This week in class, we talked about utopian and dystopian views of the internet. Of the four articles that we read, each of the authors had valid points to make. However, as a "child of the internet," there are two points that I seem to stand opposite of.
The first is the idea that online literacy is a "lesser kind." I could see how the use of seemingly simplified language like LOL, OMG, and WTF are sort of destroying literacy (I find myself using this kind of language, and although I can't help myself, I feel kind of dumb doing so). However, I feel that there are areas of the internet where literacy is still live and well. I write for The Artifice, an online magazine for the arts. Here, any kind of literacy is frowned upon. Every article needs at least six approvals, and that's checking for content errors, grammar mistakes, and so on. This scrutiny, in my opinion, disproves some of the claims that literacy online is dead.
Beyond that, I disagree with the claim that the internet is ruining our ability to focus. In all honest, the internet has helped me to stay focused. I know that when I do good enough research or know what I want to be viewing, it takes a lot to break my concentration. If I want to be focused, I WILL BE, whether or not I'm online or not. I also find that the internet has helped me to learn how to multi-task. Right now, for example, I am working on the blog post, reading for class, and editing articles. The internet affords me the ability to do so many things that would just get messy and complicated in real life.
How do you all feel about these points? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments if you'd like :)
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