The Loss of Literacy in Modern America

[Zee Zee Top]

This is true. Apathy, seems to be a major factor in "txt-talking". They just don't care, as long they don't have to do too much work. To the average person, proofreading means extra work.  

[Bladia]

It's kind of on the list, but I would say Messenger, Texting (Phone) and other forms of communication.

People find all these ways of shortening things, and they also save time (but kill grammar) by missing out apostrophes, commas, colons, semi-colons...

As well, laziness (combined with computers) is definitely a problem. 'Why learn to write properly? The computer will spellcheck it for me.' 'Why learn to have good handwriting? I can just type it out.' etc.

Television, I think, is actually not that big of a problem. Although most TV shows nowadays promote stupidity, the dialogue is actually grammatically correct most of the time.

@applecyder: I am among the well-read kids, and I am quite popular at my school. I guess that the reason most smart kids are unpopular is due to the fact that most people stereotype them for nerds (there is a difference).  

[Lord Drago]

If there was a choice in a poll for the poor education, I would pick that. In southern California, the idiotic teachers tell students to say, "More better," and "Much more better." My cousin, how pitiful that I am related to him as thick as marriage, keeps saying that. I'd like to give the retards that run the school system in Corona a piece of my mind...  

[Jacked in the Box II]

Yes i agree. The schools are messed up, I moved from Michigan to Texas and found out that i had to redo most classes because they have lower standards.  

[farfromsight06]

This option wasn't up there, but I honestly blame all of the parents for it. I mean, if you don't make your children read a book every now and then, then they will grow up literacy challenged. lol. Its not a funny topic. I jut don't think I said that right. But, yeah, its adults faults.  

[Zee Zee Top]

However, that's not to say that a parent should be shoving books down a child's throat. My little brother is a prime example of that. He likes to read, but doesn't have the attention span for big books yet. When I was his age, I was reading Harry Potter. He's still on long magazine articles and short stories. He reads them quickly enough, but he lacks the attention span to sit down a and read a long book. My father expects him to be me, and he shoves Harry Potter into the poor boy's face and yells at him if he doesn't read.

This kind of thing turns a child away from reading and gaining knowledge in general. My little brother hates reading because of my dad. He actually was beginning to like it before Harry Potter was forced on him.  

[Vincent Snowfrost]

I would say the introduction of text messaging, laziness, and peer validation...But mostly peer validation and laziness.

This is a sad thing really, seeing our grammar deteriorate by just pure laziness...It ANGERS me so much, seeing people just skip vowels and letters just because their to &(%* lazy!!

domokun

I just want to punch them in the face for not proofreading their messages, letter's, or e-mail's.

But mostly is Pure Unadulterated Laziness!!!  

[Warrior of Metal]

I would have to say it is laziness and an attempt to fit in. I used "Txt-tlk" for about 2 days on a myspace IM, and then never used it again. I never got how people put "lol" at the end of their own messages, especially if they aren't funny. I think to myself, "What a d**k. Do you intentionally make an a** out of yourself? You're not friggen' funny." It's like laughing at your own dim-witted joke. It makes you an a**. But when I did use it it was like "brb in 20 minutes", not horrible, but bad.

I, being a metalhead, hate all things mainstream. I got rid of Myspace and discovered the wonderful world of Gaia. I began to hate the mainstream usage of "Txt-Tlk" and then found this guild. I think it all started with laziness, and then it became a norm for everyone. A few people start using it out of laziness, and then other dickweeds think it looks cool, and spread it like cancer. It then becomes a tumor on the head of out brain-dead society that I believe is collapsing out of a "Lemming Effect". One person jumps off the bridge, everyone follows. This is true in almost all aspects. People think the "Thug Life" is cool, so we end up with body bags full of youth with gang tatoos. Everyone hears something on the media, and they believe it to be true. We end up with a country full of ignorant leftists.

(Liberals are interested in a intellectual debate, leftists are people who don't know, only believe, and therefore are incapable of thought, the people who say "Bush is an idiot", and if you ask them why, they have no response. If you are here in this guild, go stick your head in the fire, cleanse our gene pool. This isn't a politics thread, but I hope you all see my point.)

People see no use to be educated because our government is handing out welfare, so they can live off of that and minimum wage at Mcdonald's, and they drop out at 16. We end up with too many fast food restaurants full of people who speak ten words or English. It is horrible.

Wow, that was long. Basically, it was laziness followed by a "Lemming-Effect" and topped off with a lack of desire to learn. I know it went a bit away from the point, but it all relates. That's my $20 and 2 cents.  

[Domenic]

Dusty Worry Doll

I don't see how some people can put up with others using netspeak on messengers. Sure, they can reply quickly if they use it, then again, they could always just learn to type faster.
And, like that saying, "For every .3 seconds you save by not typing a "Y" or an "O," I waste 3 minutes trying to decipher your message."

 

[xXblacksakuraXx]

Lord Drago

If there was a choice in a poll for the poor education, I would pick that. In southern California, the idiotic teachers tell students to say, "More better," and "Much more better." My cousin, how pitiful that I am related to him as thick as marriage, keeps saying that. I'd like to give the retards that run the school system in Corona a piece of my mind...

The kids in my school...so many of them, even in HONORS classes, next year who will be in AP classes, scare me so badly. *shudder*  

[GameNeko]

I've seen a couple of people in here say that it was out of laziness, but I have a hard time beliveing that, mostly because I'm about four times lazier than everyone else I know. (Wow, run on sentence, Teeks, nice one. )

Having a good grammar isn't just about education either. I'm, frankly, one of the failling teens in my oh-so-prestegious highschool, and most of them -even the ones in AP English (Where as I am not)- Complain about how grammatically picky I am.

Or maybe I just got into internet culture too early in my life...
Whoops.  

[Error Access Denied]

Yami no Hitokiri

What has prompted the loss of literacy in modern America? Is it the mass media, laziness, ineptitude, stupidity? Are generation after generation of people indeed becoming stupider than their ancestors through the passing on of defective genes? Is television to blame for luring children to its blue glare and away from books? Will the average American even be able to read above a sixth grade level in 30 years?

Thoughts, opinions?

Note: In the poll, I do leave out the apostrophe. I have to because the poll won't go through with apostrophes in the answers. Thanks for another brilliant glitch, Gaia!

I can't say for sure what the problem is. Although, I can suggest that maybe many kids now-a-days don't really care. There are plenty of students dropping out of school, doing drugs, getting into trouble, and having to finish out schooling in jail. Others just aren't educated enough at all, and don't bother to learn. That or kids don't go out to exercise and play anymore because of the fear of kidnappings and killings; therefore putting kids inside to do nothing but eat and watch television. I believe all that T.V. is killing braincells.

Television should not be abused. At least thats what I think. Then again, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, am I right? Anyway, I'm sure there are a numerous amount of reasons to why our intelligence are dropping. Sad to say that I'm not the smartest person, nor is my I.Q. sky rocketing, but I do well in the creative sections, or fine arts such as music, writing, and actual art. Not trying to brag, but I admit I am lazy, but at least I take the liberty to "try" to sound smart and put forth a little effort in literacy. Who really wants to sound like an insolent fool and embarrass themselves? Well...never mind...

Nonetheless, you can still have fun, enjoy, and goof off without making yourself a fool every time. I don't mind stupidity actions every once in a while to lighten up a mood, but don't take it on as a part of life. Its ridiculous to have to put up with every day, all day long.  

[Patron with a Mission]

What has caused the loss of literacy is all of those things listed in the poll. Not only is it that, but it seems that society itself discourages people from being literate, because those that are literate are shown as outsiders, something that all should stay away from, because its not "cool" to be smart. And the nation wonders why America is behind in terms of education? It's because of our culture, and the way things are displayed in the media that we are as we are. Most people believe what they see on the screen and are easily swayed. What is being shown on the popular channels is that to be literate is to be mocked, terrorized, and completely isolated.

As a side note, I have not seen television at all for eight going on nine months. I don't miss it one bit...but when I tell others that, they stare at me as if I have lost it; even my parents treat me different because I choose to read and study instead of watch television or whatever it is that "normal" children do.  

[Fatali~Faye]

I'd have to agree with everything on the poll (even though I picked the 'Internet' option)...But anyway. Cellphones in my opinion are the biggest vector in spreading this plague, and I honestly despise them. Not only cellphones, but Instant Messaging, some forums, and Quizilla.com can be blamed for illiteracy. Instant Messaging and forums are obvious, but Quizilla.com is also important because so many of the stories, or quizzes, or poems, are not well written, and they don't have proper spelling or grammar[1].

And then bringing that along, people read these, think that they're great, and then they might post it elsewhere, or they pick up on 'txt tlk' (God, typing that was painful) and write their own stories that way.

I don't see TV as a big problem, except when concerning MTV and VH1 or whatever. Those two (or was it three channels with MTV2?) spread a lot of awful slang, and they promote 'txt tlk' to some degree, and a lot of teenagers pick up on the rude slang, and whatnot.

Bad genetics can't be blamed that often, seeing as it's not the kids fault that they're on the wrong end of the gene pool, nor can laziness or stupidity. If the person's stupid, it's either genetics, or they got dropped on their head as a baby. Laziness may affect literacy to some degree, but from what I've seen, not that much. Some people just forget apostrophes, or the occasional comma (as I have been noted to do occasionally).

But eh, my two cents. sweatdrop

[1] Er, I do realize that poetry is allowed to warp the rules of grammar and capitalization, but that's the only form of literature that is allowed to.