The Loss of Literacy in Modern America

[Punkghoul]

It's definately laziness. I have a friend in Yorkshire who cannot type out an entire sentence without abbreviating every freaking word, as well as leaving out all forms of punctuation, etc. It drives me insane. What would normally take all but three seconds to read, becomes this highly complex 15 minute deciphering exercise. Wouldn't it be easier to type out the words the way you actually speak them? I seriously DO NOT get it. confused  

[Anarkus Infernus]

I know what ya mean. Seriously, it's like people are so lazy that they just type like they don't have the sense God gave them.Nobody understands what they are saying if they don't even type what they are saying.  

[[ Sadistic ]]

It really isn't too difficult to type out your words.
I mean, I know through experiance (Well, experiance meaning friends of mine) who have accidentally left a 'u' or a 'b4' style of writing in essays and not only is it embarrassing, it's pitiful.
We, as humans are taught to read the english language a certain way; why change it because you're lazy to type out a word intended to make sence?!
Your way of writing may make plenty sence to you, but it's also given you a high probability of even affecting your future.

 

[Punkghoul]

It really is sad. Millions of dollars are spent every year to educate people. Yet we're stuck with "txt tlkrs". I just don't get it. What do these people have against vowels? What did the vowels ever do to them? gonk  

[Lady Fenrys]

'Txt tlking' in essays is pretty sad. I once knew someone who wrote an essay using 'txt tlk'. It was really ridiculous, and the teacher gave this person a 'B' anyway.

That, in my opinion, speaks volumes about the standards of education today.

 

[applecyder]

Stubborness.

What made me join a guild was this incident with my friend. We were discussing about hobos and society, sparked by my hobo avatar. She said, 'I ain't afraid of them.' I told her in a non-threatening way that the proper way was 'I'm not.' Did she take my advice? Nooooooooo. She even validated herself by reasoning, 'I ain't perfect.' stare

Other times when I correct spelling mistakes gently - because it is already second nature to me - people get mad. They think that I'm doing this on purpose to shame them. I was only thinking that it was for their own good. It wouldn't look good on their college/job applications if they misspelled common words.

Sadly, they don't listen.  

[Zee Zee Top]

Personally, I'd like to lay the blame for American illiteracy on our system of education. I know I'm not the only person who has noticed how schools tend to focus on the sciences and mathematics more than simple grammar and literature. After all, high-paying jobs look for a math whiz or a scientist, don't they?

I've noticed how stupid Americans look when compared to most of the rest of the developed world. No offense to anyone, but we really are not the smartest people in the world. I don't think that will change anytime soon, either. Our culture is virtually killing the want to learn. Children hate school. Children tease other children for wanting to learn. Where does this take us? Further down the path to utter stupidity. It's no wonder Americans are getting less and less literate! Our culture does not support it!  

[The Man who was Thursday]

Alabang

Personally, I'd like to lay the blame for American illiteracy on our system of education. I know I'm not the only person who has noticed how schools tend to focus on the sciences and mathematics more than simple grammar and literature. After all, high-paying jobs look for a math whiz or a scientist, don't they?

I've noticed how stupid Americans look when compared to most of the rest of the developed world. No offense to anyone, but we really are not the smartest people in the world. I don't think that will change anytime soon, either. Our culture is virtually killing the want to learn. Children hate school. Children tease other children for wanting to learn. Where does this take us? Further down the path to utter stupidity. It's no wonder Americans are getting less and less literate! Our culture does not support it!

That's because a child's view of what "school" is is totally ******** up. Schools no longer teach--and you can blame s**t like No Child Left Behind for that.

Schools need to teach for understanding, not memorization. If you understand something, not only do you memorize it without even trying, you can also apply it in any possible way.

Think about physics; if you memorize an equation, you only know one equation. If you understand the equation, you can manipulate it to your heart's content.

English, too. If you understand a grammatical concept, you can use it in so many ways; memorizing them all would take ages.  

[Zee Zee Top]

That's exactly what I'm getting at. The only way I get by in sciences is by memorizing the fundamental equations and manipulating them as much as possible. Children don't have enough of an understanding of what they are learning to actually manipulate it or retain it. They study for a test and, once it's over, they forget most of what they've studied. I'm guilty of that myself, I must admit. Simple memorization does not work. If memorization should ever be used, it should at least be coupled with a basic understanding. I've had too many teachers who don't understand that. Teachers ought to be able to at least pound an understanding of it into their student. It helps if a student is interested, but with our culture, there's only so much you can do.  

[Punkghoul]

I completely agree. I think that the real issue is that kids in the States don't understand that it is not a right to get an education, it is a privilege. Children in other countries want to learn BECAUSE it is NOT a right. Hell, take a look at how easy it is in this country to get into college. Half of the people there do not even deserve to be there, but their parents had money to buy them into school. And for those of us who can't either afford or aren't smart enough, there is always community college or trade school. In England, for example, it is far more rigorous to even be accepted into university. You actually have to work for it. Here, we just expect that we're going to go and that's the end of it. stare  

[DJ_blak jak]

I would say Laziness is basically the main problem. Peer pressure is also a problem.

People just do not want to think or reflect anymore. They want their sense to be completely overwhelmed and not have to think or make hard choices. It's not just us kids though.

Adults are like that too. People think you're a nerd or a weirdo if you read. They say it is important but in practice people hate those who havbe an education and make the mistake of being a bit too obvious about it.

If you quote some stupid line from the latest idiotic movie then you're cool but if you quote from Shakespeare or even any book or any faous historical quote people laugh at you.

Not only people think it is ok to be lazy, people think it's cool to be stupid.  

[applecyder]

Television also reinforces the idea that being stupid is cool. The dork/geek/nerd always ends up bullied in the hallways, tossed into lockers or thrown into the garbage can. Which student in their right mind would want to risk that?

Plus being the well-read kid in school doesn't bring popularity... unless the jocks need your help with English literature homework they didn't do evil

ninja speaking of which I wonder how that big dude ended up. Last thing I heard was that he kept getting fired from his part-time job ninja  

[Punkghoul]

stare That last comment reminded me of how shocked people were when I showed up in the AP classes. haha I'm a punkrocker and they assumed because I wore dog collars, had purple hair and played in a band, that I was some kind of idiot. But I've always been a nerd at heart. I love to read. I love intelligence. And I hate our society, like you said, for encouraging stupidity. stare  

[GeonsLegacy IV]

Crud, Should of picked laziness. I just noticed it on the poll.  

[Londo Mollari]

I'd have to say that, even more than laziness, the problem with the world is apathy. It's not that people don't have the energy to do it properly; they simply don't care to. Why? I think a lot of people have an undeserved sense of entitlement; they don't need to make themselves understood, people will go the extra mile to decipher what they are saying.