Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thompson's Views on New Literacy


“An age of illiteracy is at hand, right?” Wrong, this is such a rash statement that has not solid support.  There is no argument that can contrast to the fact that because of technological advances, there is less reading from dictionaries, thesauruses, and magazines, but Sutherland left out the idea that since we rely on the internet so much, it has just become our primary source.  People use the internet to read articles from newspapers, browse the millions of blogs, and to keep in contact with people around the world.  Although texting may hinder our abilities to communicate face-to-face with a person, I strongly believe that we are not on a slippery slope towards illiteracy. 

               I 100-percent agree with Lunsford in that we are among, as she calls it, “a literacy revolution.” People are using their freedom and creativity to write in ways that were never thought of as ‘correct’ or ‘proper.’ The day and age we are in allows people to openly be who they are and to find themselves through different forms of art.  Some people may not agree that writing, or song lyrics, or interior design are art forms, but I believe that as long as there is a sense of expression, it is art. 

               Now, back to the whole LITERACY part of Thompson’s article.  One major difference in modern writing, compared to previous eras, is that papers are now more commonly written for a specific audience.  One writing piece I had to write for a specific subject was in my Communications class last semester.  I had to write a piece, persuading the class to change something to better their daily lives.  I wrote about how college students do not drink enough water, and the simple solution was carrying around a reusable water bottle on a daily basis.  Although there is a huge statistic of people who do not drink enough water, I narrowed my thoughts and points to those that would attainable and relatable to my audience. 
XOXO, College Girl

2 comments:

  1. The idea of us today in terms of writing at a loss of literature is totally incorrect and I agree with you completely on how it may be an adjusted form of communication, but as long as it is expressive that it is art. Now texting may not fall in that category or twitter post, or Facebook updates, but all in all when you take a moment and genuinely write and expressive piece even if it is merely a paragraph or so long it is genuine. All grammar and technicalities aside when there is a message present or a story to be told regardless of the atmosphere it can be considered literature from one perspective or another. The last point you covered on how we write today with specific audiences in mind is correct and I agree, obviously there are some random moments of just brilliant writing with no specific audience in mind. Its merely present for the gratification of the author; I myself have done that to burn of steam. Overall this was a great piece with valid points made. Congrats

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with your standpoint on the issue. Showing the uses of the Internet in terms of finding information gave a good solid foundation for the argument. I also liked how you involved art - that is a factor I hadn't thought to bring into my argument. Almost all forms of writing are forms of art, especially now that we are expressing ourselves more through different types of channels. Ending it with the example of relating your own piece for college students wrapped of your writing nicely. Great presentation and point made.

    ReplyDelete