means that they have more time which equal to more work getting done. The map tool is not only for experienced user, anyone could use it. “We also find that users, particularly those less experienced with computer use, are attracted by the familiarity of the Google Maps API”(Jianu 1). This once again shows how helpful this one simple tool is. This is not a tool that you have to learn to use before you start using it, it’s an interface that you learn as you go, picking up new technique on your way. The map tool might be one simple tool in the Google collection, but it is very important, both to us and our survival.

The final tool that I’m going to argue about is the email section of Google. The email section of Google is called Gmail. With the use of Gmail, the possibility of storing and revisiting information is endless. Gmail is not only used to store information, its use mostly to communicate. People around the world use Gmail to professionally contact each other and share information. According to a dear friend of mine, Andrew Ramlakhan, he said that “I personally use Gmail, to not just communicate with people but to get update on what’s going on around me”(Ramlakhan par 1). This is great example on how this tool helps us stay in contact with the world. Since, today the world is such a busy and confusing place, it’s good to know they’re something out there that could keep us, up to date. Gmail might be a small part of the internet, but the use of it is infinite.

Although many including myself argue that Google is a great idea, many others might have a different option. One of these people is my mom. She said that “I didn’t grow up with Google and I survived, so I don’t see how Google could make my life any better”( Nardeo par 1).  This could be true but since I’m a person that grew up with Google it would be nearly impossible to live without it. Some even argue that Google is taking over ” with 71 percent of the United States search market (and 90 percent in Britain), Google’s dominance of both search and search advertising gives it overwhelming control”(Raff 1). This might be true, but so far it not been a bad thing. Google is on top because how useful it is. They might be some negative on using Google, but the benefit overpowers it.

Overall the use of these four simple Google tools, Google search, image, map and Gmail, have not only help me but the people around me and even around the world. The use of Google search not only affects us, it affects what is going on in the real world. As for image, it makes us find information faster and use that information in multiple ways. Map lets us explore the world that’s out there and lets us know that there more out there for us to learn. Finally, with Gmail we could communicate with each other on a professional level and share information. This is how these four tools are beneficial to us, because of how it makes us smarter. Even though they might be some negative impact, the benefit is far greater. All we have to do is what we have been doing for since we existed, evolved and adapt to the new environment.

Works Cited

Alphabet Inc. “Google.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Dec. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2015

Arditi, Eli, Eldad Yechiam, and Gal Zahavi. Association Between Stock Market Gains And Losses And Google Searches.” Pols ONE 10.10(2015): 1-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Jianu, Radu, and David H. Laidlaw. “What Google Maps Can Do For Biomedical Data         Dissemination: Examples And A Design Study.” BMC Research 0Notes 6.1 (2013): 1-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2015.

Nardeo, Sarita. Personal interview. 06 Dec. 2015.

Notess, Greg R. “Leveraging Multimedia In Web Search.”Online Searcher 37.2(2013): 62-64. Academic Search Complete. web. 1 Dec. 2015

Raff, Adam. “Search, but You May Not Find.”Http://www.lexisnexis.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/. Lexis Nexis Academic, 30 Dec. 2009. Web. 12 Dec. 2015.

Ramlakhan, Andrew. Personal interview. 05 Dec. 2015.