Kyle Sundman
Professor Leake
Writ 1122
6 January 2012
This essay is intended for the critics of the evolution of language. It is intended for those who are pushing away from the new internet era, who still like to read and analyze long texts and who blame the internet for the inevitable downfall of society. Whether that be the publishers of textbooks, who cant seem to make their information more interesting than a night folding socks, teachers, who wont accept that shorter or more involved readings really are better for students now a days, or anyone in general who refuses to adapt.
The Revolution of a Century
Almost 250 years ago, a brilliant journalist by the name of Laurence Sterne wrote, “Writing, when properly managed…is but a different name for conversation.” He had a point then, but it almost seems to come into play today more than ever. Long, drawn out texts in this day and age are like college-age Andy’s toys in Toy Story 3 – frivolous, extraneous and superfluous; they are old news. With all the advancements in technology, its not that people are writing less (quite the contrary, actually), but we are writing differently. We are writing more like a conversation; arguably more casually, and with a bigger audience. Sure, one could argue that Americans are becoming ignorant because nobody wants to read the likes of an old 500-page manuscript, but when it was chic to read said text, bathing took place in rivers and clothes were robes – a lot has changed since then. It has come down to the need for somebody, somewhere, somehow, to remind the critics that language is constantly evolving; and this time, more than ever, we need to realize it, embrace it, and adapt.
“Throughout the ages, writing has been used by poets to incite love, and by warriors to incite hate. It has been the tool of revolutionaries and dictators to sway the masses.” (HyperHistory) We always have and will continue to use writing as the primary way to communicate and educate. Contrary to popular belief, we write more in the 21st century than any other time in history. Although it seems hard to believe, we are currently out writing (solely in terms of length, that is) the likes of Homer and Tolstoy; our 250 character tweets, Facebook posts, emails, blogs and other short pieces of writing add up. And we are doing it in a way that we actually like! Nobody likes to write a paper for a class because all the other forms of writing (social networking, blogs etc…) we utilize are aimed at an audience, and in some way or another, no matter how small, "[have] an effect on the world." (Thompson 1) Contrary to this, a paper for school speaks only to one person; the professor, and "it [doesn't] serve any purpose other than to get a grade." (Thompson 1) Despite the fact that many of the things we write are somewhat irrelevant, is it possible that we are becoming experts? According to Malcolm Gladwell, (who may have just popularized the theory, but is at least the household name associated with it), there is a phenomenon called the 10,000 hour rule. The rule says that in order for an individual to master any skill, be it brain surgery or playing the cello, or in this case, writing, one must put in 10,000 hours of focused practice. Now in a situation like brain surgery, that could take a while; ten years would be generous on the low end. But what about writing? According to Natalie Wolchover, Americans spent 53 BILLION minuets, or roughly 101,000 YEARS on Facebook in ONE MONTH alone. Yes, one month. And that’s only on Facebook; not blogs, tweets, emails, or any other kind of writing. At that rate, it seems that it could take less, or at the very least roughly the same time to get to the magical 10,000 hours of “practice” as any other skill. Granted, it could be a stretch to say that writing a ton of Facebook posts or Tweeting constantly could make anyone an expert at writing - most would argue that the quality of the writing is much more important than the quantity. So maybe we are not becoming experts in the traditional sense of the word, but rather experts in this new age. The age in which the writing should be concise and flexible.
As our Internet usage increases while our attention spans shrink, its understandable that blogs and online sites are becoming the go-to way of communication. Andrew Sullivan is one of the more popular bloggers currently filling the web with his thoughts. Blogging is a type of writing that, as he says, "is what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud."
Unlike formal print writing, where a journalist has time to collect information and organize it into a well thought out piece on a given issue, followers of blogs demand information regularly, in real time, in response to current events. This forces the author to take a more of a risk and write whatever comes to mind, despite knowing that a barrage of emails could be to follow about the inaccuracy of a point made in the sometimes-rushed post. In Sullivan's words, it’s more of a broadcast than a publication. It’s being willing to put your work out there, and let it be criticized by emails and comments until the truth about the issue is revealed. Despite the possibility of immediate scrutiny associated with a post on the Internet, blogging allows for more of a personal connection between the author and reader;
"There is simply no way to write about [events] in real time without revealing a huge amount about yourself. And the intimate bond this creates with readers is unlike the bond that the The Times, say, develops with its readers through the same events. Alone in front of a computer, at any moment, are two people: a blogger and a reader. The proximity is palpable…whatever authority a blogger has is derived not from the institution he works for but from the humanness he conveys"
If nothing else, the fact that the reader knows the author not as "Mr. Sullivan", but rather "Andrew" lends just that more of a personal feel to the writing. He compares blogging to Jazz and writing to composed formal music. Jazz, as all musicians would likely agree, has not and will not ever replace composed music, but it offers a sense of improvised and intimate music, just as blogging has done with writing.
Critics can be heard all over the world. They suggest we have gone from reading and analyzing long texts to losing our attention span because of the need to gather the minimal amount of information on every ad or headline and efficiently decide if its worth our valuable time to read deeper into it! All this change is doing is making us LAZY! And were not doing anything except dumbing down America to accommodate the idiots!” Yes, you have a point. Its not all good. When the onset of writing came about, Socrates was worried about its effect on oral history in that he thought people would “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful.” Is it possible that the quick processing and short attention span needed for our current internet era could stunt the development of our reading of things longer than a headline or ad? (Hedges 6) Journalist Chris Hedges attributes our declining literacy in part to the transition from a print-based society, where Voltaire was the most famous person, to more of an image-based society where "Mickey Mouse" takes the cake in the popularity contest. Why? Because "it feels good not to think." (Hedges 2)
You may even argue that America is becoming illiterate. Ok…but what is literacy? According to acclaimed journalist Sylvia Scribenr, it isn't defined well. Many scholars have conflicting ideas on what distinguishes an illiterate person from his more educated counterpart. They have tried, and subsequently failed to come up with a concrete definition, while still "crusading for a national effort to make literacy a reality." (Carr 6) How can literacy become a reality if nobody knows what it is? As Google is getting smarter, I suppose one could argue that comparatively we are getting dumber. The possibilities for the advancement of a computer are infinite compared to that of the human mind, which is “just an outdated computer that needs a faster processor and a bigger hard drive.” (Carr 6) Unfortunately, until we have some more major advances in medical technology, the size and processing speed of the human brain will probably remain relatively the same as we know now.
So, all in all, what course of action is appropriate in our current situation? Adaption. I think textbook publishers, teachers, and society in general needs to stop pushing against this evolution, (or maybe revolution) and work to improve the systems in order to better synch with the rest of students lives outside of the classroom. The advent of the world wide web has allowed people to connect from Japan to New York and back in a matter of seconds, spawning ideas, discussions, and thoughts that have helped to advance our society in many ways, whether they be obvious or behind the scenes. For better or worse, it is changing the way the human brain processes ideas and information, “maybe even at a biological level.” (Carr 4) Maybe "technology isn't killing our ability to write, its reviving it." (Thompson 1) Maybe "we", (as in my generation), learn better in a different way. Maybe, just maybe, we are actually more literate than ever.
Works Cited
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid? - Magazine - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and Analysis on Politics, Business, Culture, Technology, National, International, and Life – TheAtlantic.com. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid
Chris, Hedges. "America the Illiterate." Truth Dig. Web. 28 Jan. 2012. <http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081110_america_the_illiterate/>.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown and, 2008. Print.
Sullivan, Andrew. "Why I Blog - Magazine - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and Analysis on Politics, Business, Culture, Technology, National, International, and Life – TheAtlantic.com. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/why-i-blog/7060/>.
Thompson, Clive. "Clive Thompson on the New Literacy." Wired.com. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-09/st_thompson>.
Wolchover, Natalie. "Americans Logged 101,000 Years of Facebook Time in Single Month | LifesLittleMysteries.com." Home | LifesLittleMysteries.com. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1763-time-americans-spend-facebook.html>.
"Writing through the Ages." HyperHistory.net. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t0w05writing.htm>.
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