For me, literacy is the ability to process words, encompassing not only reading and understanding them but also the capacity to write. This is one of our most powerful biological abilities, encompassing a range of skills related to comprehending and effectively using written communication. It enables us to convey and receive information. In today’s digital age, where internet technology spans the globe, mastering the written word is essential. This includes the ability to use search engines, understand online resources, assess their credibility, and engage in real-time chats with friends worldwide. This constitutes the digital aspect of literacy.
In the modern world, information is ubiquitous, from product manuals and newspapers to weather reports, literature, and history books. Without literacy, one loses contact with society, making it impossible to comprehend and utilize new information or interact effectively with others. As John Trischitti defines it, literacy is the foundation of people in today’s society. “Being able to read and write” may sound simple, but it is not. According to Trischitti, literacy is crucial because it empowers individuals, fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, personal fulfillment, and plays a critical role in addressing social challenges and promoting future development. I totally agree with him. In today’s era, lacking the ability to read and write deprives you of the most direct and efficient means of acquiring knowledge and receiving information. It becomes challenging to embrace new knowledge. A person without knowledge is like a body without a brain, susceptible to manipulation by others at will.
2 thoughts on “Jiayang Guan Conversation 1”
I like your interesting idea of literacy being more biological than anything which, after second thought, makes a lot of good sense. As much as we could try to teach some sort of language to another species in highly limited cases, there is is a divinity within humans that allows us to be the sole species that can truly become literate. That final sentence I also find incredibly true, and absolutely love it as a final thought.
H Jiayang!
Your take on how important it is to understand literacy nowadays is completely true. I hadn’t even thought about how essential it is for technology nowadays. For example, there’s a certain way to write an email and an illiterate person might have trouble constructing one and could even be seen as unprofessional/rude if written a different way. You worded the importance of literacy perfectly. It is not as simple as read or write anymore, with so many dynamics at play.