Has the ability to read vanished?

[PtBetsie]

I subscribe to two national newspapers and six others from across the county. Lately I have been becoming more and more irritated as the "stories" are now in video form. I want to read everything as I can filter out the writer's bias, etc. Are newspapers headed toward the TV wasteland?

[PrntRhd]

I know exactly what you mean.
Either the schools have failed to teach the language or TV has dumbed down the population to the point that people simply consume what is sold them without critical thinking involved.

[Budfred]

Actually, some of the research is indicating that literacy is actually increasing among young people because of the internet and texting in phones... It may not be good English, but it apparently is still encouraging kids to write more and learn to express themselves in language... It may be that we will all need to read chatspeak for the next generation of news reporters... U no wht i meen?

[PtBetsie]

When my literacy clients get to the point of reading the newspaper, the first thing that I have them do, is to cross out all adjectives and adverbs. I have found too many people in every age group swallow everything they see as absolute truth, whether politics or advertising.

[bassman]

Are newspapers headed toward the TV wasteland?
In my honest opinion, I don’t think that news papers are headed toward TV wasteland, but rather TV has taken over so much of our lives that papers have to compete. The “dumbing down” of human kind with image induced information is appalling to me. The things I have learned about myself (and the people around me) from the commercials I have watched lately are disturbing. Some of my more recent findings:
I apparently cannot get an erection without medication.
My wife’s anatomy has an unpleasant odor unless she uses some medication and she has a choice of 1, 3, or 7 days to correct this problem.
I am not very cool because I do not rent an apartment.

The literacy of today’s youth may be considered higher because of typing and texting but this really is grasping for solid ground for research to say this. Pig Latin or any other form of encoded speech by kids was never considered literate. I remember a while back, schools and public officials were trying to introduce a bill to teach Ebonics in schools. They did this because they figured if they could not teach kids proper English, it would be easier to teach them what they know. Didn’t happen did it? What’s next, Webonics?
What is “Literacy”?
Literate-
1. able to read and write.
2. having or showing knowledge of literature, writing, etc.; literary; well-read.
3. characterized by skill, lucidity, polish, or the like: His writing is literate but cold and clinical.
4. having knowledge or skill in a specified field: literate in computer usage.
5. having an education; educated.
–noun
6. a person who can read and write.
7. a learned person.

Literacy-
1. the quality or state of being literate, esp. the ability to read and write.
2. possession of education: to question someone's literacy.
3. a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field: to acquire computer literacy.

To me the words “Quality, skill, and polish” indicate that chat speak is illiterate. It is a lazy, shortened, and adulterated use of an accepted language.
With news anchors giving us their opinion of the events and paper editors scrambling to keep up circulation and advertising agencies appealing to the idiot masses, I see no end in sight to the “Dumbing of America” so I now step down off my soap box. Thank you PtBetsie for this opportunity to speak out for a moment ;)

[Sylvander]

Och, ah ken fine whit ye mean man!

Why, only the ither day, I said that well known Scottish saying "Lang may yer Lum reek", an ma Dochter says "what's a Lum?".

Weel, ah just give up! :(

The consolation is that at least she knows English quite well, even if it is the language of our old foe the English.

And then we must begin to learn the Americanised version of the language I suppose.

How's this song for helping teach the language. My mother taught it to me when I was young, about the middle of the last century, and she learned it early in the century. (http://www.nurseryrhymes4u.com/NURSERY_RHYMES/Page_859.html)

Only she sang it...
"With...
my...
hand on myself,
what have I here..."

[bassman]

And then we must begin to learn the Americanised version of the language I suppose.
Well of course you do! We are after all the rule makers and the gate keepers for the whole world, right? :D :rolleyes: Just kidding Sylvander ;)
Honestly, as I was writing the above, I was thinking how far Americans have stretched and warped the English language and wondered if it even makes sense for us to complain.

[Sylvander]

"Well of course you do! We are after all the rule makers and the gate keepers for the whole world, right?"
That's the truth of it; it's the way of the world apparently.
Going back a bit to when the Romans invaded the "British" islands.
This generic name was used by the Romans because the tribe they knew best were the "Britani". I'm sure the other tribes all took it as an insult, but maybe that was the idea. And anyway, what did the Romans care?
So the Roman language [Latin] began to take over in the isles of the Britani.
There have also been other invaders with their languages being added.
I'm no expert, but I believe there are all kinds of other languages that have been assimilated into English.
French, Dutch, German, Danish, Gaelic, etc.
Hey-ho, that's progress. :D
It apparently made the language richer.

"I was thinking how far Americans have stretched and warped the English language"
Didn't they try to "improve" it by rationalising it so that non-native speakers would find it easier to learn/use?
Dialogue to Dialog for example? [I'm no cunning-linguist (see the similarity to Latin?)]

[Sylvander]

I'm interested in words, and one of my speculations is...

That Church came from Kurk from Kirk [K's replaced by Ch's], that came from Circ [C's were replaced by K's], as in Circle.

Because the old places of worship [Druids, (Stone/wood/earth)Henges and all that] were originally made in the shape of a circle.
"Why circles" do you ask?
Because the Sun, Moon, and Stars go around the Earth in a circle?
They thought those were what was important.
Or perhaps because it was best for people to gather around in a circle.
A circle has the special property that it encloses the maximum area for the minimum perimeter.
Hence it is least expensive of material or whatever, also easier to defend [minimum number of defenders] etc.

The Isle of Man Parliament is still done that way today.
On a raised circular mound of earth once yearly where listeners gather around the circ[le].
There is such an ancient mound just a few miles from my house at a very key location where there is now also an important roundabout.

[Budfred]

The literacy of today’s youth may be considered higher because of typing and texting but this really is grasping for solid ground for research to say this. Pig Latin or any other form of encoded speech by kids was never considered literate. I remember a while back, schools and public officials were trying to introduce a bill to teach Ebonics in schools. They did this because they figured if they could not teach kids proper English, it would be easier to teach them what they know. Didn’t happen did it? What’s next, Webonics?
What is “Literacy”?

To me the words “Quality, skill, and polish” indicate that chat speak is illiterate. It is a lazy, shortened, and adulterated use of an accepted language.

I was unclear about what the research was indicating... It suggests that the ability to use texting and chatspeak seems to translate to being able to understand and use English language more effectively and they are actually reading more... There are always going to be those who use language badly and those who use it well... Apparently the trend is actually a positive one at this point...

As for advertising, it has always been bad, but it does seem worse these days... The ones that get me are those that suggest I would want a particular product because someone who is brain injured is obsessed with it... Arbys seems to be the leader of this, with morons being so obsessed with some Arby product that they put people's lives in danger and ignore simple social cues indicating sexual interest... Toyota has one now that involves destroying vehicles in various ways that put large numbers of people in danger so that you have a good reason to buy a new Toyota... These types of commercials encourage me to avoid these products, but I am sure they work on large numbers of people since they are proliferating...

[Whyzman]

Toyota has one now that involves destroying vehicles in various ways that put large numbers of people in danger so that you have a good reason to buy a new Toyota...My immediate response was..."Looks like insurance fraud!" :rolleyes:

Will the "texters" actually be able to read correctly spelled English? They might be literate...however, we may need to redefine the term! :)

[LadyGrey]

Has the ability to read vanished? Yes, I think along with the ability to do a good days work. Hubby is a foreman, does Sprinkler Fitting for Fire Protection, 30 years now and you would not believe the problems he has getting people who still believe in working for their paychecks. Most of the time they just want to stand around and then hold their hands out on Friday. So I do have to say that the "dumbing down" part is true, and that the lazy part is ever on the increase. What happened to doing a honest days work for an honest days wage?
I think the two of these tie in together because the lack of reading is also a form of laziness. Just my opinion.
LG:)

[Ghost_Hacker]

My immediate response was..."Looks like insurance fraud!" :rolleyes:

Will the "texters" actually be able to read correctly spelled English? They might be literate...however, we may need to redefine the term! :)

I would say that "texting" is simply the code used for this new tech. If you go back 150 years to the heyday of the telegraph most messagess sent over the wire where not "good english" but constructed to get the meaning across in the fewest words (in much the same way "net speak" is used today). Would it be right to judge how well those folks could use english based on their telegraph messages?

Alot of the video content on the web is there thanks to more broadband use in America and elsewhere. Folks like to see, hear and read their information now days and more content providers are providing this. Video allows a person, via his blog for example, to show the world what is going on right then and there unedited and uncensored. The revolt in Burma recently is a good example of that kind of new "news".

But I agree that American's have allowed themselves to lose touch with the "colors" of the world, allowed their media to be dumbed down. In America we are taught that there are only ever 2 sides to every issue. You are either a dem or a rep...pro-life or pro-abortion...with us or againest us....... A democracy where a country of 300 million can only find 2 parties and two picks for president ( on a good year you could get 3 or 4 but the other 2 are passed over by mainstream media) is only one step up from a country with only one pick...and we all know what they call countries like that....


The idea that there is more then one side to everything, that issues are not always black and white is lost to main stream media and ,sadly, to alot of Americans. The dumbing down has worked to keep Americans mosty under control and clueless to what is really going on in the world today. ( I once had an debate here on these forums about gun control. I remeber saying that it was an illusion that personel gun ownership protected one againest either an evil goverment or an outside power. That wars are no longer conducted the way they where when the right to own a gun was laid down. I was shouted down as dead wrong...one week later we had 9/11...)

So I for one welcome more video content from first hand providers, more strange text messages from those who are there on the spot, that way I can see all sides to an event or issue and know how others outside my own frame of refrence see an issue or event. Not just what "the powers that be" consider right for the daily news.

[Budfred]

Has the ability to read vanished? Yes, I think along with the ability to do a good days work. Hubby is a foreman, does Sprinkler Fitting for Fire Protection, 30 years now and you would not believe the problems he has getting people who still believe in working for their paychecks. Most of the time they just want to stand around and then hold their hands out on Friday. So I do have to say that the "dumbing down" part is true, and that the lazy part is ever on the increase. What happened to doing a honest days work for an honest days wage?
I think the two of these tie in together because the lack of reading is also a form of laziness. Just my opinion.
LG:)That is largely a generational issue and matter of parenting... According to some generational research, the generation that is just now entering the work force is much more motivated and willing to work... Unfortunately, they continue to have unreasonable expectations of how to succeed, so many end up disillusioned when they find out they can't start at the top...

All of these things are themes that have recurred throughout history, much as the example of the telegraph that you gave Ghost_Hacker...

The tendency to simplify and view things in a dichotomous manner is ancient and politicians have exploited it since politics was first evolved... The truth is that the majority of the population wants simple answers and doesn't want to exert the intellectual force required to look at complexity... Those who attempt to explain complexity are accused of being wishy-washy, or the latest insult: "flip-flopping"... We have glorified those who are able to simplify... It has been suggested that part of the reason G. Bush is president is that people believe he doesn't seem to understand things much more than them, as evidenced by his inability to pronounce the word "nuclear" among other things...