In Dan Sperber’s article “The Future of Writing,” he assesses the presence of writing and reading in our society, as well as where it may lie in the future . He addresses the possible downfall of writing, the prevalence that reading will hold in our society, as well as how our society will adapt and handle the changes. He also covers the emergence of text-to-speech and speech-to-text technological advances, the effects on society and how the disappearance of the two of them will never fully occur.
Sperber’s main claim throughout the article is that writing, with the help of technology, may eventually cease to exist, or at least be far less prominent . While writing has obtained a unique and prominent standing in most places of the world, despite its more recent development, it still has the ability to become a “thing of the past.” Writing did not always hold this risk, but rather in the past it held much prominence in that it became a product of specialization due to the large demand. However, over time the demand has begun to shrink and become considerably smaller with the help of substitutes and alternatives. Originally, there was the option to dictate to someone as they type or write what the other is saying. However, now the marvel of technology has come along, with software that performs the same position but quicker and easier. The introduction of speech recognition software has the ability to cancel out the act of writing all together, yet there are still many problems that leave it far from foolproof. However, with technology only improving, Sperber predicts that, “in a matter of years, it will be possible to speak normally, have the machine transcribe one’s speech with very few errors,” thus allowing the more ...
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...her expressing the importance of something that might often be taken for granted. Yet as one learns to read, the task takes little thought, and so the relevance that it holds in the world may easily be overlooked.
“The Future of Writing” addresses the power that technology holds on society, and practices that now hold valid importance. Yet sometime in the future, technology will have the ability to deplete the importance of writing, according to Sperber. Reading will forever hold importance in society, because it holds aspects that cannot be mimicked through a machine. But with the constant desire for technology, that is able to fulfill the desires for a better and easier life, the need may never be fully fulfilled .
Works Cited
Sperber, Dan. “The Future of Writing.” Dan Sperber. 2002. Associated Institution. 30 Jan. 2012 < http://www.dan.sperber.fr/?p=75>
In the article “Clive Thompson on the New Literacy,” writer Clive Thompson argues that the widespread use of technology and social media does not make kids illiterate and unable to form coherent sentences, but instead, keeps them actively writing and learning. Thompson’s article is based off of a study done by Andrea Lunsford, a writing professor at Stanford University. Thompson agrees with Lunsford that the use of social media and the Internet allow students to be creative and get better at writing. In his article, Thompson quotes John Sutherland, an English professor at University College of London, to inform the audience of the opposite side of the argument. He states, “Facebook encourages narcissistic blabbering, video and PowerPoint have
Writing is one of the many factors which can lead to an unequal world. Writing was “One of the most important inventions in human history” (Prososki, “Writing”). It was believed to come from the Fertile Crescent called Sumer around 5,000 years ago. Over the years, writing has advanced as people created writing and printing systems, which were able to reach
He asserts that with the invention of television, writing can basically be eliminated (125). There’s no use for it anymore, after all. What can be more engaging than a form of media that stimulates the senses so? Despite the beliefs of those who lived in the 60s and 70s, the twenty-first century is unfortunately not home to the world of the Jetsons. Writing is still a very powerful form of media, for the very book that this essay is centered around is still influential, forty-nine years later!
Clive Thompson asserts in his essay, The New Literacy, that people today are writing more than ever as they socialize online. Nowadays, almost everybody uses social media, but it is more popular amongst younger people. Teenagers text and tweet every little thought that pops up in their head. However, numerous scholars can argue that texting and tweeting defiles the serious academic writing with slang and “text speak.” By way of contrast, Thompson claims that using shortened language and smileys online does not degrade a person’s abilities to write well in an academic paper. Furthermore, composing texts and tweets online can help an individual with their writing. By communicating online, we are able to learn grammar and writing through our own
7. Jean, Georges. Writing- The Story of Alphabets and Scripts. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1992.
LeBeau, Sue, (2007). The Writing Process. Retrieved 23 Oct 2007 from the World Wide Web: http://www.suelebeau.com/writingprocess.htm
While preparing for one of his college lectures, Dennis Baron, a professor and linguistics at the University of Illinois, began playing with the idea of how writing has changed the world we lived in and materials and tools we use in everyday life. This lecture slowly transitioned into “Should Everybody Write?” An article that has made many wonder if technology has made writing too easy for anyone to use or strengthens a writer's ability to learn and communicate their ideas. Baron uses rhetorical strategies in his article to portray to his audience his positive tone, the contrast and comparison of context and his logical purpose.
If you had the choice between your phone and a book,you would probably without thinking grab your phone. But what if you knew that reading is crucial to a future. In “Reading for pleasure Is in Painful Decline” by Stephen L. Carter and “Twilight of the books” by Caleb Crain, both authors argue about the state of reading in The United States. Within both passages they give valid points as to why and how the state of reading are negatively affecting the country. Stephen L. Carter represents how the decline in reading for fun is the main concern, while on the other hand, Caleb Crain shows it’s technology and social media that actually are the main contributors.
Today, most people live surrounded by technology. Everyday people are creating more new and advance technology with different programs, websites, and ideas to share with everyone. Connecting with people around the world is becoming effortless, instantaneous, and accessible with the technology that has been developed. Clive Thompson, a writer for the New York Times Magazine and Wired, points this out well in a passage within his book, Smarter Than You Think, called “Public Thinking”. Since technology made it easier to connect with others, people have been writing their thoughts, ideas, and opinions online and on their phone. Thompson believes that people have been able to improve their writing because the technology they use daily. With all
In The Power of Writing by Joel Swerdlow, we are presented to the importance of writing to our civilization. Throughout the years written information has emerged as a primary method of communication. Individuals use whatever is available to write to convey their message. Early forms of writing include carving symbols in stone and bone, written leaves, silk, papyrus, parchment and paper. At the present time writing is used in many settings; for example we have books, text messages, online blogs, lyrics, street signs and emails. There are no limits to written information, and most importantly it can be preserved indefinitely. Writing helps me communicate to others, my identity, creativity and imagination. Individually, I use writing to compose lyrics, write about my personal experiences and to connect with my family. In my opinion, writing is an important tool of communication in my personal and professional development, because it gives an insight of my individual ideas.
Drouin, Michelle, and Claire Davis. “R u txting? Is the Use of Text Speak Hurting Your Literacy?.” Journal of Literacy Research 41.1 (2009): 46-67. Humanities International Complete. EBSCO. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.
“While it is true that more books are sold today than ever, recent statistics show that only about 15% of books bought today are read. Evidently, they are of more use as furniture—coffee-table books—than as a source of information or aesthetic buzz. The statistics continue; of those that are read, less than 20% are read all the way through. The unfinished book symbolizes the state of attention spans today”. Eric McLuhan opens up his 2010 argument against technology with this quote. He seems to believe that literacy is only fully achieved through limited technology and hard copies of books. He fails to realize there is more to literacy that picking up a book defined as a ‘classic’ and reading it cover to cover. Literacy covers all spans of artistic
Ong, Walter. “Writing is a Technology that Restructures Thought.” Writing Material. Ed. Evelyn Tribble. New York. 2003. 315-335.
Texting is killing language,” Ted starts off the video by saying that “The idea is that texting spells the decline and fall of any kind of serious literacy, or at least writing ability, among young people in the United States and now the whole world today (Ted, 2013). Throughout the film discussion, what stuck out to me the most was how drastic language has changed via technology.
It is my personal belief that as time goes on, the role of the reader and the author will be more and more interchanged. With the boundary between the two already fading, it is possible that there will be hypertexts where someone can be a reader and a writer at the same time. Continuing advances in technology and writing will constantly redefine the roles of everyone involved, it is simply society’s decision to accept the changes that will keep blurring the line between the traditional reader and author.