Computers: Friend or Foe to Learning and Reading?

The past defines the future; writing defines the future. Writing is a technology that, though not necessarily a new invention, is a technology that shapes the way people learn, communicate, think, and behave. Without writing, the world would never have experienced that great advancement that came with the development of computers. Through computers and the creation of the internet, writing can be shared and read by millions of people, beyond what most books have been able to accomplish. Writing also made online classes possible, bringing accessible knowledge to students and making education a reality for working adults who otherwise would not have been able to attend school. While computers are seen as a threat to literacy, one must admit that writing skills can be both practiced and perfected on a computer. At the same time, the internet is also the location where improper English is glorified and inaccurate information is accessed by millions every day. Depending on the way computers are used, writing as a technology continues to press forward as more people “embrace what’s new” in mainstream society (Baron, 82).

Writing did not always shape the way the world worked. In fact, according to Baron, writing was not initially founded until 3,500 B.C. The initial purpose of writing was to keep records of transactions, accounts, and sales (74). As time pressed forward, writing became a form of literacy, one that presented information and ideas to a new audience. Oral communication and cultures became obsolete, and writing became the invention that could effectively “pin-down” information and histories (Ong, 20). From this point on, knowledge could be formally passed down through text, giving the “written world possession of our consciousness” (Ong, 20). Spoken word is unable to carry with it the amount of information, context, and knowledge that writing has the ability to. Without writing, Ong argues that “cultures will be back on square one,” without gaining any knowledge and truths that come through the “pinned-down” text.

Writing, though imperative to society today, was not fully accepted by all cultures, just as computers are sometimes rejected by older individuals. Those that created writing can be compared to the computer geeks of today, making millions wonder where their ideas came from. Today, computers seem to be a threat to literacy due to the informal and improper language used on it. One cannot argue against the fact that millions use a computer lingo, often integrating it into academic works where it does not belong. Education proponents often argue that computers are the reason why students struggle with reading and writing. With the internet readily available to them, books no longer can contain the attention of a youth or teenager. In the NY Times article “Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading,” critic of reading on the internet argue that people are unable to sustain the “focused, linear attention developed by reading” (4). Reading on a computer does not have a beginning, middle, or end that presents a main, thought out point. However, college students and many academics can argue that computers have taken reading and writing to places that it was never thought possible.

Online classes are the new innovations that were created as the internet began to take hold of the academic population. As a student who has taken five online courses, I have experienced both the advantages and the disadvantages of “sitting” in an online classroom. As resources move from print to digital form, professors are able to obtain and assign new works of literature, history, and articles that otherwise would only have been able to be read if the book was bought. These new digital prints making the learning process exciting, giving students the opportunity to learn from resources other than books. Furthermore, online classes force students to communicate their ideas through formal writing, replacing discussions that would have taken place in person. As this class has proven, writing skills grow when they are practiced. These classes also force students to write in a “high language,” one that is read and evaluated by both their peers and professor. Discussions in this form gives shy or quiet students the opportunity to express their ideas, beliefs, and understandings, without actually speaking in front of a group of people.

The disadvantage of an online class comes in the same form that blogging on the internet brings or reading someone’s online article, the problem of interpretation and understanding arises. For example, I took a Geology course online and while I have a knack for history, science never fails to confuse me. After reading the “lectures” I was often quite confused and was forced to look up information on the subject on my own. I never actually learned some of the topics covered, but rather, I mimicked the knowledge and wrote in such a way that made me look like I knew what I was talking about. In the same sense, anybody can post something on the internet. Determining what is credible and inaccurate often brings false knowledge to individuals who think they are learning something. Until all people can understand how to determine whether a website is credible or not, the internet and computer will bring great downfalls to literacy.

Ok, I had quite a bit of trouble bringing in all the Ong, Baron, and the NY Times article. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can integrate them into a thesis or how I can make this paper more focused? I think what I want to prove is that writing is a creation meant to better society and computers are an invention that can bring writing skills forward as long as they are used properly. Thanks!