Have you ever glanced down at your phone and read a text so error-ridden it triggers an involuntary eye roll? Perhaps you’ve struggled through a barrage of grammatical errors in an essay you’re supposed to be peer editing for class, or maybe you’ve overheard someone casually mention using ChatGPT to “help” with their paper.
These incidents may seem isolated and random, but combined, they are anything but. It’s time we face the music — we are losing one of our most ancient and vital skills: writing.
Recently, I’ve observed a rise in teachers on social media complaining that their middle school students are struggling with behavior problems and basic reading and writing skills. While it’s easy for us Generation Z members to want to point and laugh at this issue, this is a mistake for two reasons.
First, the issue of the next generation lacking critical skills precedes any generational beef we may have. Secondly, it’s time we wake up and realize that our age group isn’t above criticism in this area.
As society has evolved over the last two decades or so, one shift we’ve seen is the ever-increasing demand for convenience and efficiency. Computers have gotten faster, social media has exploded and skills like handwriting have fallen to the wayside.
This is the era our generation grew up in, adapting to the new standards of learning and communication brought about by technological advancements. But as we get faster and supposedly smarter, our writing is getting worse. Based on what I’ve experienced, writing for school is generally seen to be about completing the bare minimum as quickly as possible versus actually caring about things like flow and word choice.
I’ve definitely been guilty of this; everyone probably has. Academia can be an immensely stressful place to exist and sometimes you just have to do what’s easiest to stay sane. I’m also not saying that everything everyone writes must be revolutionary. My point is that every high school and college student should be able to produce a multi-page essay that is logical, organized and mostly grammatically correct without too much trouble.
So, what’s happening?
A big part of why we’re struggling with writing is because we don’t read anymore. In fact, reading for pleasure has declined a whopping 40% over the past 20 years. Reasoning for this can be attributed to several causes, like social media, reduced attention spans or simply a cultural shift away from print media.
Whenever I write, I draw upon things like vocabulary, sentence structure and general flow from books I’ve read in the past. Because I have that background, I know what I like, making it simple to craft a sentence and eventually an essay or article that I’m generally happy with. Without that foundation, I can imagine how difficult it would be to write anything at all.
Then there’s the recent issue of artificial intelligence (AI).
In a society that so deeply values convenience, what could be better? Instead of taking the time to learn the material and practice vital writing skills, students can now plug any prompt into ChatGPT and receive a piece of writing that, while lifeless, checks all the boxes. In certain situations, AI can be a helpful tool, but using it to complete entire assignments undermines the entire point of higher education and contributes to a culture that values efficiency over authenticity.
Other than the obvious reasons like societal advancement, the decline in literacy is troubling because of the dangers of misinformation. The rise of short form social media content, combined with an unstable political climate, means that millions of videos chock-full of misinformation are circulating daily.
Without the tools provided to us by reading and writing consistently, we lose the media literacy necessary to sort through the propaganda we’re exposed to daily. In an era of injustice, like the one we’re experiencing now, it’s essential to stay educated if we want our situation to improve.
Writing provides a way to connect with people and explore new topics. Practices like letter writing may become obsolete, but that doesn’t mean the sentiment has to die. Even just being slightly more intentional with the texts you send daily, the content you consume and taking the extra ten minutes to proofread your friend’s essay can be vital. Your ancestors developed this essential method of communication for you, so don’t let them down now.
Elena Pavlik can be contacted at [email protected].
