Thursday, October 23, 2008
The New Literacy
So I was reading this article today, and it was talking about literacy and how it has changed. The old literacy use to deal with just reading and understanding what you are reading. Today, there is new type of literacy, more modern version. Such new literacies include visual, computer, video, media, multimedia, television, and technological. This new literacy causes us to see "reading and writing as generic, the intellectual equivalent to all-purpose flour" as the article said. It really made me think of how times have changed. Just a few 20-30 years ago, there were no cell phones or computers to confuse us. All people had to worry about was how to read and write, just the words on paper. Today, though, there are so many new technologies that it is hard to keep up. I think about my parents and grandparents and how I have to help them every time they want to get on the computer or just change the ringer on there cell phone. Their generations have a hard time with all the new technology partly because they didn't grow up with it. When they were younger, they didn't need computers or ipods. Is this what's going to happen to your generation when we get older? Our we going to become "outdated" along with all the technology we have grown up with? It's just something that I was thinking about today. What are your thoughts?
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3 comments:
I think the definition of literacy is fine the way it is. Literacy does pertain to technology understanding in modern society. I also think that literacy, like reading and writing, is important in today's society because reading and being able to write is a means of survival, especially here in America.People need to be literate in order to understand many aspects of everyday life.
I agree that our generation is much more technologically literate than older generations. I belive that being technologically literate is becoming more important to understanding society today. Even now this blogging site is using technology and one needs to be able to read and understand how to use it.I don't think we will become "outdated" though in the near future because we already know how to use cell phones and computers, and we have grown up in a technology-based age.
I do think this "new literacy" kind of diminishes the power behind reading and reading comprehension. It isn't enough to just read anymore--that's nothing. You have to be proficient--"literate"--in all these new modern technologies. I think the word can make us feel elite and look down on those who aren't knowledgeable, or are maybe "outdated" in those areas, when really there is no reason to. Everyone has different types of knowledge, and not having one does not make them any type of "illiterate".
I also do not think we will become outdated--or at least I hope not. Technology does grow very quickly, but I think because this generation grew up with such rapidly advancing technology, that we will be fine.
I also find it somewhat scary to think of what our lives are going to be like when we are older, and outdated with more advanced technology. I can't even imagine what new inventions and gadgets will come out in twenty years, or even in fifty years, when our children and grandchildren will be teaching US how to use them. I hope we do not become outdated, and since our generation did grow up with such advanced technology, we probably will not be as clueless as our parents are today.
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