Writing In & For Digital Environments

Digital writing has become increasingly important in the last decades. But, what exactly is digital writing? When we talk about digital writing, “we are referring to a transformed composing environment — that is, to writing produced on handheld and desktop digital devices and distributed primarily via wireless and wired networks.”[1] We have moved to a “very late age of print, well into a world of writing and document distribution that primarily happens digitally.”[2] This new way of distribution gives place to many new elements that enhance the way we communicate, the way we experience reality and how we approach tasks. Multimedia and information have developed at a high rate allowing us to include videos, interactive images, music, among others, which intertwine with text to give writing a new color and characteristics. In fact, the concept of multimodality is becoming more and more common when it comes to digital writing.

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Digital writing created opportunities only possible in the digital age. How writers think about audience, process, voice, and scope changed drastically with the introduction of new digital mediums, such as Twitter, WordPress, Facebook, and Tumblr. Many people  reading this probably cannot remember a time when these platforms did not exist (myself included). With all of the changes that digital environments have created and are creating for writers, the impact of these changes are heavily contested. Some critics argue that digital writers tend to publish casual and underdeveloped ideas, but others view their pursuit as constructive and positive. Proponents of digital writing argue that it allows writers to expand their ideas and explore possibilities that go beyond those of traditional writing, such as: connectivity, feedback, and development of authorial identity.

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We are living in an era of digital and technological uprise. The Internet has drastically changed how we communicate, learn, educate, connect, network and so on.  As  the web continues become an integral part of our daily lives,  so is digital writing. Digital writing can take many different forms, a tweet, a blog post, a Facebook status, and so on. Because we are constantly surrounded by various types of social media by use of our smartphones, tablets and laptops, we are provided with endless amounts of web writing, wether we notice it or not!

“When we use the term ‘digital writing’ we refer to a changed writing environment-that is, to writing produced on the computer and distributed via the internet and world wide web… Connectivity allows writers to access and participate more seamlessly and instantaneously within web spaces and to distribute writing to large and widely dispersed audiences”(Why Teach Digital Writing?).

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The world of technology and digital communication is developing rapidly. We have moved from telegraph to email, home phone lines to wireless communication, and floppy-disks to digital platforms where we can access virtually any information we want at any given moment in time. Laptops, iPhones, televisions, and iPads have become such a large part of our daily lives that I find it challenging to imagine a would without technology and development.

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Everyday we sit through class after class with the same look on our face—one that says, “I stayed up way too late watching Netflix, and I’d rather be sleeping.”   We constantly think, “How will this class really impact my life?” Basically, what’s the point? How can we change this mind-set about going to classes that may not interest us as students and begin to see the potential value in them? How do we make class exciting? Okay, maybe that’s a long shot, but how do we at least make classrooms a place where students lose that zombie look on their face, and act interested in what’s taking place? And here’s a thought—maybe even become passionate about what they are learning and decide to integrate it into their lives moving forward. The answer, you ask? Digital Writing.

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Imagine waking up in the morning, drinking a warm cup of coffee, going to school or work, returning home to enjoy dinner and relax before getting into bed. While this routine may appear relatively standard, it is missing one important factor of a typical day. One of the most significant parts of our daily living was not included – technology. We cannot escape technology; we are engulfed by technology with the use of laptops, iPhones, iPods, and televisions. Over the last decade, profound advancements have been achieved with technology, ultimately changing the way society functions as a whole. It is almost impossible to imagine people using typewriters and sending handwritten cards. We have become accustomed to living in a fast-paced world with continual communication and immediate responses. Our world is a fluid place that is consistently endeavoring to become more advanced. Consequently, it is critical that we as students and future employees are well-equipped with state-of-the art tools. Many schools have taken note of this technological change in society. Classrooms have begun shifting away from the traditional style toward a digital learning style. Naturally, there are people who criticize the use of technology in the academic environment. They believe that technology is distracting and that digital writing is not “real writing” (Hawley). Although it is important to consider both sides of the argument, I strongly believe that using technology helps develop a more engaged student as well as an individual who is better prepared for the real world.

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