On The New Literacy by Clive Thompson

This was a great article to read, I love how it addresses the stigma attached to people who essentially grew up around technology and social media. I don't understand why some people have such a strong aversion to social media, especially the role it plays in people's lives. Writing is a process that allows individuals to do whatever they need, that may mean ranting, reflection, or merely seeking a social interaction with others. It seems as though writing is often trivialized or under the perception that the craft is demeaned when it's done on a social network platform and that's bizarre. Writing in no way can be less than what it is, as it's filled with meaning, images, thoughts of the writer, this even applies to someone writing lies as the intention is there behind the language.

The article does a great job demonstrating how the language in writing is changed when written in different contexts. I'm sure even with all the evidence some people will be reluctant to change their views on the literacy of young students. I think that quote in the beginning of article of the London professor was funny, his little note on Powerpoint doesn't even make sense when it's a presentation tool and the text there is meant to inform in the most quick and efficient way, where as, an essay is bound to be more in-depth and lengthy. This professor has such a close-minded view on writing, meaning he can only see it's "worth" in one context... academia. Young people have created their own spaces of discourse, in which, they don't need to be professionally recognized to participate in. They have the benefit of getting right to the point as they don't have to worry about academic etiquette when it comes to writing.

He calls text on Facebook"narcissistic blabbering" how is that any different from a memoir? Where is the line between personal reflection and 'narcissistic blabbering"? Is personal reflection deemed as less introspective when it's placed on a different platform? Why? Are words valued more when they're on paper compared to when they're typed into a text box or word document? Can meaning ever be diluted? No when it comes from the mouth of an old white privileged man, but yes when it's attached to minds of individuals who once had no space to really express or speak out for themselves without coming across as self-absorbed, self-centered and narcissistic. Hmm... I guess thought and our expression of it is only reserved for the aged and predominately white spaces and I'm not referring to
paper.