Although Pencils to Pixels is an old text, one that was only able to project over the possible changes technology would make to society, Baron was accurate in assessing that we are on a new learning wave. Communication technology has affected my personal life in many different ways, especially because I wasn't born in the first generation to have it. Cellphones became an absolute while I was in junior high/high school, just as the mac book, kindle fire, ipod touch, iphone, and all other major touchscreen devices became popularized while I was in college. I'll admit owning a few of the aforementioned, but not all. Owning these devices not only saves time, but space. Although I miss a certain degree of nostalgia from buying my books paperback, to transferring them into digital text, I must say it is nice to have everything I need at my fingertips. Our technology is just another aspect of our instant gratification culture, I want it and I want it now, information included. However, I won't say this is necessarily a bad thing. I feel that these devices have affected the way my friends and myself interact, to the way I study, to how I research. Technology is even changing the way we speak, spell, and pay attention...self included.
Aside from spelling, there are so many ways of composing in the technological age with words: texting, emailing, word documents, blogs, social networks, and instant messaging. Oonline images and symbols/emoticons are another way of constructing a message, but without the use of words. There is also the creation of animation, music, and video that can be used to display images and transfer meaning. Often times, written text is used with photographs, symbols, sounds, and videos to make a complete experience. Not only am I responsible for sharing these different forms of meaning, I also gather their meanings from the online use of others and the messages they are trying to convey. We really are no longer limited in our expressions.
No comments:
Post a Comment