The Digital Writing Shift: An Unexpected Challenge
Living in a digital world can be a bigger adjustment for some than for others. When I first started college, writing directly on a computer was a challenge. My “old-fashioned” thinking, shaped by high school habits, made me hesitant to give up prewriting on paper. It felt like everything I had been taught was suddenly obsolete.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
Freshman year, we were encouraged to type directly onto the screen, letting thoughts flow freely without overthinking. “Don’t think, just do!” they said. But for me, this approach felt impossible. I couldn’t wait for class to end so I could return to my familiar process—scribbling blurbs and sections in a notebook. The idea of abandoning my well-established writing habits seemed daunting.
Embracing the Digital Approach
However, as a writing major, I had to adapt. By the spring semester, I fully embraced the digital writing approach. While I resisted it at first, I realized it was faster and helped me produce better work with less overthinking. I learned that to succeed, I had to get with the times. At that point, I understood that changing my method wasn’t just about convenience; it was about improving my writing.
The Connection to Eyman’s Ideas
This shift mirrors the transformation Doug Eyman discusses in his chapter “Defining and Locating Digital Rhetoric ” (pp. 18-20) from Digital Rhetoric: Theory, Method, Practice. Eyman explains that technology changes not only the tools we use to write but also how we think about writing itself. The process of composition evolves as we rethink audience, authorship, and the media we interact with. Like my own shift from handwritten prewriting to digital tools, the field of composition has had to adapt to new technologies. Eyman argues that digital writing isn’t just about using faster tools; it’s about reshaping how we engage with media and ideas. My experience reflects this evolution—getting “with the times” made me a better, more efficient writer.
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