Introduction
Take a moment to breathe in and listen to the world around you. Hear the muffled sounds of society as it graciously extends an invitation exclusive to your ears. People are chattering, conversations are unending—talk of school, work and this endless journey called life falls heavily from every tongue. The pitter patter of steps—some fast, some slow, some small, others more heavy and pronounced—declare residence as feet march towards unprecedented destinations. But beneath the surface, beneath the clutter, lies something more. For beyond the friendly banter resides communication of a different nature: the faint ticking, clicking and tapping of technology.
Like a shifting cultural norm often does, these new innovative inventions (Kindles, smartphones, iPods, iPads and every other Apple product imaginable) bring with them their fair share of critics both in and outside of the classroom. Has technology essentially eradicated the written word? Has print become obsolete or the true meaning of literature unimportant? Have both social media and the ability to access information at the drop of a dime inadvertently created a generation that is not only uneducated and inappreciative, but also lazy? Or is there another explanation? Perhaps this new era of electronic acceptance is simply misunderstood. Perhaps we are so resistant to change in its beginning stages that we slap a label of heresy upon anything that challenges the status quo, refusing to acknowledge potential advantages though they beg for consideration. Is it possible that, just as the 16th century Catholic Church rejected Copernicus’ heliocentric model or even as the Pharisees defied the teachings of Jesus, we stare revolutionary ideology in the face and reject it because it forces us to test the boundaries of our comfort zones?
Regardless of which side of the aisle you may find yourself, there is no denying the fact that we, as a society, lie within the arms of reluctant transition. Old methods of writing and information-gathering have begun their slow and steady journey down the halls of history and a new era has emerged. The question we must cautiously ask ourselves is simply this: Do we, like generations past, resist the departure of the old? Or should we begin our own tradition and embrace the arrival of the new?
Like a shifting cultural norm often does, these new innovative inventions (Kindles, smartphones, iPods, iPads and every other Apple product imaginable) bring with them their fair share of critics both in and outside of the classroom. Has technology essentially eradicated the written word? Has print become obsolete or the true meaning of literature unimportant? Have both social media and the ability to access information at the drop of a dime inadvertently created a generation that is not only uneducated and inappreciative, but also lazy? Or is there another explanation? Perhaps this new era of electronic acceptance is simply misunderstood. Perhaps we are so resistant to change in its beginning stages that we slap a label of heresy upon anything that challenges the status quo, refusing to acknowledge potential advantages though they beg for consideration. Is it possible that, just as the 16th century Catholic Church rejected Copernicus’ heliocentric model or even as the Pharisees defied the teachings of Jesus, we stare revolutionary ideology in the face and reject it because it forces us to test the boundaries of our comfort zones?
Regardless of which side of the aisle you may find yourself, there is no denying the fact that we, as a society, lie within the arms of reluctant transition. Old methods of writing and information-gathering have begun their slow and steady journey down the halls of history and a new era has emerged. The question we must cautiously ask ourselves is simply this: Do we, like generations past, resist the departure of the old? Or should we begin our own tradition and embrace the arrival of the new?