I recently read this interesting article from Clive Thompson about "The New Literacy", drawing on research findings from Andrea Lunsford at Stanford University.
I like the fact that this article explores what appear to be some serious benefits of modern social networking and its effects on today's young writers, rather than wailing on about how the Internet and social media are destroying writing ability in young people. Lunsford goes as far as saying that she thinks "we're in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven't seen since Greek civilization" and that technology is reviving (rather than killing) our ability to write.
A few findings from the study that really opened my eyes:
- 38% of writing done by university students done outside the classroom
- Young online writers better at assessing audience and adapting tone and technique to get their points across
It's an interesting read, and worth looking at if you're the sort that worries about the writing skills of young people in the age of technology and social media.
:-)
