What Is Reading, Really?

In today's world, we are constantly on the internet searching for movie times, updating our social networks, and (occasionally) checking our email. As we spend countless hours plowing through search engines online, are we losing our ability to critically analyze information? Are books the only way to read? Is it possible to read online and gather just as much information as if you were reading a book? In his article, "Literacy Debate- Online, R U Really Reading?" Motoko Rich contemplates all of these questions. His conclusion may not be yours, though. Do you think that reading from a screen is just as valuable as reading from a book? Let's dive right in and take a look. (I hope you appreciated my rhyming right there.)

The world today is vastly different than it was twenty or even just ten years ago. Almost everywhere you  turn there is some sort of reference to the internet. Even hotels and restaurants are offering Wi-Fi internet for those of us who are on the go! Convenience is the reason for this, but it takes away from a simpler time of musty books and libraries. What happened to musty books and comfy chairs? The Google Generation, my generation, has turned to the internet for answers. The question is: Have we lost something that the internet can never replace?

I can honestly say that I miss the days of curling up with a good book and just losing track of time. There used to be a time when I would read two or three books a week; the librarians knew me by name. There's just something about reading a good book that relaxes you. When you're reading a book, you don't have to worry about the stress of the world. You can take a break and really engross yourself in the story. A book can be your home. Something happened, though. Things changed. The world got too fast. I no longer have time to sit down and read a book. Rather, I spend hours on the internet, using my time to acquire a different kind of knowledge- digital knowledge.

Though reading is a grand past-time of mine, I can still enjoy participating in digital learning. Digital learning is an entirely different experience from reading a book. When reading a book, your eyes tend to wander off the page, you might get bored and restless, you might even fall asleep. If you're learning digitally; however, your mind is constantly moving. With digital learning, you are involved. Rather than reading what an author has written, you have a choice in what will be written next. You are the author of your fate in digital learning. You are the author. You are in control. That's the appeal to digital learning. Rather than taking a backseat in the event, you are at the driver's seat making each and every decision as to where you would like to go.

Reading is a very effective tool for learning; that is not to be debated. What is to be debated; however, is if literal textbook reading is the only way to read. The answer is an emphatic no. With today's technology growing as fast as it is, we should be taking these new innovations and utilizing them. Rather than remaining focused on the past, why not choose to advance our minds into the future? Don't dwell on what's already happened; anticipate what will come next.