Change in culture; change in literacy

Ability to read and write, that is what literacy has meant, but nowadays its meaning is slightly changing in broad and different ways.

In history, literacy was one of privileges that noble and rich people could hold, and was presented as rights, power, and influence in a society. However, the world has been rapidly changed: there is no specific division on social classes, much more people are educated, and they are able to invest more innovative goods with their knowledge and intelligence.

I should not be too exaggerated to say that the biggest contribution of human ability development is technology. People were able to use technology only since a few decades ago, and its development is getting faster and faster today. Due to its advanced facility, our society could have been working efficiently. Technology not only changed the way of business works, such as many business moves into E-business, and sometimes people do not even need actual physical business to start new business, but it also dramatically affected the way of literacy.

There are some people see this phenomenon of rapid changes in the society negatively. Chris Hedges is one of the well-known journalists who try to deliver this idea to not only his audience, but also the world. He concerns that the increase of attraction of pictures and symbols of competitive brands will turn people illiterate and people will not be able to “differentiate between lies and truth” of the information provided to them (Hedges 1). His point is that because it is too easy to put information online, people should be more secured and aware of what they actually receive from providers. As “knowledge” becomes more plentiful for commoners, it will be harder for us to distinguish what is necessary or not.

Another writer, Nicholas Carr, gives Google as an example to aware people of danger of vast information given to people more easily. Google as a search engine contains countless data called Big Data, and is open to anyone who needs it. Therefore, people can merely search online without deep process of thought, instead of researching on their own in library for hour. This makes huge difference in people’s life. Because Big Data is given to people so naturally that they always seek for more convenient way to deal with problems. As a result, people cannot stand anything that takes long time. Developed technology easily disrupts people from one task to another one, because they are trying to be a “multi-tasker”. It is easy to notice that the process of thoughts becomes like computer (Carr 4). The facility brought by high technology makes people only think about efficiency in a short period of time and seek for best results.

The technology not only changed people’s thinking process, but also the language itself. As an international student, there was one time when I did not know what OMG or lol mean, and I still have much other slang to learn. The slang used online communicating may seem useless and not beneficial, but the reason why I learn these unnecessary words is due “literacy as adaptation” as Scribner mentions in her “Literacy in Three Metaphors” (9). Today, it is almost required to adapt something new every single minute of our life. Literacy does not necessary mean that you have to be able to read and write professionally; rather, it can be defined as if you are able to communicate in newly made language on social networking.

Going back to Carr’s example of Google. It is true that the unlimited data provided to people eventually leave nothing on people’s brain, but it is also true to say Google is one example of cultural changes in literacy. It is so common to say “google it” when someone needs to know unknown information. Google, the name of internet-service Company, has been registered in the Oxford English Dictionary as a verb, which means the way of people interpret this word has been changed. It is not merely a name of company, but the way of people react to certain factors.

Another example of change in literacy is the symbol of Cross. In early years of Roman Empire, cross was a torture device used to the most unforgivable sinners for crucifixion. It was a symbol of brutality during that era. However, after Jesus was crucified, cross became a symbol of God and Christianity. It is hard to imagine that people avoid the present of cross today; rather, there are so many people who admire its present and sometimes even become dependent on it. The word and its meaning were represented something inauspicious in history, but as our culture becomes, its meaning has been changed, which shows that the ability to read and write is not everything today. You have to be able to know how certain people understand certain words.  

Reflecting

Even though this is an academic project that is hard to post on time 24 hours before class, I like blogging so far. I like it because it is more casual than 20-page MLA-style academic writing, and I am able to discuss some contemporary issues of the society. Otherwise, I did not have any problems with this. One of the minor difficulties I faced when I wrote for blog posts was setting a firm opinion on the articles I read recently. I tend to be fascinated by the argument or issues that the authors brings out whenever I read, and for many times it is so difficult to pick and argue for one side, because I see both pros and cons of different articles. On the other hand, I think this type of exercise helps me, as a reader and writer, think more and deeper so that I can develop my idea more thoroughly.  

I think it was a great opportunity that I was able to explore this big issue of literacy that everyone is facing today, and it was something that I did not think deeply about or even realize until I read these articles. Now I automatically pull out the Internet and read news, or at least skim the website to see what important news is there every day. The habit of reading news makes me feel now I am really a part of the society that I live and I naturally care more about social issues.

I am still not getting used to read on the web because I get distracted by other websites and documents I opened, and the screen hurts my eyes. Writing on the computer is not as bad as reading but because I cannot read over and over on the screen, I am still barely able to revise my work on my computer. As Carr mentioned, I am more used to read short passages than longish articles, but I think reading news or blogging would help me develop this weak point. 

What is the definition of literacy?

Unlike in history, the boundary of literacy becomes broader and more blurred; today, this issue isn't merely about if you can read or not, but the degree of literacy. I have read many articles about literacy recently but I still do not have any clear clue about what literacy really means. However, Lunsford’s argument of teenagers’ literacy ability seems more real to me compared to other articles. The topic of Carr and Hedges did not seem like they are focused on literacy itself, rather they tend to talk more about the effects of technology today and then literacy. I agree with some of the arguments that the development of technology makes people blanker and more artificial but like Lunsford argued, not only teenagers, but most people are all able to distinguish their audience and use of language. Slang, fragments, etc. are just one kind of language, trend, or even culture. If Hedges is right that Americans are illiterate, then most people today should not be able to write or read, which also means they do not know what they are doing, therefore, our society would not be able to function, which isn’t happening.

In “Literacy in Three Metaphors”, Scribner tries to explain more easily what literacy is. He divides it into three metaphors: “literacy as adaptation, literacy as power, and literacy as a state of grace.” He does not regard the issue of literacy negatively whether people are illiterate or not, but he explains that it is certainly the way people can communicate, the tool that people have rights and social existence, and the trend that people need to follow as our society changes. Regardless of countries whether they are developed or developing, literacy is important anywhere as a way of communication, and as long as it is used endlessly, different style of literacy should not be defined as illiterate. 

Blankness

As I grow up from age of not so high to super high technology, I have questioned myself many times. Is this okay? Am I safe here? Today, you can call something free on your phone; you can skype with anyone you want who is thousands miles away; you can hold meetings with your partners who works in different countries in different language, and you can “travel” our last frontier, the universe simply by looking at some sorts of websites. At first, it took hundreds of years to invent a giant computer, which barely does things expects for recording words. In tens of years, engineers developed computer in much smaller and lighter size, and it became the tool of searching information in short time. In a short few years, computer becomes a tool that connects people around the world. Literally, people do everything and anything on computer, which is not only a form of giant desktop, but also a form of laptop, tablet, and phone. Countless thoughts and ideas are in people’s hands. High technology truly has been a huge useful tool that everyone can use in daily life, and most people appreciate this phenomenon. However, really? We have to rethink about this.

Chris hedges scornfully questions this phenomenon, furthermore, criticizes the majority of the society lives in a “non-reality-based belief system,” by which means people decides their choice based on simple information such as images and symbols, not based on intellectual, well-educated, word-based, trustworthy information. In his world, we do not know what we know; we are gradually becoming illiterate. It is a shocking fact that many recent debates of presidents are sixth- or seventh-grade level, which tells this high technology society does not really help people be “literate.” Literacy does not mean if one can read abcs, but if one can understand the meaning of words that others speak; if people can’t really constantly in a long period of time and just try to understand by feelings, then there will be a world with only pictures and symbols in near future.

Nicholas Carr answers his question “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” by talking about blind spots that the high technology brings to us. He claims that he and many friends of him have a hard time to read deeply in a long period of time, and easily get distracted by looking for something else to do. I believe this isn’t only his problem. We all always try to do multiple things at the same time, particularly while we are online. We seek convenience, and skim through hundreds of words in a second. We work like a machine. I liked Carr’s use of word “staccato” quality because it perfectly describes our life system. All we do is segmented: read a paragraph of a long article, read only headlines of daily news, chat with friends for a few minutes, etc. I think if we continuously live in this way, then we will be worse than Internet because Internet at least has all these “knowledge” within it but humans don’t. The golden age of intellectual discovery would be only for Internet itself.

The messages from these two authors are clear. Internet (searching machine) is truly helpful but if people only follow that paths, than they will be not only illiterate, but also blank and ignorant. 

Reading & Writing

In my definition, reading does not mean merely read words of others; instead, when you read, you have to look for some hidden meanings of each words presented in the work. Even a comic book or a short journal can contain lots of deeper meanings that we as readers have to think about, or they can foreshadow later stories. Writing is exactly opposite. When you write, you have to know what you are writing about. I think it's similar to math, which you have to know 1+1 is 2. I liked the idea that Harris posed. Writing is reproducing others' writing and making it yours. That is not an easy process but I believe once one can achieve this point, writing would not be hard anymore.

What is rewriting?

In Rewriting, Joseph Harris thoroughly explains what is meant to rewrite something from another writer's work. He easily explains rewriting or responding is more than just summarizing what has been citied. Harris points out that to question what has been said is one of very important aspects of writing because as one questions already written work, one can rethink, reinterpret, and reproduce the work in his or her own word.
At first, it was hard to find any connection between Harris's point of view of (re)writing and Sullivan's writing (blogging) because Harris deals with and the main point of this book is introducing readers what rewriting is for academic writing, which is usually much more formal than blogging. But soon, I found co-purpose from these two writers: writing is the way to show one's perspective on something else. According to Harris, when one rewrites, one “translates the language and ideas of a text into words of [one's] own.” Like blogging, which usually contains personal opinion on a subject, rewriting also needs to be pushed beyond “rewriting” a text.  And I think it was an interesting interpretation when Harris makes point what text is. For him, not only a book is a text, but movies, plays, songs, paintings, sculptures, photographs, cartoons, videos, billboards, advertisements, etc. also are text as well. That is exactly what blogging does. People simply talk about what their topic is at first, and then share their opinions or experiences on the topic in positive or negative way. This process will be repeated from a writer to another one, and so forth, which I believe a network or a community of various subjects depending on how writers bring in another subjects into the work. Even though Harris’s Rewriting and Sullivan’s “Why I Blog” do not share common subject of writing field, the base of their writing process is the same: in order to make good (re)writing, one has to have ability of questioning and rethinking process to already written work.

Blog: Enriching the Writing & Connecting the World

“Why do I blog?” I asked myself. First, I want to write some enjoyable posts for many people so that both I as a blogger and readers can find common interests and feel connected to each other. Then, I asked second question, “What is an enjoyable writing?” Well, I first thought in order to make others interested then I have to write WELL because that’s what I see from other blogs. However, after reading Andrew Sullivan’s “Why I Blog”, I realized my idea wasn't right enough; the reason I felt good and interested is that the bloggers are being real and simple. They simply write what they want to talk about and how they feel about something. And this is where readers feel connected and linked. Sullivan believes that blogs, bloggers, and readers are all connected through link, and broadly it makes a community and culture. Therefore, it is necessary for him to keep blogging in order to keep this culture and interaction because blog is not only about the postings posted by bloggers, but readers’ comments are equally important, which develops ideas in many ways.

As Sullivan mentioned that blogging is similar to diary or journal, but I also think blogging is much simpler than those two. Unlike diary and journal which usually have purposes of writing, blog does not have to have one. Like Sullivan did, blogging can be used when one does not have firm ideas of what to do. These vague ideas of various topics would be collected, and then the blog becomes a “private Wikipedia” where one can create new writing. I really like Sullivan’s idea that his writing (column) becomes “more considered, balanced, and evenhanded” by his blog which serves as a free-form research. Even though blog writing is informal and hardly edited, it certainly helps one become a better writer. Unlike professional writers of actual books, enabled writers progressively improve their writing by writing out loud in blog. That’s why I blog.

Blog, blog, blog

This morning my English teacher from senior year of high school suddenly popped up in my brain. He was (and still is) the most hilarious, intellectual, and popular teacher. And he was the first person who introduced me and my class how to be part of this wonderful world of blogs in the United States. I guess he showed up in my brain to tell me about the blog again. 

Blog, blog, blog. “Not so exciting word to hear on the first day of class.” That’s what I first thought when I heard that I need to be a blogger this quarter. Besides my English teacher’s lesson, the word “blog” was not so strange at all because it has been pretty popular in Korea for many years. I have seen so many great posts about food, fashion, TV series, entertainments, and etc. but seriously? Me, posting to and for public? I couldn't imagine that. Well, to tell the truth, this isn't even my first time to create a blog; I already experienced this several years ago. If I remember it right, after creating a blog, I posted once or twice, and that was it. It didn't take too long to realize that I was more than happy to be a reader, rather than a blogger. So, not to procrastinate in making a blog was the most difficult thing for me today. I don’t worry about posting things here because I have to do it so anyways whether I like it or not. I mean actually I think I am already starting to like it because blog posting does not necessarily need some outlines to follow like other boring academic papers, but yet I am still writing something, and it makes me feel productive. Unlike Facebook where I put a couple of sentences about what I feel like today, here in blog, I feel more free to write as much as I want. I am still worried about being a blogger but now I think this would help me relaxed with all those piles of duties.