Clive Thompson -Usama

In his recent works, Clive Thompson analyzes Andrea Lunsford's work on a project called the Stanford Study of Writing. This Project's goal was to see if kids in the modern age are becoming more illiterate due to technology. The results of this study showed that surprisingly technology has helped new generations of kids become even more literate than any other previous generation. Clive goes on to explain that Americans almost never wrote before the internet and other devices came around and how this new change is a good thing. He says that people have particularly gotten better at assessing their audience. Clive brings up sites such as facebook, and twitter and how they've cause people to learn to write towards a specific group of people. Then Clive addresses academic writing and shows that Lunsford's work proved that academic writing hasn't been affected by the new age of technology and texting talk, he states: "As for those texting short-forms and smileys defiling serious academic writing? Another myth. When Lunsford examined the work of first-year students, she didn't find a single example of texting speak in an academic paper".
My own view is that Clive Thompson makes really good points about modern literacy. It's important to think outside the box when it comes to subjects like these. Many people often make fun of the new literacy technology has brought to us. You might see it in commercials where people speak in text talk. The whole concept is mocked and will probably never actually be fully adapted into the English language. However at least some literacy is better than none. Previous to texting and facebook times the general population hardly wrote at all. This was one of Clive's major points. Yet I still think it is ironic that people who didn't do much free writing during their times criticize the free writing that goes on now a days. They probably might think low of it because the only major writing they have done is academic. Or maybe it's just an excuse for them to feel better about their unsuccessful and depressing lives. Whatever the case it is important that this writing study that Lunsford researched happened. Because usually all you ever hear about is how the new generation is getting worse and more stupid and some new thing is to blame. These claims always have almost no real bases. You rarely hear about the other side of the arguments. Skateboarders and rock music used to be considered terrible, evil, and stupid but now it is generally accepted. Even I don't find myself taking likings to new trends and popular media such as Justin Bieber and Juggalo's but assuming that a new generation is stupid is hypocrisy at its finest because every generation starts off the same and then slowly matures over time. Even though I may not enjoy a 10 year old boy singing in a high pitched voice, other people might. It's good to be open minded about upcoming generations and their styles. no matter how stupid they may seem. It just goes to show that the older you are the more conservative you become.