I wish I could remember what I was watching; the speaker outlined five levels of literacy. People at the lowest level could neither read or write. People, one level up, had a rudimentary ability to read and write.
Then here came the claim – 50% of people in the United States were “functionally illiterate”. Is that true?
I’m pretty careful about sourcing information. I started preaching the importance of guarding your intellect, more than ten years ago, back when Saturn was in Virgo! As outrageous as this claim was, I thought it might be true. If so, forget being alarmed. I was thinking I’d need to adjust!
I tried discover the veracity of this claim but it was impossible (using search). However, I’ve seen enough over the years, ‘cross the country, on the internet and via connections made at work to feel it if isn’t true today, we’re headed in this direction. I say this for a few reasons.
First, “blogging”, became facebook, then twitter and now Instagram. I don’t have anything against photography. But I do see a lot of people who essentially let their breasts, their butt or their biceps do most of their talking. I
t’s astonishing, really. Page and pages of poses and poses and poses and more poses. There’s no reading involved.
I’ve noticed, more often that not, when I click to read an “article”, the message is very simple. Further, the uncomplicated information is repeated in the article in a way that’s blatant. Typically, the info-byte is offered in the first paragraph, repeated in the second and gone over a third time in third or fourth paragraph, if these exist.
As a result, it’s as if you’ve read more than is actually there!
If you do this all day, you’re going to become stupid. It’s sort of like gambling in Vegas, where the odds favor the house
Recently someone mentioned that astrology is popular with Millennials due to memes. I think this is probably true. I have nothing against the medium! Memes are fun! I well understand a picture is worth 1000 words. I also know that it takes brains to be clever! But there’s a risk too. People are tagged with their sun-sign stereotype, which can harm them in more ways than I care to count.
To bring this ’round, you’ve go to keep up your reading comprehension skill because frankly, the “market” is not in favor of your being educated. You’ve got to advocate for yourself in this realm, in this world, at this time.
Personally, I view myself as an algorithm at this point, meaning that I am adaptable and beyond that, I am willing and able to adapt quickly.
Your turn!
he
Hence the term ,TMTR, too much to read.
So so true. I remember not that long ago being able to search the internet and find a wealth of diverse information, so much so that the common belief was to never trust anything you read there. Now, they say the best place to bury a body is on the second page of Google search results. I’ve been trying to research a particular kind of plant but unless I actively seek out academic sources, all that is regurgitated again and again is the same blog-byte simplistic (or misleading, misinformed, downright incorrect!) information. This infuriates me. It is also something you see in the publishing world. There are more books being published now than ever, in the history of mankind. However, as media outlets gobble each other up, we are down to two or three voices publishing 95% of the “literature” and printed information we consume today. This is something that concerns me very much as access to diversity of ideas is paramount to real intelligence and critical thinking. Being vigilant and advocating for yourself is definitely the thing to do but it is increasingly difficult.
It’s horrible. What makes me mad is the accessibility to good writing. Our national ( in my country)newspapers have turned to tabloid and a lot of the interesting, in-depth articles are in small publications you need to be introduced to by attending university or being part of certain circles. There are some good international sites I love but again it’s supposed to be available for everyone. Sure library’s have many free papers , but then it’s the luxury of time that plays a part in aiming it at certain people. A lot of government legislation is done in that way too.. and when there are protests against it they say” it’s been known from dadada year , there has been public discussions “ but those platforms are narrow for those in the know. This thing about relaying information in layman’s terms have gone to far. The comprehension doesn’t improve by just bypassing the facts.
It’s more important than ever, to support the sites you value. I can’t stress this enough.
Excellent post and I’ve found it to be true as well. I’m tuned into public education and it’s getting worse. I’d say attention span is the main issue. I heard from a middle school teacher today who was teaching grammar and the students didn’t know what a noun was, let alone a proper noun vs. a common noun. Words are my thing so this kills me.
I have such bad reception where I live, I look up stores or offices and I always forget to charge ,I come to this site !but mostly
I tote books around, my secret playground
Well said. 🙂
Reading books is a dinosaur thing!
And “news” is so simplified, written as if by beginners.
The funny part is that probably many (young) people don’t realize the poverty of all this. I fact, they probably wouldn’t give shoot if they did.
Yes, an image is worth a 1000 words, but what are a 1000 pictures worth???
I guess the eyes need to look to keep busy, but the content is rather empty. I’d think that this creates frustration of some sort. And lead to visual bulimia?
Agreed. I’m a Gemini as well but not a millenial and feel the same way. 🙂
I don’t read as many books as I should, just the occasional one here and there, which is sad because I used to love reading as a kid and did a lot throughout school. It’s something I need to work on. I have a tendency to start books without finishing, too. My attention span has probably been weakened a bit, as I more naturally gravitate to reading people’s thoughts online, which takes less time.
However, I do value my reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, and I don’t mindlessly digest everything that’s trending on the internet. I have nothing against pictures either, but I’d rather see words. Real words of substance, not simplified statements crafted to go viral or generate clicks.
Isaac Asimov Quotes about Ignorance – Lib Quotes
https://libquotes.com/isaac-asimov/quotes/ignorance
There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
“my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
Very interesting concept!
Over here in France every one thinks they think better than everyone else!!!!!
Democratic? Socialistic? Nah, everyone is Louis XIV/XV/XVI, but supposedly coming from humble backgrounds with slightly inflated intello-egos. It’s politico-cultural, as you said.
Some people can still read? Does it mean they can think?)
“my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
Very interesting concept!
Over here in France every one thinks they think better than everyone else!!!!!
Democratic? Socialistic? Nah, everyone is Louis XIV/XV/XVI, but supposedly coming from humble backgrounds with slightly inflated intello-egos. It’s politico-cultural, as you said.
Some people can still read? Does it mean they can think?
I have a Sun Uranus Mercury stellium in Leo, three planets and an ascendant in Virgo, and Saturn in Capricorn. I lOVE and I mean, really, really LOVE reading and books and music – real music. for some reason, I always seem to swim against the tide. So I leave my phone at home more and more often, I’ve never used FB or Twitter or anything similar. Fortunately for me, my husband shares my interests. Our home is literally filled with books, and music – vinyl, CDs – we’ve hooked up speakers so we can hear music in every room – and we have lots and lots of fine films on DVD. Our sanctuary. A place where my husband and I can think, and read, and listen.
It’s information made thinner and thinner until it’s plainly dumbed down. Even so, one can still search and download a good book. But I hate reading online books. Can’t remember a thing from PDF’s. And audio books are worse, I am not an audio learner. Ah, the perks of a real book. I can touch it, smell it, go back to it whenever I forget details. But then trees are killed for that. Grr. My mercury in taurus, should just train to remember better. Don’t they say you can only remember 20% information of an online book? I don’t remember anything. Just the emotion I had when reading or maybe a fragment of a plot.