Literacy...what really counts?

“what counts as literacy, how literacy changes in response to the new media landscape,” and what value we should ascribe to the new forms of communication that continue to emerge and evolve online (Jenkins, 2009).  

       What counts as literacy? This is a  seemingly simple, yet complicated question that often arises in today’s technology saturated society. Many who are perhaps over forty, would say literacy consists of reading printed texts such as books, newspapers, magazines, etc. However, those who are younger and who have been raised in the throws of technology literally available in every aspect of their lives, could rid their literacy lists of most printed texts and refer to literacy as only what is read on websites, through text messaging on cellular phones, instructions on video games or any text on social media sites. While I am included in the “over forty” age group, as an educator I have found that there is great value in the reading in which younger generations participate; however, I do question at what level reading comprehension exists for most readers. 

With regard to how literacy changes with the new media landscape, children and adults alike must be willing to assist in establishing a cohesive collaboration of the old and new ideals of what constitutes literacy. Hunter Gaudet, a student featured in the article, shared his difficulties with reading. Placed in special education classes after diagnosed with dyslexia, he believes that books are more challenging to read since they have a lot more unnecessary details and reading online simply gives the main details. I believe a lot of students, with or without learning disabilities, benefit greatly from new literacy in media simply because technology is integrated in every aspect of their lives.

As in the case with Nadia, her love for reading anime and visiting social websites does not seem to have lessened her level of literacy as she receives A’s and B’s in school. Therefore, we must ascribe some degree of value to new forms of communication that emerge online. We cannot neglect the intricacies of the instructions given to successfully playing challenging video games that take place in other countries, with multiple weapons, against different people in other cities, states or countries!  Nor can we neglect the emergence of various blogs (by youth as young as twelve years old), apps, or social media venues. In other words, just because the avenue is via the Internet does not mean that there is no value in the literacy. While I will never devalue printed texts, especially as an English teacher, as educators we must evolve our teaching and learning strategies with the new literacies with which our society is faced. After watching the cartoon The Jetson’s years ago, as children we only dreamed wildly of talking on a phone while seeing the caller’s face, or having robots in our homes to assist us in cooking and cleaning. Those dreams have since become a reality; they are an integral part of our everyday lives, and we have adjusted - quite nicely might I add. And so it is with literacy. We must then, as a society of learners, adjust to the emergence of what is qualified as literacy.