Adriana Naccarato
DTC 375
Dr. Jason Farman
2-19-09
words: 871
WRITE A LETTER TO SANTA? NAH…I’LL JUST CALL HIM!!
In a world where the human population is becoming more and more technologically advanced, literacy is becoming somewhat passé, though necessary. The majority of us prefer oral communication over the latter. With the latest phones that are out, the cool web/video chatting that is available, who would want or could even find the time to sit down and write a letter. I believe that we have moved and will keep moving towards a more fast track/paced lifestyle, and with that lifestyle we are primarily and oral culture. Not only do we use orality to broaden and break boundaries in our more diverse, multi-cultural world, but also the use of signage and symbols.
Literacy is of great importance, even since early on, but has been taken out of the forefront. Nowadays people are definitely living in a fast paced world with a fast paced lifestyle with little or no time to slow down. When we finally have time to relax, one is definitely not picking up a pen to “drop their friend a line”. It is much easier to pick up your phone, dial some numbers, and talk for a few minutes that would sum up what you would write in an hour in a three page letter. Then have to send it off, wait for a response and then start the process all over again. As a single mother of two young children, going to school full-time, working part-time, and trying to balance kids’ activities with my homework, I look for convenience. I find myself lacking time to be able to sit down and write a letter, or even read the entire newspaper for that matter. Though I would like to, I have found it necessary to simply turn on the television and listen to the news and have it summed up for me in a matter of minutes. Also, while I am on the internet I can simply go to a news website and instead of reading what is written about local or global events, I can click on their video links and simply sit back and listen to the broadcast. With so many people in somewhat similar situations, or just merely in a time crunch, orality is the easiest, fastest, and more convenient form of communication. Not only for convenience are we an oral culture, it is simply a way of life. In this day and age, where being fit and looking good is of greater importance than being literate, we might find ourselves in the gym more, running, hiking, simply being physical. In that aspect we find ourselves using MP3 players, IPODs to listen to music. When you see people at the gym they are either talking to friends, listening to music, or watching television. You can be you will rarely see anyone reading a book or a magazine.
Not only do we want and love the convenience of a simple phone call, or a quick news briefing, we actually acknowledge symbols in advertising to be our guide. We look for symbols everywhere and anywhere to make life that much easier. I am not only talking about the infamous Golden arches of McDonalds, but also the infamous pictographs that show danger, high voltage, rocks falling, as well as women’s and men’s bathrooms, etc. We look for these visually and globally because they are universal. They are a sense of security. We all know if we are travelling in a foreign country and do not speak or read the native language, we look for familiar symbols pictures to guide us. We know that in almost any country those certain pictographs we have grown accustomed to can offer us some comfort and ease. If we need directions and ask someone for directions who I cannot communicate in words with, we can easily pull out a map and use the symbols to help get information or even some sort of sign language, maybe pointing or something to that nature. Pretty soon instead of writing letters to Santa, kids will want to call them or simply send them a picture of what they want.
Literacy no longer dictates social ranking or status as it did earlier on in civilization. Literacy was linked directly to social standing. Social status in wealth, occupation, deference, and the like, was brought with settlers; it shaped literacy levels (Crowley 109). Nowadays, the higher class, or socialites can buy their way in. You do not have to be literate to have social ranking, merely the means to get what you want. You can pay someone to be literate for you. Knowledge is no longer power to most, money is. Literacy does not hold the reigns in this technological state of being.
Although schools are bound to literacy because it gives us our foundation to grow and learn from, communication is still of greater importance. Without communication, the world would be one big “dead zone”. Communication and open, oral dialect is needed in our ever growing, diverse, multi-cultural world. Literacy is still greatly needed, but an advanced oral culture is what we thrive for.
WORKS CITED
Crowley, David. Communication in History: Technology, Culture, Society. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2007.
