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Speech On Literacy And Literacy

Decent Essays
Today, technology is virtually inescapable, but has it improved education and learning? Is it possible that the ways in which we use technology have made us worse readers? Are we all becoming a bunch of non-critical readers with eight-second attention spans (Maybin)? In order to even attempt to answer these questions, as well as the essential question above, one would have to define literacy. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, “literacy” refers to “the ability to read and write,” and also to “competence or knowledge in a specified area.” These definitions didn’t help me as much they did give a sense of direction as I tried to answer these questions for myself.

I think it’s safe to say that I was once an avid reader before I got my first smartphone. I would read the Harry Potter series over and over again during car rides to and from school, sneakily pore over the Hunger Games trilogy in Math class; you get the picture. Reading pretty much took up all of the time I would use to devote to long-form text. Today, I often weigh whether or not fan fictions on Wattpad and the comments section on my favorite YouTubers’ newest video count as what would be considered “reading." I like to think of them as “fast food for the brain,” as technology can be considered both good and bad for you.

A lot of research shows that, depending on how it's used, technology can actually enhance your learning experience. Technology gives us quick access to a large volume of information
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