Digital Media Effects on Conventional Reading and Writing Practices

 Reading #1 - Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers?

“The huge opportunities and options for creating text (email, tweets, blogs) cause us to write (or type) more than we ordinarily would.  The result is that we are less careful with our words“ (Karp, 2010).

This quote hits home for me because I agree completely with the focus.  It is a present concern for me as a frequent texter to proofread my texts and emails thoroughly before pressing send.  Too often people have to hurry to sent follow-up texts to correct ones they wrote in haste, in anger, or while heavily distracted.  This shows a lack of concern for the words we choose to represent us.  It doesn’t matter if the text was to a friend who knows you well, or to your boss, texts are too easily misunderstood by recipients and feelings can get hurt in the process.  It is very much akin to the saying “A little bit of truth lies in everything you say.”  You may “take it back” in a text or with apologies, but those words are out there to the world with your name stamp.  You should own the words and be darn sure the ones out there posted by you reflect your feelings, are professional and are how you want them to be interpreted by your audience. 

I don’t personally have twitter or instagram.  I do use facebook as a means of keeping in touch with my friends and family.  My digital presence is under constant scrutiny.  I make it a point to read any posts I make or receive, any pictures I am tagged in, and keep track of what others are posting on their pages.  This helps me keep my digital profile clean and professional and allows me to present myself the way I intended.  All students and adults should be practicing this method of digital footprint editing so they are not being tarnished by their lack of effort, attention, and association.   I hope I have clearly expressed my view on this subject.  I have no issue with digital media presences, as long as users are being responsible and are taking the time to “keep up appearances” when it counts.

Reading #2 - Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?

In a book, “they go through a lot of details that aren’t really needed,” Hunter said. “Online just gives you what you need, nothing more or less” (Rich, 2008).

In this reading I pulled a quote from a student comment.  I can agree with him in the idea that books often give you information that is not essential to your grasp of what is happening, but I feel that it is important for reading comprehension that you are able to whittle out the details from the garb that are important!  The ability to weed out these essences in a text, of any kind, is key to understanding any written passage whether digital or hardcopy.  I find his comment quoted above to be accurate.  I also feel strongly that the Internet can sometimes make things too easy for children with the answers too readily given without much effort or struggle.  There needs to be a balance of information seeking between varieties of sources.  Students need to know how to be resourceful beyond the web.  I believe reading is beneficial regardless of the source.  I’d also like there to be a balance of what is read and the mode in which it is read (ie books vs. computer screens).  In an ideal world these things would be balanced, but there is no telling what the generations of the future will be doing.  I would like to think some of our classic methods will remain ever-present, but only time will tell. 

Where do I stand???  

Web Evangelist!

**Digital media is changing the way people read and write in the Digital Age**

I am more of the opinion that we adapt to our environments and to our present needs in contemporary society.  We may be adjusting our language to be less formal in some capacities, but this is not necessarily a regression as much as a progressive way of maximizing productivity.  Rapid communication via instant messaging or texting takes out a great deal of unnecessary garb that slows things down.  I am very much a proponent of digital media and trying to latch on to the coat tails of advancing programs to heighten my connection with my students and what they learn in my classroom.  This is the direction of our youths interests and we need to keep abreast of the changes if we want to relate and connect with our children.  Otherwise the disconnect between our young and old may become too dysfunctional to repair down the line.  

In the TEDTalk Video, John McWhorter states that texting is a “linguistic miracle” and the learning and developing of these skills is an “expansion of a person’s linguistic repertoire” (TEDtalk, 2013).  I believe his stance is very much the Web Evangelist with his excitement and enthusiasm for the advancements texting has given our society. 

In the first reading, Andrea Abernethy Lunsford, English professor and director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, at Stanford University says. Writing is “a plastic art.  Writing always changes given the context. It molds itself to the changes” (Karp, 2010).  This supports the Web Evangelist perspective of adaptation to change and global progress of technology and communication.

In the second reading, “A professor at James Madison University who focuses on adolescent literacy states, “I think they need it all” (Rich, 2008).  This is in reference to using books to acquire knowledge and skills as well as emails and web sites.  It demonstrates the progression in learning through several modes both traditional and new media.

References

Karp, J. (2010, January 26). Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers? | Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning. Does Digital Media Make Us Bad Writers?. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/does-digital-media-make-us-bad-writers

Rich, M. (2008, July 26). Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?. The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

TEDTalk. (2013, April 22). John McWhorter: Txtng is killing language. JK!!!. YouTube. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmvOgW6iV2s#t=16