Reading, Writing and Technology

We live in a world that is dominated by technology, which creates a constant need to adapt to the changes that new tools and innovations present. In Chris Hedges’ article “America the Illiterate”, he explains his growing dismay with technology’s effect on American values and literacy. Hedges says, “The core values of our open society, the ability to think for oneself, to draw independent conclusions, to express dissent when judgment and common sense indicate something is wrong, to be self-critical, to challenge authority, to understand historical facts, to separate truth from lies, to advocate for change and to acknowledge that there are other views, different ways of being, that are morally and socially acceptable, are dying.” Chris Hedges charges technology with triggering a decline in critical thinking, overall knowledge, and even morality. The actual effects on literacy are difficult to determine because the changes occurring are fluid and influenced by many factors yet Hedges presents valid questions as to the true influence our increasing dependency on technology has on how we read and write.

However not all perspectives are as dismal as Hedges’ because technology is also producing positive changes within the world. The growth of technology coincides with the ongoing trend of globalization, the increasing economic, political, and cultural connection across the world. Technology has allowed for our nations to interact in ways that were unprecedented including communications through video, and e-mail across thousands of miles. In fact, anyone with an Internet connection had access to Obama’s State of the Union address through the White House’s YouTube channel which streamed it live. The majority of international flights are booked through the Internet making it a valuable resource for intercultural connection. Sites like Wikipedia and Google allow for people of any background to have access to up to date, accurate information on just about any subject. Technology provides new means of interaction, an unprecedented availability of information, and is transforming the way we read and write but I do not believe it will be detrimental to literacy as a whole in the future.

            Technology is contributing to society by adding new forms of literacy through technology including blogging, social networking and even computer literacy. Prominent blogger Andrew Sullivan writes in his essay “Why I Blog” that, “The blogosphere has added a whole new idiom to the act of writing and has introduced an entirely new generation to nonfiction. It has enabled writers to write out loud in ways never seen or understood before.” Sullivan explains that blogging is a more personal form of writing that allows for a direct connection between the author and reader that is unprecedented. This means that criticism moves directly from the reader to the author and commentary is instant. It also means that information is more likely to be accurate because it is up to date and can be easily fact checked. Technology has also created a new sense of the word literacy in regards to computer programs like Word or Excel and social networking sites like StumbleUpon or Tumblr. Each of these examples uses reading and writing academically and for entertainment purposes.

            One argument against technology is that it has diminished the importance of personal connection within society. Parents argue that kids spend too much time texting or on YouTube but is social networking really the menace it’s portrayed as? Social networking has multiple facets of utility because it can provide connection between ideas, people, and groups yet it also has the potential to be I think that social networking is actually a conduit through which people interact today that has perhaps caused a shift away from traditional communication. Take Facebook for example, it provides a means through which groups can share information and form connections to those across countries.  Despite time potentially wasted by Twitter, Facebook and Skype, social networking also allows for easy organization of social events including propelling important political change forward. In fact, Facebook was essential in organizing the youth of Egypt and the growth of the revolution that eventually saw the transfer of power from President Hosni Mubarak. Wael Ghonim, a major leader in the Egyptian revolution said “I want to meet Mark Zuckerberg one day and thank him [...] I'm talking on behalf of Egypt. [...] This revolution started online. This revolution started on Facebook.” Technology, and especially social networking, may be changing the way that we interact but I believe that it is not diminishing our need for personal connection; it is merely changing the way we see our means of communication.

Wael Ghonim also spoke of technology as an important means of development and stated, “I've always said that if you want to liberate a society just give them the Internet.” Technology can perhaps lead to increased literacy and further development within a country, despite literacy constantly changing, because it allows for a country to grow and increase it’s international standing. Although the Internet can be misused for shady entertainment or procrastination, it also carries an astounding amount of resources and knowledge. Citizens living in developing countries can learn of other means of living through the Internet or keep in contact with family members that relocated. Take for example, the charity organization Invisible Children, that supports ridding Africa of child soldiers and the Lord’s Resistance Army, whose main resource is their website. The organization also implemented satellite phones in order to allow communication between villages as to the movement of the LRA, which prevented further kidnapping and murder. Technology, by playing an important part in developing other countries can actually serve to increase literacy among those who previously had limited resources.

 The enormous potential that technology has to improve lives and have real change, is countered by those who wonder if literacy will decline among developed countries that have constant Internet access. Since younger generations are becoming increasingly accustomed to computers, the Internet, and cell phones, educators have speculated as to the potential negative impact that it will have on traditional literacy. Clive Thompson wrote an article that examined these fears and cited Andrea Lunsford, a professor at Stanford, who performed a study on the writing habits of college students. Thompson writes that “The first thing she found is that young people today write far more than any generation before them. That's because so much socializing takes place online, and it almost always involves text.” Lunsford showed that the level of casual or social writing and reading had been overlooked and has actually increased with Internet use and social networking. As for the quality of work that students produce, “When Lunsford examined the work of first-year students, she didn't find a single example of texting speak in an academic paper.” Lunsford proved this myth about the use of common text language, like acronyms such as BRB or LOL, within essays that professors and teachers often use as an example of the detrimental effects of technology, wrong. Thompson also noted at the end of his article that “What today's young people know is that knowing who you're writing for and why you're writing might be the most crucial factor of all,” which speaks to the ever changing nature of literacy as one skill that is essential for one generation may be replaced by another.

The importance of language has not dissipated, it has merely changed and technology now plays a major role in developing how people read and write today. Acquiring some form of literacy is becoming more and more important, as innovations guarantee that our world is connected via Internet, satellite phone or video and social networks. Despite the possible negative effects on literacy that technology could have, like decreased writing proficiency, I believe that modern advances are actually a means for improving our literacy because it calls for adaptation and creativity.

Audience Intro Paragraph

I chose to write my essay to a younger audience and appealed to them by using applicable examples of technology, social networking and interactions with literacy. I chose a younger audience because I think the topic is somewhat persuasive, as to the nature of technology in relation to literacy, and is most relevant to younger generations. I think the example of students using text language in papers and parents thinking their kids are on the computer or their phone too much are situations that most youth can relate to. I also think that the idea of a revolution led by the Egyptian youth through Facebook shows that young generations can have a serious impact on their country and can serve to encourage positive and substantive use of resources at their disposal. 

P9: Reflection

I think the most challenging part of working with these posts has been learning the format and finding what style to write in. After tinkering with Blogger and becoming comfortable with writing on the Internet, I found that it's often harder to start a blog than it is to finish it. I like that blogging allows for a stream of consciousness but that it also is easily edited and revised. I think that it allows fro a more fluid type of writing and have enjoyed doing this informal type of writing for our class. 

I was surprised by how many bloggers there are out there. It seems that the blog world is one I have barely tapped into and that there are some pretty influential writers out there. I had previously only looked at blogs for fashion like Fashion Toast or The Sartorialist, which had minimal text on them. However, I have kept up with Tavi Gevinsson, a teenage fashion blogger, whose career has skyrocketed and am now realizing how influential blogging can be. A 13-year old can now launch herself into the high fashion world, merely through posting on a blog online. I'm interested in possibly finding other blogs to follow that would suit my interests and have a bit more text.

My attitude towards writing on the Internet has changed in that I now actually know something about writing on the Internet. My experience with blogs was pretty limited and it's been interesting to see that there really is someone writing about everything you can think of on the Internet. I think that the Internet is an incredibly important tool for our generation and that the way our writing influences it and vice versa is also an important thing to recognize. 

P8: Literacy in Three Metaphors and New Literacy

"What is literacy?" -Sylvia Scribner 

". . .Young people today write far more than any generation before them." -Clive Thompson 

Sylvia Scribner's "Literacy in Three Metaphors" describes the gaps within our definition of literacy and the multiple functions literacy can have within society. Literacy can be a vital tool for survival, a means for elites to guard power, or a way to create peace between those of different doctrines. I thought it was interesting to take a look at literacy historically and culturally because time and social norms warp and generate the true meaning of literacy. Literacy has never had a full definition which makes it harder to assess how many people are literate and difficult to know what standard to teach people to. 


Clive Thompson emphasizes how an increase in casual, or "life", writing has allowed for students to adapt their writing to their audience. Generations before ours didn't' utilize texting, blogging or social networking; media platforms that all utilize text in one way or another. Thompson points out that despite general impressions that students writing is becoming worse and worse, writing is actually changing and adapting instead. Our world is changing with increases in technology and globalization, therefore many aspects of our lives will change as well including how we write and read.


I think that these articles both point to the changes in literacy that occur. Definitions and requirements for literacy have changed over the years and continue today to be loosely defined. Cultures can also influence the definition of literacy, as some may emphasize more structural, practical writing and others require further more academic skills. Culture and technology influence literacy in what we read, how we read, and how we respond as well.  These authors both highlight the need for adaptive and innovative writing as we learn to utilize technology and media in our changing world. 

P7: America the Illiterate

“Culture is being destroyed in order to yield entertainment.” -Hannah Arendt

I found the statistics Hannah Arendt presented about the level of vocabulary used at Presidential debates shocking. I had no idea that politicians, who we consider to be highly educated and appoint to make important decisions, would use such poor communication skills. It's also astonishing to think that there is so much illiteracy within the US. Illiteracy has never been something I would think to encounter in a highly developed and powerful country yet around 1/3 of the population is illiterate or semi literate.

I also found Arendt's idea of an America divided by their use of print versus the Internet very interesting. I think that literacy can definitely be a means for division between people because it's a skill so essential that it can impact how people think and act but a preference for print or Internet can also be important. Older generations, my grandparents included, don't even have computers or use the Internet. As information becomes increasingly available on the Internet, how do newspapers and magazines fare? As their clientele becomes smaller and smaller, how much longer will the world of printed word survive?

I think that Carr and Arendt make similar points; each leaning more towards the positive or the negative. Carr acknowledges that the Internet will change the way we think and write but that it is not necessarily for the negative. Arendt makes the argument that the Internet, and computers in general, have caused a downward trend in quality of writing and vocabulary in the United States.  I think that both arguments bring compelling ideas to the table and that it is equally important to consider the pros and cons of the Internet as it becomes more and more essential. I think that the Internet, as a media source, will continue to bring new questions to media studies in regards to ethics, writing, and information.

P6: Is Google Making Us Stupid

The clock “disassociated time from human events and helped create the belief in an independent world of mathematically measurable sequences.” -Nicholas Carr

I think that Nicholas Carr believes that Google is not necessarily making us stupid but changing the way we think and forcing us to adapt to an increasingly connected world.  Carr notes how tools interfere with and shape the way we think. For example, the typewriter and printing press brought fast, cheap, mass production of popular books. This eventually allowed for those without large sums of money to become literate as well. Also, when the written word was first introduced philosopher Plato warned that it would account for people relying less on their memories and allow for people to have large amounts of information without truly being wise.  I think that this statement has some validity in that people who are on the Internet constantly lose the opportunities to develop critical thinking skills or even an appropriate attention span. That being said, Carr counters his point that Google is changing the way we think, mostly for the negative, but that there are significant gains to be made from utilizing the Internet.

I found it ironic to be reading this post for a Writing class that involves blogging because of all the web activity that the article refers to. However, I think that Carr does make a good point in highlighting the advantages and potential that the Internet has. Yes, the Internet isn't always safe. Yes, the Internet is distracting. Yet I think that the Internet has become a fundamental part of American society and will continue to grow and shape the way we think until we have fully integrated it into our daily lives. I thought the concept of time mentioned in the quote above was fascinating because it points to the social constructions that can limit thought and action. I think that the Internet is well on its way to becoming a social construct that influences daily lives and especially how people read and write.

P5: Rewriting Intro and Ch.1 Response

Texts don't simply reveal their meanings to us; we need to make sense of them. -Joseph Harris

In Harris' introduction and first chapter of Rewriting, he outlines the basic concepts discussed within the book and also key elements for writing using others text. Harris begins by describing writing as a collective reconstruction of previous writings instead of a purely individual creation. However, this does not undermine the importance of accurately representing others within your own writing.

Harris uses the chapters within the book to organize how to formulate and develop your writing, as well as utilize others text, but also to rethink traditional revision. Chapter three focuses on "forwarding ideas", similar to an e-mail, as a way of response to a text; by "forwarding" a text you take the original work, add your own input and elaborate on the writing in a unique way.  I think that the idea of revision based less on grammar and syntax but on creating a better translation of your ideas will be refreshing and helpful compared to previous high school methods.

Harris also encourages writing to be less black and white, meaning that essays that argue for or against an issue are rather irrelevant because a clean cut solution is often impossible to find. This is also true when utilizing text within an argument because an approach that describes the goals and strategies of a piece of writing rather than a "main idea" or "thesis" is likely to be more valid. Measuring the strengths and weaknesses of anothers ideas and text can lead to a more carefully constructed response.

I think that Sullivan and Harris both value the fluidity of writing, in that they both recognize how writing adapts and changes based on culture. Although Harris is writing more from an academic than a professional standpoint, as Sullivan is, I think he emphasizes the importance of, perhaps not casualness, but clarity within writing. I think that Sullivan and Harris both prefer a style of writing that is beyond the academic model or a 5 paragraph essay or even thesis statements and instead that offers a more concise, clear view of the authors point of view and the text/issue that they are analyzing. I think that blogging as writing allows for citation to be simple and easy, which perhaps increases their accuracy and effectiveness.

P4: Comparison of Internet Habits

After reading my fellow classmates blog posts about their Internet habits over a few days, it seemed that we had very similar uses for the Internet. People mentioned the weather, Facebook, YouTube, StumbleUpon, various news sites and DU websites like Blackboard and WebCentral. The Internet has become a tool for our generation partially for useful things like reading the news or Blackboard and also for entertainment like social networking, viral videos and games.

I mentioned last time how incredible the amount of information on the Internet there truly is and it's strange to think that we use it for entertainment primarily. There are people in other countries, even in our country I suppose, that couldn't get access to Internet even if they could afford it. The information available on the Internet could allow for every person to be globally aware and open possibilities for higher education. The resources online are astonishing and yet it seems we don't take advantage of them as well as we could.

It's also strange to think that grammatical rules and spelling are even an issue for students because they are literally a few keys and a click away on the Internet. Does e-mail and websites like Facebook cause our English to become more and more casual? I think that it does and that increases in technology are perhaps eroding the rules of English. It's strange to think how language evolves according to shifts in culture and I think that technology will certainly change the way we speak.

P3: Internet Habits

The past few days, I have notice that I'm constantly connected the internet. Whether I am using the Facebook app on my phone, which I check at least once or twice day, or using Google to find directions to a coffee shop. I check my e-mail on my phone and on my computer at least every few days and am likely to use the internet every few hours because of my phone. I've tracked my internet habits according to school and non-school related.

For school, I am usually checking my e-mail and looking up syllabi on Blackboard almost daily. I obviously use the internet and my computer for our Writing class, but am using it to write papers and take notes for nearly all my other classes. I use my computer for research as well, or to elaborate on a topic that I've been struggling with in class. However, I have noticed my in class habits tend to be a combination of note taking and internet browsing/shopping, despite my efforts to resist one day online sales that I receive e-mails about. It's also very easy to get distracted by Facebook in class because it's literally one click away as it's a bookmark on my browser. You'd be surprised at the number of contacts who are online that are also in class. In this way technology is a double-edged sword in that in can be a cause of huge distraction and also a great resource to have for class.

When not using my computer for school, I am usually on Facebook, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, YouTube or Google. I'll probably visit these sites at least once every few days, depending on how busy I am/how much homework I want to put off. I subscribe to certain videos on YouTube, mostly comedy, and mostly follow fashion blogs on Tumblr. StumbleUpon and Tumblr are the easiest ways to waste time but I've also found some really interesting ideas, photos and just generally interesting things on there. It's cool to be able to find things that would otherwise pass you by, just by selecting your interests on StumbleUpon. I love photography and find that these two websites often have great pictures. The internet has never failed to be a source of entertainment however lacking in substance it may be.

P2: Andrew Sullivan's "Why I Blog"

As you read a log, you have the curious sense of moving backward in time as you move forward in pages—the opposite of a book.  

To blog is therefore to let go of your writing in a way, to hold it at arm’s length, open it to scrutiny, allow it to float in the ether for a while, and to let others, as Montaigne did, pivot you toward relative truth. 

-Andrew Sullivan  

I think that Andrew Sullivan blogs because it is such a rare form of writing in that it allows instant connection from the reader to the writer, both conveying information and allowing for instant criticism. In "Why I Blog", Sullivan describes how blogging has evolved since its beginning and how it contributes to a "golden-era of journalism."

Sullivan describes blogging about 9/11 and how he used his blog to share his immediate reactions with the public and could then look back to see his actions. Blogging is like a public diary because it allows for little editing and can follow subject matter at your own discretion. As blogging as developed, Sullivan describes how the medium has become a unique outlet that because of it's ease of use and instantaneous results creates a publisher unlike those in print.

Blogging also allows for instant criticism because as soon as the post is up, it's vulnerable to comments, e-mails and other forms of communication from readers. This allows for a new form of accountability for writers, notorious for being sensitive, to experience and to be criticized directly from their readers. Blogging creates an intensely personal form of writing through it's connection between the author and reader.

P1: Creating a Blog

This is the first blog that I've ever created and I was surprised at how easy it was. Setting up this blog was simple because I already had a Google account so it only took me a few steps to set it all up. It was somewhat similar to Facebook in that you add your personal information and maybe a picture but I think blogging is a separate element of social networking that is more substantive. There really were no problems to resolve but I think that if I did Blogger has set everything simple enough and easy to use so that I could find a solution.

The Internet has been made more accessible to those without expert knowledge through social networking, blogging, and even YouTube. I think the Internet has made it incredibly easy to publish information, an action otherwise reserved for professionals, and blogging is one example of this. It's almost incredible to think that we take this amount of information for granted when there are people without Internet access that face serious problems around the world.

I think that blogging is a form of writing that is so unlimited. Blogs can be on any subject you choose, in any format and can be viewed by people of your choice. It's a structured environment for publishing your material but also allows options to fit how comfortable you are with people reading it or what subjects suits you the best. I'm not sure if my opinion of blogging has changed since creating my own blog but I am curious to see what I think by the end of the quarter after extensively using my own.