The Loss of Literacy in Modern America

[spacegoats]

I think it was television that originally started this problem. Before televisions, people would actually READ for their entertainment. There was no television to lazily sit in front of watching all day (nor were there computers). You went to school, worked, did outdoor activities, or you would partake in reading or writing (or some other form of art).  

[Chessa le Blanc]

Personally, I believe the problem originated with laziness. Someone didn't feel like typing out their vowels, or decided they wanted to abbreviate everything, etc. Then I think it became sort of a fad, and it spread.

I think we should make literacy a fad. This is one of the reasons I love this guild.  

[l3viathan]

I think that it is a mix of several things, so thus I had a bit of a hard time to choose an answer for the poll.

Television is a big one due to the media. You hear common grammarical mistakes on TV all the time. So many people make these common mistakes; including grown ups. And kids these days watch way too much TV. Not only that, they listen to grown ups thinking that they "know everything". ********; even celebrities make these common mistakes. So of course kids shall continue to make these mistakes thinking that grown ups are "always right".

Then again, there is also peer validation. The people you interact with make these common mistakes as well. And usually, people think "If my friends do/say this, then it must be okay, so whatever".

Another problem could be caused some type of instant messenger program such as 'AIM'. People feel pressured to use short-hand due to the pressure to keep the conversation moving swiftly, or if they are slow at typing. I personally do not type fast to tell you the truth, but I still type out my ******** words. I guess you could say that peer pressure is yet another contribution.

Schools could be yet another issue though, but I honestly cannot say much about this subject due to the fact that I have gone to a private school since kindergarten up until high school graduation. We had good grammar courses in grammer to middle school. However, we did not have any more courses in grammar through all of high school. I do not know if the grammar courses in public school are good, or if they continue in high school. So if anyone else wants to comment on this, then feel free.

Although, I do not think that computers are all to blame because unlike the TV, you yourself control the computer. Meaning, you control what you want to see or look at, unlike the just staring at a screen and watching whatever is put out or thrown at you. You can control if you want to be further educate yourself in various different things, or if you just want to be lazy. The computer can be far more important for self-education due to you being the one to control it. Also, the fact that there are people like us on the internet who try to preserve the English language.
However; laziness is also a huge factor in this all, if not the biggest factor. Sadly, a lot of people just simply don't give a ******** about using good grammar nor even typing out their words. They just simply don't care. Sadly, a lot of people do not use what they were taught in school. I could go on about this, but then it would switch to being off-topic, which wouldn't be too good.

I think I have said enough. Sorry for the 'wall of text', but I just like to write a lot since I love writing.  

[Hykiora]

I think most teenagers today are too lazy to think about their education. All I hear in my third period class is "Dude I got so blazed this weekend," "Me and this dude got into a fight yesterday," and "Hey, we're gonna shoplift beer from Walmart tonight." I think it's sickening. Just because right now teens don't think education matters it doesn't mean the requirement will go away.

There are a lot of really bright people at my school, but they're way too lazy to try to get good grades. Just today I was walking home with a girl from my Geometry class and she was explaining her theory about school. She said she had an 89% in class, so she could stop working. Personally, if I had an 89% in class I'd try harder to bring it up to a 90% at least. My brother's even guilty of being lazy. He's a genius, and he dropped out of school. I really don't understand it, because he makes me feel stupid all the time but I'm going to end up with a better education.

It really is just the United States feeling this illiteracy epidemic. I've spoken to someone in Argentina, he's required to learn in Spanish, English and an elective language of his choice (French). How many languages are students in the US learning in? English, and maybe Spanish, French or German? I don't know I'm starting to rant... It just really bugs me that our generation is deteriorating, and apparently as long as there's beer/weed/sex a plenty, not many of us care. That's probably why other countries find time to laugh at us often. We're a "powerful country" with a horrible education system, teens actually want an education in other countries. Our system just makes us ingrateful for the ability to learn...  

[Mortal Apparition]

I think that there are alot of reasons why literacy and spelling are becoming harder to find. One reason I think is the common "values" that people share. If one person doesn't think spelling is important they might turn around and "convert" someone to think that it isn't important either.  

[ScorpioSess]

I blame our school system and a general apathetic attitude of people in general. cry  

[SOawesomeness]

...I don't belong here...

One thing that I really don't understand about the loss of internet literacy is: why do it when it seems to make the user look stupid?
Seriously, it makes absolutely no sense. I certainly would not want to be perceived as stupid. Skipping a few strokes on the keyboard isn't that hard nor time consuming.
In one case, I believe that "txt tlk" is acceptable in actual short time texting. I absolutely do not want to pay extra cents for a message sent via cellphone.
Ah, I digress. I believe peer validation as well as apathy do play an important factor. Where else would someone learn "txt tlk" than their friends who[m?] they contact online? ^^

-Chiri Kcrinh
Please PM me questions concerning any questions regarding Gaia Online and it's features. Please don't send me random friend requests if I don't know you.

...No, I don't belong here...

 

[Cherry Choo]

Ironically, I believe the so-called "txt tlk" culture has risen due to the constant advancing of technology. It is ironic that although our technology is advancing, (in affect we should be advancing with it), the general thrust for learning and exploring new ideas and adapting them has declined. So were advancing in some aspects (technology for example) and declining in others (literacy for example).

I would blame text book schooling and the generation of mobile phone users and "anywhere/anytime" internet users as a result, - {If i were uneducated and wanted to pigeon hole a certain generation just because they have been provided with this technology}. Alas I can't. The overall idea that is presented is that there is a decline in literacy, but we have to look at the facts like what period of history it started to decline from. Centuries before the explosion of the internet, of course people, (and when I say people I am being so broad I could be babbling off subject now), had more time to read and write and double standards ran rife through society. The rich could afford to learn the teachings of the great before them and the poor would try to make the best living without education but it was sought after. [ Maybe I am pertaining to the middle ages indeed!] But, the point is there are many other factors that will interfere with this debate taking shape to one side.

There is some issue of class, and what is perceived to be "success" in society. Success to the Mtv viewer is a the rap singer who doesn't pronounce his words or invents new ones, or on the contrary the anti-government punk band who wills youth to rebel against the system. Discipline has been reinvented by freedom fighters and antisemitism. Again I talk broadly and I'm not trying to induce anything here. We are all as clever as the things we are taught and what we seek to find out.

The common idea is that we seek instant results, here and now without striving for perfection. Perfection seems to be what was once perceived and what ceases to be. Literacy has declined from how it was once perceived and has evolved into what many argue as horrifically disagreeable.

There is an air of ignorance only because those who cease to find the world entertaining enough as a result of the lack of literacy have under-perceived the fact that a generation who are not taught strictly and are given freedom, or a generation who are given options and are freely permited to think what they like are doing exactly that.

We as a human race have striven for freedom, and freedom without boundaries leaves some of us floating joyously around others who disagree that our freedom endured is freedom at all.

In any case if we all knew the same thing and everyone was literate enough to understand each other we would think some kind of "freedom" was being achieved. But what kind of freedom is it if we all conform to one view, one voice and one idea of literacy.
 

[Kristal Lee]

Parents really need to take a more active role in their children's upbringing and education... too many think that it's the education system's job to teach their kids... but it's their job, too!  

[Organic Shadows]

See, I blame it on all of those things. Now, I can spell "worth s**t," and I know all of the capitals of the US and Canada, stuff like that. All of the kids in my class are still in a crucial stage of their learning, as am I (fifth and sixth grade), yet none know how to spell "incredible" or "breakfast" or simple words that are required to look intelligent. I work hard (well, not really, but still. I began working hard) to look literate. Others don't care at all. They don't give a damn. I know approximately two other people in my class, both top of their class (I must explain: I am in a fifth/sixth split class, still in elementary school, so I am the top of my grade, they are competing for their grade), that really try. And if they know they don't have the utmost ability in one subject, they convert it so that they can try to improve. Quoting The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg, "Kids were beginning to ask, 'So what?' instead of 'Now what?'" That's my point. We are kids who ask "Now what?"

Are you?

*dramatically leaves with a meaningful question*  

[s0prano42_x3]

Yami no Hitokiri

I forgot the right bracket in the poll question. I can't edit it, or I'll lose the poll. Here's the right bracket: ).

blaugh

Okay, I thought that was hilarious. Anyways, I think it's because of peer validation and laziness combined. People just started getting lazy with their habits, and then other people were thinking, "It's okay for them to be lazy, so I'll be lazy, too!"  

[Organic Shadows]

Hykiora

It really is just the United States feeling this illiteracy epidemic. I've spoken to someone in Argentina, he's required to learn in Spanish, English and an elective language of his choice (French). How many languages are students in the US learning in? English, and maybe Spanish, French or German? I don't know I'm starting to rant... It just really bugs me that our generation is deteriorating, and apparently as long as there's beer/weed/sex a plenty, not many of us care. That's probably why other countries find time to laugh at us often. We're a "powerful country" with a horrible education system, teens actually want an education in other countries. Our system just makes us ingrateful for the ability to learn...

(((By the way, it's ungrateful, just wanted you to know wink )))

Teens (everyone) in other countries, mostly third-world if you ask me, have only one thing that will enable them to survive: education. Here, you don't really need an education. Pshh, yes, it will get you a good job so that you can get rent in. But why do that when you have things like prostitution right there? You only need to know don't need to know anything.  

[Organic Shadows]

Okay, double post. But it's such a different sub-topic, so...

This is my friend and she's awesome (this is on Neopets, where I only go for the social connections, and I gave her a paintbrush). She's kind of chat speaky. Here's her PM:

hey i JUST noticed your on- and id like to say THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE PB. sadly im still deciding who to paint! ahhh

So I just wanted to say that there ARE some serious cases out there. Sigh...  

[Ksenia Sergeevina]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think teenagers are any lazy or dumber than ones in the past. Some guy, somehwere once said, "Even if your learn proper english; who will you speak it too?" I think it's the same idea. However, the problem were is that you can't understand people.

I also think people I losing the idea of short-hand being personal. Short-hand is great but not for communcation. I took time prefectly my short-hand system. Someone should explain this to people.  

[Tuskafel]

I don't have much to add, you guys are in way deeper (and way longer) posts than me.

I just wanted to add that some people seem to be very proud of the fact they can spell. The person that beats us with this pride is Fergie. Alot of her songs have some spelling in them!

Glamourous
Fergalicious

I can't figure out if she's just excited she knows how to spell these words and wants to show it off OR if she thinks she's doing illiterate America a favor by teaching kids to spell. Then again my friend said it could just be because she can't think of any real lyrics.


PS I like leet, its fun to read, but it has its time and place.