Writer’s Blog 9
Will writing on paper soon be gone?
In today’s world, most writing is done using technology. It is common to see an entire classroom with laptops open in front of every student. Rather than simply using a pen and paper to take notes and complete assignments, students have come accustomed to using technologies, such as a laptop or iPad. Laptops have become an extremely common “necessity” for students, especially college students. Most students, including myself, would feel lost without their laptop in class. Why is writing like this now?
In recent years as technology has grown, it has moved its way into the the writing world. This is not just seen in students, but in every writer. Most writers will sit down with their laptop in order to write rather than taking out a notebook or some paper. Any writing they complete, whether it is the brainstorming process, simple thoughts, or an article, is done using technology.
In my personal experience, I have always gravitated toward using technology. I have always used technology to complete school work, including my writings. When I would be assigned a written assignment, I would dread it. To me, using technology to write is so much easier, faster, and my go-to writing tool.
The shift to technology for writing has become very apparent. Not only does it affect students as writers, but professional writers as well. Writers have also shifted to publishing solely online. Some writers have even begun to discard paper writing completely in order to publish their work online.
It is difficult as a writer to write without technology. Their work would not reach as much of an audience and therefore would not be as successful. Most readers do not look to paper resources in order to find their writings. Many will look to online blogs, newspapers, books, and more.
The turn to digital writings has even affected the news world. They have cut on newspapers since people rely on digital sites to get their news and information. It is very rare to see someone pull out a newspaper to stay updated on the news. More commonly, people will resort to their phone for all newsfeed, and most times even just rely on the headlines for all information.
Digital writing has also taken away from the content of individual writing pieces. People have developed a shorter attention span and therefore can focus less on content they are uninterested in. Often, they simply scan the headlines rather than reading each individual article. Writers today must capture the readers attention quickly and maintain their attention in order for them to read the entire piece of writing.
So, will paper writing soon disappear? With all of the recent advances and changes in technology, the shift to digital writings over written is significant. There is a clear change from how writings have been done traditionally, and in the past, to how they are done in today’s world. The question though is: Is this shift big enough to change writing as we know it?
