In “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge” by J.D. Applen, he highlights how technology has changed and how the way people speak has also changed due to technology. In addition, Applen also introduces Walter Ong and explains his point of view on the new media and comparing it to the old media by using slang.
Slang:
Ong mentions slang and how people have discovered shortcuts and applied it to certain words. The example given in the text was the word “Google” which was slang for “to google something”. However, not every slang word added into the dictionary was popular. Ong states if the term got widespread use, meaning everyone was using it, it would be added. Slang now is definitely very different compared to back then because technology has evolved and people have changed their way of living. Some new slang words that people use in todays society would be “cap” meaning you’re a liar. Another slang term is “bussing” which describes that something is good.
Learning New Things:
Ong emphasizes how people in the old media do not typically learn the same way people learn in new media. This means that oral cultured people cannot learn from written cultured people because they teach and learn in different ways. One example given by Ong was how someone who is hunting learns to hunt by watching other experienced hunters in the field. He claims how oral people do not read about hunting and learn from the book, they learn from the hands-on experience. On the other hand, more literature based learners tend to “study” before they go out and do something. An example of this would include someone getting a new puppy for the first time and reading books that tell you how to care for one.
Leave a Reply