I chose to write this essay to anyone who will listen. I think that this essay may be tailored more to the older generations who have not been immersed in the technological world as much as we are. This essay gives an insider perspective on the effects that our generation is going through. I feel that present an interesting opinion about how our current over use of technology affects not only our literacy levels but also our country as a whole.
Technology is everywhere today. One has to take a step back to realize how much it affects everyday life. From the first moments of the day waking up to the deathly buzzing of the alarm on a smart phone or to the voice of the beautiful Lady Gaga playing out of the new iHome alarm clock, we are surrounded by technology. On the surface it seems indisputable that technology has a positive effect on literacy levels in America. Everything is right in front of us; the Internet enables us to do and find whatever we desire. We can read and write with the tap of a keyboard or the click of a mouse. “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes” (Carr 1). It seems ridiculous to even think that the advancement in technology could have a detrimental effect on the literacy rates of Americans.
How wrong we are. Yes, technological developments have changed our society in countless ways. However, the literacy of Americans has been drastically and negatively impacted because of these developments: literacy rates have declined, reading is no longer necessary, the American society as a whole has to be talked down to, and people’s ability to focus has noticeably decreased.
The United States of America, the land of opportunity, is the perfect example of John Wilthrop’s city on a hill… from the outside. If a closer look is taken it can be seen that America has some troubles of its own. Currently the United States of America ranks forty-fifth in the world literacy standings[1]. Although appalling, the significant discovery is the correlation between technological advancement and literacy rates. A test conducted by the Department of Education compared the differences in literacy rates in America in 1992 and 2003. It was discovered that in 1992, 40 percent of Americans who graduated from college scored in the proficient level on a literacy test. In 2003 this number dropped to 30 percent. A 10 percent drop in 11 years is astounding. The study also showed that almost one million college graduates scored in the below basic literacy category.[2] The epidemic does not only pertain to high school dropouts, more and more college graduates are becoming less literate because of the constant connection to technology. One of the test overseers, Grover J. Whitehurst, concluded that the drop in literacy was because a “rising number of young Americans in recent years had spent their free time watching television and surfing the Internet” and because of “substantial declines in reading for pleasure.”[3]
Americas have become lazy. We are a nation whose youth spends almost 8 hours a day watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the web.[4] It’s unbelievable, no longer do we read a book for fun, instead we stare at our computer screens fixated on a relentless steady stream of information. Even on our blogs many people commented on how they were surprised with the time they spent doing nothing online instead of reading. Nobody reads books anymore. How many of us can truly say that we would rather read a book then go online? “A third of high school graduates, along with 42 percent of college graduates, never read a book after they finish school. Eighty percent of the families in the United States last year did not buy a book”(Hedges 1).
It’s a sad, yet unsurprising fact that will only continue to get worse unless we, as a county, make drastic changes to both our educational system and how we live our lives. Is it really the child’s fault if he or she grows up in a house where neither of his or her parents read? You are a product of your environment; if the environment is book-less, how is the child supposed to become a reader? It can be argued that the lack of tangible reading – of books made of paper that you can hold in your hands -- is compensated by the superfluous amount of reading that is done online. But realistically, reading status updates and stumbleupon does not compensate for that literary knowledge that is gained from reading a book. How many of us can remember the last year we went out to the bookstore to find a good book to read. Yes, we read, but it is not for pleasure, it is for school. If we do not change our habits we are going to go out into the real world lacking serious literary skills.
The decline in reading and the eight hours the youth spends with digital devices has forced the general media to adapt. Our society is no longer treated as mature, intelligent individuals, but instead we have to be talked down to. “Television programs add text crawls and pop-up ads, and magazines and newspapers shorten their articles, introduce capsule summaries, and crowd their pages with easy-to-browse info snippets” (Carr 4). Technology has changed our society, our constant Internet use has destroyed out attention span and we are constantly bombarded with a changing media while surfing the web. Consequently, loud pop-ups, shortened ads and articles must be used to retain the users’ attention. Media has had to adapt, shorten, and dumb down their articles, ads, and stories to keep the attention of the reader.
There is a direct correlation between the uses of technology and the ability to retain attention. From 2003 to 2007, the amount of time youth spent in front of TV, Internet, or computers increased almost 2 hours[5]. During the same time period, the number of youth diagnosed with ADHD increased 22 percent.[6] The correlation is clear; the more one becomes immersed in technology the harder it is for that individual to stay focused. Because our society has become easily distracted we have lost the ability to read like we used to and have consequently become less literate.
The decline in literacy has forced the media, ads, public officials, and political candidates to speak down to us. In their famous debate, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon spoke at an average grade level of about 10. In the Bush-Gore debates the candidates spoke at an average grade level of about 7 (Hedges 2). In just 50 years, in direct correlation with the advancement of technology, the literacy level of our country has changed so drastically that presidential candidates now have to speak with the literacy of middle schools so that the people in our country can understand. These debates are no longer intellectual, but have become a way for the candidates to use short catchy phrases to grab the attention of their audience.
What has our society become? Can it really be argued that technology has taken one of the strongest countries in the history of the world and made it less and less economically significant over the past 20 years? It sounds like I am America bashing, but I am not. I love my country and most of the things that we stand for. It is intriguing, could technology really be hurting our country rather than helping? In my mind technology has undoubtedly changed the way that we read and absorb information. For the most part we have become easily distracted and easily bored. The Internet has really contributed to this phenomenon. The Internet provides a platform for an ever-changing media where ones ADD can be satisfied. You can go from playing a game to watching Jersey Shore to wandering aimlessly through the black hole that is youtube. It is this never-ending distraction that has downgraded the literacy level of our society.
The negative effects do not stop with just literacy; one also has to take into account what happens more broadly when there is a decrease in literacy. “Individuals who have below-basic English literacy skills are more likely to be unemployed than individuals in the intermediate and proficient literacy categories.”[7] Below-basic literacy causes unemployment. Unemployment rates are currently higher then they have been in decades, partially because of our countries literacy crisis. Illiteracy is not just causing unemployment but is costing our nation “tens of billions of dollars per year.”[8] The facts are unbelievable: “two-thirds to three-quarters of adults receiving public assistance exhibit the lowest levels of literacy; the average health care cost for adults with low literacy skills was four times the amount of the average American. The United States prison population has tripled since 1980 and seventy percent of those inmates are either functionally illiterate or read below the eighth grade level.”[9]
The declining literacy levels in this country are costing us. They are causing unemployment, crime, and the need for public assistance. It does not seem like this trend will end soon and will only get worse. Is it really that much of a surprise that our country is experiencing this economic crisis when so much money is being lost because of illiteracy? Something has to be done; literacy seems to be behind most of the problems in our country. It causes unemployment, economic discrepancies and is slowly eroding our beautiful country. What is behind the drastic changes in literacy levels? Technology. This spiral does not seem to be stoppable in this world that is exponentially becoming more and more dependent on the use of technology to survive in everyday life.
[1] "Literacy Rates of the World." World by Map: Statistics, Maps and Charts. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://world.bymap.org/LiteracyRates.html>.
[2] DILLON, SAM. "Literacy Falls for Graduates From College, Testing Finds - New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/education/16literacy.html?incamp=article_popular&pagewanted=print>
[3] I.B.I.D.
[4] Reinberg, Steven. "U.S. Kids Using Media Almost 8 Hours a Day - BusinessWeek." Businessweek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/635134.html>.
[5] I.B.I.D.
[6] "CDC - ADHD, Data and Statistics - NCBDDD." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html>.
[7] "'See Spot run' befuddles fewer Americans / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com." The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1216/p02s01-legn.html>.
[8] " ProLiteracy “ Improving lives and communities through adult literacy ." ProLiteracy “ Improving lives and communities through adult literacy . N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.proliteracy.org/NetCommunity>.
[9] I.B.I.D
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