"Digital Media Effects on Conventional Reading and Writing Practices"

Quotes

Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers?

Writing, she says, is “a plastic art.  Writing always changes given the context. It molds itself to the changes.” – Andrea Abernethy Lunsford

After reading this quote from the first assigned reading, I have to say that I tend to agree with this argument. I feel that the way we write and communicate changes as time goes on. We tend to change the way we write and say things to match the times we live in. For example: the expression,  “totally cool dude”, would have been something that you would’ve heard from the mouth of a teenager living in the 1990’s. In today’s world the expression, “that’s sick” means the same thing. With this being said as oral language changes so does the written language. It adapts to fit with the times.

Literacy Debate: Online R U Really Reading?

“That’s a good thing because the world doesn’t go in a line, and the world isn’t organized into separate compartments or chapters.”- Rand J. Spiro

            I feel that this quote has some validity in the way the real world operates. Nothing is linear; life is so unpredictable that finding a pattern is often difficult. I think that Spiro may have a point in saying that online reading will better prepare today’s youth for what the real world, and it’s problems are actually like. I would be interested to learn more about the effects of online reading and how it changes people.

Stance

            I found this debate to be more controversial than I had originally thought that I would.  I am honestly not sure how I feel about it. From a person who loves reading books, I can see the value that reading can bring to the person. It engages the reader, if they are interested for a long period of time. Because of this I feel that avid readers probably have better attention spans. Also, from the article: Literacy Debate: Online R U Really Reading?, the author explains to the reader that the Conference Board found that 90% of all employers find reading comprehension as very important. This is no surprise I guess it just depends on what kind of reading comprehension one is referring to. The type of reading comprehension that is most measured in schools and standardized tests today comes from typical reading of paper books, or novels. So, it is important to know how to be literate in the traditional form. Third of all, the first assigned reading Baron mentions that writing is subjective to the reader it all depends on whom the writing is intended for. I feel that it is important to learn how to write in correct professional manner, those life skills are still required of all people who would like to advance in the world.

 Although, times are changing and maybe it is time to look more closely at what is considered “reading”. The second article mentions several times that standardized tests are going to include an electronic portion were a student’s digital literacy is assessed. I’m unsure of why the US isn’t taking part though. If this is the case and the way of the future is moving towards more technology based learning and reading I feel that the amount of time children spend in the online world will better prepare them for the new way of life. With this being said, I do not necessarily feel that digital media is destroying children. I think there is a place for both in our world. It all depends on how our society will operate in the future, more technology based or traditionally based. Our youth should be prepared for both.  I have an idea that we are moving more towards digital media and farther away from traditional reading.

A picture from the past 

 I think that reading books in the traditional sense is becoming a thing of the past. Like I had mentioned before, digital literacy is becoming more and more important today. I feel that one day the art of the reading a traditional book will be a thing of the past. That is why I chose an old photo to represent what our world is probably moving towards.