Digital writing is defined as the ever-changing way writing is communicated and understood. The technological advances society has made, transformed the way writing is thought of, practiced, distributed, and more. Many parents generally view digital writing as useful and efficient. Digital writing provides easy revisions, stimulates creativity, and offers a plethora of possibilities. Still, the criticisms from the parents were that digital writing simplifies the process of writing, which can affect their child’s written competency.
I believe digital writing is essential in today’s world because it delivers vital information at an instant. Digital writing allows people from all over the world to connect and share. Writing that is produced digitally tends to be further developed with online tools like grammar check and thesaurus. Collaboration with others has been made easier and accessible due to the digital world. The overall process of writing may be simplified with digital writing, but it also increases the possibilities on how to present said writing.
The top six transformation trends Forbes are: multi-channel experiences are the norm, artificial intelligence, curated content, cord-cutting has led to a new business model, virtual and mixed reality, and smart advertising.
1. Voting for America’s Got Talent and other reality shows where audience members can vote via phone, watching the news channel while checking tweets about said news, and texting while watching a film in the theaters are multi-channel experiences.
2. Facial recognition software, deep fake, and mobile banking check deposits are within the capabilities artificial intelligence has.
3. There is a multitude of services that offer curated content, for example, Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, and more. The more content an individual consumes, the more personalized your recommended shows become.
4. Current businesses now focus on catering directly to individual customers because of the high demand for accessible, customized content, which ultimately led to cord-cutting. HBO used to be a typical cable channel that needed to change its business model to fit new demands. Furthermore, just recently, Disney Plus and showtime adopted a streaming platform.
5. Virtual reality allows users a multitude of experiences without leaving the comfort of their homes. For example, Snapchat filters alter an individual’s face, mountain climbing games that mimic a real-life climbing experience, and Amazon’s service where consumers are able to display their desired product via phone in their home.
6. Advertisement is similar to curated content because, again, consumer’s information is used to determine what products/services are displayed to them. YouTube bases its advertisements on general audience demographics. Instagram and Snapchat have sponsored content curated to the individual’s interests, and Facebook collects demographic, and user activity information to determine which sponsored posts and advertisements will best fit the user’s interests.
The rhetorical view of writing is determining which online medium best suits an individual’s contents. For example, if an individual is composing a review piece, mediums similar to blogs would be the optimal platform to present said piece. However, the general view of writing is as simple as pen and paper. The possibilities are limitless because a piece of paper is for any writing. It is a universal tool that individuals can use for all forms of content.
Technology has compressed a multitude of daily activities in the touch of a button. Google Maps, maps, and other various GPS systems have simplified the way drivers navigate to new places. Most forms of online communication, emailing, text messaging, for example, are conducted in this manner when it was through written letters.
Twenty years ago, the world was not as advanced in the modes of communication and or tasks. Before streaming services, smartphones, online dating, society had television cable shows, regular phones that do not always have service, and people met each other in person. In recent years, a lot of society’s communication is conducted online when in the past, it was in person, on paper, through mail, and other processes that are not instant.
Digital writing, as I have discussed earlier, is easily accessible with infinite possibilities. The product of digital writing can change at a click. However, the production of print-based writing is more complex and is not as flexible with immediate modifications. Understandably, digital writing is often discouraged in classrooms because of the distractions they may cause. Nevertheless, college is a fast-paced environment where individuals must absorb information quickly and efficiently. Therefore, technology has a valuable aspect in learning.