Reading Response #1

“The New Literacy” by Clive Thompson is basically telling everyone about his thoughts and ideas on technology and literacy. It first starts where Clive explains how a professor in London thinks that “technology is to blame.” He says that facebook and other websites brings “narcissistic blabbering.” He thinks that students are using the way they talk online and in texting to their school essay and other important documents. Andrea Lunsford, a professor at Stanford University, disagrees. She did a research project to find out if technology really does change how people write and think. As she says, “…technology isn’t killing our ability to write. It’s reviving it-and pushing our Literacy in bold new directions.” Clive goes on how 38% of students writing comes from out of the classroom. A lot of the writing comes from chatting on facebook, writing e-mails and texting to people. That is so much more then what students used to do. Students used to never write because there was no need to other then work applications or if they had to use it for their job. The way kids write now have changed audiences to be more like old Greek traditions. Sense students know that they are writing things in front of an audience they are more careful with what they say and it gives them, “a different sense of what constitutes good writing.” The study showed that students weren’t interested in writing essays because the only audience was the teacher. It didn’t mean much to them other then getting a good grade. The most crucial fact that Clive states is that “today’s young people” know who they are writing for and why they need to write it.

The professor john Sutherland said that facebook and other websites are changing kids writing to become more “bleak, bald, sad shorthand.” He said that technology is to be blamed because kids can’t write today. In my opinion I would have to disagree with him and agree with Andrea Lunsford. Technology isn’t ruining our way to write. It’s making it better. From what I have noticed people like to chat quickly and easily without having to do it in person. Technology has solved that problem by creating texting and websites such as facebook. People now probably write and read more then ever from these things. From a different research thing I read it said that reading helps you learn more and keep the brain more active. Texting and facebook chatting keep people reading for hours on end everyday. To me I think these websites and things are making people better at writing and reading. People are being more careful with their writing because they know people will be reading it. For example: I am sure everyone that has posted on this website has taken more time to make sure their essays and papers sound good before they posted them because they know people will be reading them. Technology today in my opinion has changed people’s writing for the good.