Literacy in the Modern World
Literacy is not only the skills of reading and writing, but also the ability to understand, analyze, use and communicate information. It is a definite problem in the modern world. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Adults and children have trouble reading, writing, computing, and performing other tasks necessary for everyday life. Particular groups of people defined by their race, region, and age have lower literacy skills than others. Since technology plays such a large role in our lives, it is negatively affecting reading. Because of all the educational problems today we need to better understand how to teach the next generations to our best ability. We need to work together to raise literacy rates and educational standards so that all over the world people have a better understanding that will help us solve present and future problems.
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Literacy is still a problem all over the world but certain regions, races, and generations have a bigger problem than others. America is the twenty-first most literate country out of 180. Georgia is the most literate country and Mali is the least (“List of Countries by Literacy Rate”). In America, Caucasian and Asian people have overall better literacy than African-American and Hispanic people (Kutner). Children’s literacy has increased in the past few years, but teenagers and adults are reading less and with less proficiency (“The Future of Reading). Catherine Snow and Patton Tabors commented, “…redefined literacy, itself, as a far more complex process than was conceived in the past.” Literacy is still a major enigma in the modern, fast-paced, and highly technological world and we must focus on the least literate and educated to change it.
Technology today is leaving less and less time in our lives for traditional reading; it could also be altering our brains and changing literacy for the worse. The internet has proven to be full of inaccurate sources and multiple distractions. Reading online, like Wikipedia, blogs, and eBooks, has been shown to lower incomes, employment, and test scores. Many search engines, such as Google, show sites according to their popularity or number of hits. This could be detrimental to the diversity of information taken off the web because people usually only look at and read the first few websites with each reader contributing to a high ranking of the site on the search engine (“The Future of Reading”). McLuhan in “The Future of Reading” says, “…the medium in which one receives information is at least as important to the recipient as the content itself.” While technology is necessary for some tasks and useful for others, traditional reading should still be a part of our lives.
There are always plans for future success, including ways that could help our world be more literate—in quantity and quality both. Studies have shown that family support and help is necessary for good literacy skills. Snow and Tabors confirm the importance of “one-on-one parental attention and affection” directly with literacy. Furthermore, reading and the pursuit of knowledge must be kept enjoyable so as not to be avoided later in life. Animals, not excluding humans, learn most of their actions and habits from their parents. So, parents must be good role models for their children—reading and using literacy often and accurately in everyday life (Snow). If a child is exposed to literacy in a less casual environment than school they have a better chance of enjoying it, reading a lot more, and being more proficient at reading.
Some say that technology is the next step in the evolution of reading and is helping us to adapt to the changing world. This is because information online can be quicker and easier to find. Likewise, if the internet is used correctly and cautiously then one can access many accurate, reliable sources. Also, one must acknowledge the fact that reading online makes it almost impossible to focus on long sources such as books. Being on the internet decreases memory and shortens concentration, too (“The Future of Reading”). Traditional reading is beneficial to one’s literacy and should be considered for a pastime or research and if one wishes to use technology it must be used in moderation and not carelessly.
Certain people today believe the main factor that affects a child’s literacy is their parents’ social class. It is true a better educated and often high class parent has a bigger and rarer vocabulary which influences their children. Contrary to that belief, direct transfer methods which help with a child’s literacy include written material such as grocery lists, notes on the refrigerator, and newspapers. These materials are common in many higher class and also working class homes, as well as some lower class homes (Snow). While social class does have some effect on children’s literacy many other factors play a bigger part in their education.
Literacy is decreasing everywhere and we must recognize what helps and hurts education and then act on it. We should work the hardest for better literacy in the areas and groups of the world where it is lowest. Moreover, we should use the right tools to overcome illiteracy. Finally, we must help the younger generations, so literacy will improve in the future. Technology should not be excessively used and approached with care when researching and learning. Social class has less impact on children’s literacy; whereas the support of their parents and if they are surrounded by literacy in everyday life have more impact. With the environmental, cultural, and economic troubles today, the focus on literacy is more important than ever. Education is the key to many global problems; therefore we should continue to focus on improving literacy rates to prepare for the future.
Works Cited
Kutner, Mark, and others. "Literacy in Everyday Life: Results from the 2003...Executive Summary." Literacy in Everyday Life: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult.... April 2007: iii-vi. SIRS Government Reporter. The John Carroll School Library, Bel Air, MD. Web. 22 Sep 2010.
"List of Countries by Literacy Rate" Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 October 2010. Web. 3 October 2010.
Snow, Catherine, and Patton Tabors. "Intergenerational Transfer of Literacy." FAMILY LITERACY: DIRECTIONS IN RESEARCH AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE --SUMMARY AND PAPERS OF A NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM. Jan. 1996: 73-80. SIRS Government Reporter. The John Carroll School, Bel Air, MD. Web. 28 Sep 2010.
"The Future of Reading." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 19 Sept. 2008. The John Carroll School Library, Bel Air, MD. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.
