For my first blog assignment, I would like to answer question #7, which revolves around the topic of digital literature and technological advances. I found this topic very interesting because of the notion that anyone is able to become the story teller, the myth creator, the tradition maker, the person that helps pass on historical events and memories. Everyone has the ability to document and save any piece of information that they like. We no longer need to obtain a certain cultural or educational status in order to create stories and pass on information, because the technological advances today have provided the ability to story tell right at our fingertips.
Two aspects of digital literature, in particular, might be impacting our literature and story in today’s day and time. Firstly, with the invention of the internet, a large amount of various and unique websites have been developed. The idea that there are social media tools enabling publication by anyone without the need to go through systematic approvals set out by standard publishing companies is profound. The widespread sharing of stories, language, and improved communication has enabled unique perspectives to be heard from all walks of life. Since every story is a little ‘strange’, or even biased, storytelling and preservation of memories doesn’t rely on a single persons encounter. Various points of views of the same story or situation can be passed on and acknowledged by anyone and everyone. The previous notion that story telling and history were simply biased accounts by individuals who wanted their side to be heard more preferably is no longer an issue. Furthermore, cultures are no longer bound to re-create and re-tell their memories by oral methods, literate methods, or even a mixture of both elements. The wide variety of social media tools, such as facebook, blogging, graphic design, movies, and even vlogging give everyone equal opportunity to express their stories. In that case, the reader is also the interpreter as well as the listener. The reader can become the writer and creator as well. Secondly, the use of hypertext within online articles, tumblr posts, blog posts, or even social networking services allows the reader to discover more than what is just written on the source they are reading. Hypertexts, or hyperlinks, are becoming a tool of independent research for the reader. They have the ability to go deeper into the text, and understand the contexts and intricate backgrounds behind the authors message or story. In this way, the story no longer stops when the author decides to terminate his/her writing. The story is then enabling its own further creation and continuation.
Citations:
“The Impact of Blogging”. The Student Review. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. “http://thestudentreview.co.uk/2011/04/what-is-the-impact-of-blogging/”.
Hi Anna!
I like the idea that you think widespread sharing and the world wide web has enabled improved communication and the ability to listen to unique perspectives from ‘all the walks of life’. I think so too, its most interesting for students to be reading stories easily online and learning from others when we have barely just started our own lives. The world wide web has not only enabled us to learn stories from one another but from these stories we are able to make decisions in our own lives after hearing the experience of others! The world wide web really is a useful tool! However, I’ve also read somewhere that although hypertexting gives more in-depth information into a specific topic we might be reading about on a page, it also has its cons because of the different coloured text and accessibility, it is quite a distraction and can be seen as a lazy way of research. What do you think Anna? Do you think that hypertext is a useful tool or a distraction?
Julie
Thanks for the input!
That’s a very interesting question. I definetly agree with your point, sometimes when you are reading and you’re very into the text you see a link come out of nowhere. When this happens to me, I do get distracted by the link and sometimes even completely forget what I was reading after Im done checking out the hypertext included.
In my opinion, I find that it’s both a useful tool AND a distraction when used too much. For instance, bit does indeed dig deeper into the text, and it does abruptly stop your reading. However, when used properly, I think that it’s quite beneficial when it comes to expanding our knowledge deeper regarding the topic. I found that proper use for me is simply right clicking and opening the hyperlinks in new tabs, finishing reading the text, then finally drawing my attention towards the new links and sources of information I have just opened.
Thanks!
Anna.
Thank you Anna: 🙂