Over time Americans have become less literate due to the experiences they have endured as well as the technology acquired through time. Technology has affected the American culture by aiding research, health care and even education. It may therefore come as no surprise that some people may find various technological advancements as negative since they require less human effort and thinking. Some may even argue that inventions such as the cell phone or even the internet have all aided in child obesity, lower grades, and lack of knowledge when it comes to learning the “old fashioned way”. When it comes down to literacy, it depends on which of the various definitions of literacy is used. There is “technical literacy “and then there is the definition most commonly used in statistics. In the past, the governments labeled “literate” people who could read a couple thousand simple words they learned by sight in the first four grades in school. Other sources when asked, termed such individuals as “functionally illiterate” as if to say they were lacking in something just because they didn’t meet a certain standard. If a person was unable to use a basic source of information and complete tasks, they were in …show more content…
Take gadgets such as the cell phone for example; cell phones are one of the most commonly used devices in our society. There is no argument that such a small piece of metal and wires has “changed the way our society approaches learning and even life itself” (NCES). Some college professors and even elementary school teachers have formatted assignments to be technologically savvy. Learning in the classroom not only involves a paper and pen, but has evolved to using cell phones to take pictures of slides, write down homework assignments, or even to quickly research the topic being discussed in a