Reading Response 1

Apparently, all the writing that isn’t done with a pencil can be in no way beneficial. If you were listening to those opposed to technology and its impact on literacy that’s what you would think. They are quick to say that Facebook is full of narcissistic blabbering, and that PowerPoint has taken the place of carefully crafted essays. But between texting, social networking and e-mailing, the fact is people are writing, and quite often. The issue in question is whether that writing is beneficial, or if it is actually hurting the next generation’s view of literacy.

Some, like University College of London English professor John Sutherland, who called texting “bleak, bald, sad short hand” believe it is hurting us, but there are an increasing amount of people who disagree. Andrea Lunsford is a professor of writing and rhetoric at Stanford University, where she has undergone a gigantic study to examine the prose of her students writing. She called what she found “a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven’t seen since Greek civilizations.” Of all the writing students were doing, 38% took place outside of the classroom, life writing as Ms. Lunsford calls it. Other than at school or at work, previous generations rarely wrote, whereas these students were doing over 1/3 of their writing out of school. It seems hard to argue, then, that the technology ever present to students and people of today is doing harm.

It is my opinion that the writing done on the internet and through texting is a good thing. It is a way of communicating that wasn’t possible before, relationships, business deals any number of things are now more accessible and possible. Andrea Lunsford also found that the since the students were writing for a larger audience, they were more likely to speak honestly and about things that are more relevant to them. This makes sense to me because if I am just writing for one teacher for a grade, I am very likely to include things I know they want to hear just to receive a good grade. As is stated in “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy” “For them, writing is about persuading and organizing and debating, even if it’s over something as quotidian as what movie to go see” This seems the more relevant kind of writing to our generation, and I think it is benefiting us every day.