Reading about the shift from oral communication, or “Orality” as referenced by Walter Ong in J. D. Applen’s “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge”, to writing, explained how much the way we communicate influences the way we think. That extends even further when considering how we speak in digital spaces. Before writing existed, people had to rely on memory and repetition to preserve knowledge. That alone changes how information is shared and valued. When written text developed, ideas are instead recorded to look back over and refine. It created space for deeper and more abstract types of thinking.
However, it also came with its own challenges. There is the possibility of misunderstanding when there isn’t an ability to change or clarify what was meant (Applen 24). Writing isn’t just considered a skill to build. It was also a technology that allowed people to preserve history in ways speech alone could not.
This goes beyond the evolution of oral to written communication. It was also interesting to learn about the ways literacy continues to expand itself. It goes beyond grammar and proper sentence structure. Literacy also includes an understanding of how communication works through different mediums, such as digital platforms.
In today’s world, knowing how to interpret and create meaning through text, images, audio, and video all consider one to be literate. Lev Manovich refers this interpretation as “Variability” which means that new media is never “fixed, but exists in potentially infinite versions” (Applen 28-29). But it also means recognizing that the platforms we use have a significant influence on how messages are shaped and received.
Literacy evolves with technology. In that sense, it’s less about mastering one fixed skill and more about adapting to the ways communication continues to change.
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