Literacy in the Modern World

Literature In the Modern World When exploring what it means to read and write, it is easy to forget how valuable the knowledge of literacy is. People take for granted the fact that our whole world revolves around communication and that our main sources of communication are reading and writing. Whether I’ve realized it or not, involvement in reading and writing comes into play for all different scenarios. It is used for everyday tasks such as reading directions, writing a grocery list, interpretating an email, or checking Facebook.

Through this I have noticed how much reading and writing I actually do. In effect, it plays a huge role in how I communicate with others as well. Since current perceptions on literacy are typically schoolwork related I want to begin to rethink what it actually means to read and write. I want to explore the different types of literacy that have shaped who I am and what perceptions I have of myself when it comes to the knowledge of literacy. Throughout high school I strictly thought of reading and writing as a school related burden.

I always viewed it with a narrow mind set because the fun of reading and writing was always overshadowed by the amount of mandatory work I had. Therefore, I typically had a poor attitude and struggled when it came down to writing a paper. Papers such as argumentative, persuasive, and research were just a few of the different kinds I was required to do. When getting started, I always had a tough time coming up with topics sentences and a thesis statement. I generally knew what I wanted to say, but getting it out into words was the hard part.

I also had a hard time with transitioning paragraphs and concluding my papers. Reiterating what I had said in my introduction was always difficult. This could be part of the reason writing for school never excited me. It wasn’t until college application time that I found a school related writing type that made me see that writing could be enjoyable. After writing essay after essay I noticed how fun this type of creative writing was. I really enjoyed the creativity that was required and how you could use stories and personal examples to get your point across.

Creative writing broadened my way of thinking and for the first time ever I was proud of my own writing. Aside from my struggle with school writing, school reading was not as bad. The reading I did was not by choice but I usually ended up appreciating the things I had to read. From Newsweek articles to history books, I always seemed to learn something new. Also by studying different types of literature through English classes I was able to understand different writing styles and appreciate how they relate to different time periods.

Some memorable readings that I enjoyed from school were Frankenstein, the Scarlett Letter, Pride and Prejudice, to Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby. All of theses books were so different and I learned something new from each one. Reading got difficult when it would drag on. Fortunately I always seem to get through them even when the reading is not the most interesting. For example, I had to really focus when reading, “Creating a world without Poverty” but after I got through it I appreciated the knowledge I now know and have found it to be really eye opening.

I feel that school literacy through its ups and downs has really expanded my critical thinking level. Aside from the school related reading and writing, I find that my attitude towards literacy becomes more positive as the readings get more interesting. Reading and writing for fun is so different because there is no stress and there is no one to grade you on it. I encourage myself and others to read for fun and learn at the same time without all the pressure. Fun reads for me consist of fashion magazines or celebrity news articles. These are what interest me and can be read without all of the pressure.

I also like being able to choose what books I would like to read. The Twilight series were fun books that I chose on my own and I could sit there and read without worrying about finishing it. My most recent book was called The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which again, I read for my own preference. I also enjoy reading when it comes to communicating though text messages, Facebook, twitter, or Gmail. On these Internet and technology sites I am constantly reading and writing but without stress. Therefore my approach on outside of school literacy is much more positive.

Although it can be tedious and time consuming, literacy is important in the world we live in today. After exploring the various types of reading and writing. I have come to find that it is a much larger spectrum than just associating it with school related work. Without it, communication would be almost impossible. I have come to find that I have a lot more experience in reading and writing than I thought. I now, must work harder to hone my skills and become more experienced so that I have a limitless amount of knowledge for the future. My perception of my writing can only improve the more I do.