http://www.switched.com/2009/12/30/written-word-not-that-dead-after-all/ Switched Comments for Written Word Not That Dead After All http://www.switched.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.switched.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.switched.com/2009/12/30/written-word-not-that-dead-after-all/http://www.switched.com/2009/12/30/written-word-not-that-dead-after-all/
According to the graph, only 9% of the average person's "word consumption" today derives from the printed word, whereas 27% derives from computer usage. Based on the information contained in the graph, this means that consumption of the written word on the computer today roughly equals the consumption of the printed word in 1960.

Herein lies the difference.

An adult interacting with the written word in 1960 likely was reading daily newspapers filled with local and international news, magazines with five-thousand word articles, classic literature, modern novels, historical nonfiction, and perhaps the scripture of his or her religious tradition. Reading was a silent, solitary endeavor relying on sustained attention, intellectual engagement, and few to no visual stimuli.

An adult interacting with the written word today likely is reading short (1000-word) news stories preselected to appeal to his or her interests, puff-piece celebrity gossip articles, and the puerile chatter endemic to social networking sites. The selections are short, the words are simple, the opinions are inoffensive, and the entire package is buttressed with screaming, flashing, interactive graphics competing for the reader's attention.

To be sure, the Web is a vast place, and invitations abound to read serious news, great literature, scriptures from every faith imaginable, and histories of any culture on the planet. However, how many people truly avail themselves of these opportunities? Sadly, very few.

As the author eventually admits, "quantity doesn't always mean quality." In this case, he is right. Turn off the idiot box and go read a book. Challenge yourself. Learn something new. Do your part to keep real literacy alive.]]>Dec 30th 2009 10:56PMhttp://www.switched.com/2009/12/30/written-word-not-that-dead-after-all/http://www.switched.com/2009/12/30/written-word-not-that-dead-after-all/Jan 21st 2010 7:04AM