How has technology affected written communication?
For many who grew up in the pre-email era, the handwritten letters we’ve received from loved ones are treasured mementos of our lives and relationships. In the age of email and instant messaging, such “snail mail” letters are often disparaged as an outmoded system and have become increasingly rare. Though technology has made communication easier and faster, did we also lose something irreplaceable in the bargain? Yes, says John T. Harwood, senior director of teaching and learning with technology, part of Penn State’s Information Technology Services. “When my grandmother wrote me a personal letter, it was a single copy and was all the more precious. Now some people write one email to their whole family and it’s not as personal.” Technology is a double-edged tool, believes Harwood. “At its very best, online communication is profoundly democratizing,” he notes. One study suggests that ninety percent of American college students have an account on Facebook, a leading social networking web
