Final Draft of Narrative. I wasnt sure if we post or send as attachment so i did both

In today’s age it’s normal to see a ten year old carrying around a brand new Blackberry or Voyager. He or she is able to quickly find the buttons and text their friends back quickly as well as look at their favorite website on their phone. They then whip out their laptop and start researching something they want while talking to their friends online. They have a couple screens open, while texting on their phone, and keeping up to date with the new technology. I look down at my phone that is the size of a cordless house phone and think how much more advanced kids much younger then me really are. I wonder often if they value books as much as the internet and how this affects their use of language as they grow into this modern day society.


When I was a child, reading a book was at great value for my family because it was a way in which my mother knew my reading skills were up to par and I was actually learning through what I was reading. Every fall in elementary school, they would hold a program for a read-athon. In every hallway there were charts for each classroom with each students name on it. Every time a student would read a book it would be marked onto a paper in which your parent would sign and send into school with the student. The student would then be marked onto the chart onto the wall for the whole school to see. At the end of the read-athon they school would hold an award program and for every student who read over a certain amount of books. The student would receive an award in front of the school as well as your parents who are in the audience. I can remember wanting to read so many books just to have my name on the chart so you could tell your friends how many books you have read and how far you are on the chart. I felt like when I received my award that my mom was always so proud of me because I would look at her and she had a huge smile on her face. I knew that reading all these books not only made me empower more knowledge but I knew it made my mom feel as if she had accomplished something of being a good mother throughout my education process. This program helped me in so many ways want to read and it had an incentive to make me read. This was my first impression of print reading. I valued it high and still do.


I can remember being in elementary school and going to the school library for the first time. I remember walking in smelling the stale air of library books that have been around for years. I sat down and looked around thinking how many books there were and how it was almost overwhelming at the thought of me reading every single one that was in this library. I would ask myself where all these books came from and how many people took out these books to read. I would look at the back of the book as to who were to sign the book out and if a lot of people singed it out I knew it was going to be an amazing book. I learned that first day in the library how to use the card catalog which was difficult for me at first but after time I understood the importance of this system. Every week I would go to the library and take out books. I would engulf myself in reading fantasies and mysteries while escaping my real life. I would be in a castle one moment slaying the dragon and the next day I was riding away with my prince charming on a white horse into the sunset. Reading these books I could be anyone I wanted or be anywhere I wanted in the book.

As I grew up, the importance of reading a good book became less significant. I began harder classes in school where I was told to research online for certain assignments. I was told that assignments or reading assignments would be sent to my e-mail where I could open them and do them from the there and then re send it to the teacher. I felt that mostly everything I was doing in classes had to do with the internet in some way. I valued print highly which I still do today but I feel that this generation may have a problem with their language when writing a paper or even talking in an intellectual way.

Looking at research on the internet may be false where as if it is printed in a book it is more likely to be true and accurate. The way things are written on the internet may also give the person a false sense of how to write language as well as how that person should write it into a paper. It may make them believe things that are not true and in result have the student get a lower grade on that research. Print material normally has correct language and correct information. Print material is also always at hand. You may print out a paper and have it on you at any time to hand it. When you e-mail a document you question if the person received it or did it not go through. If the letter is meant to be more personal I believe that print should be used. E-mails can be less personal and some people may read them quickly and not get that personal touch.

My first encounter with the internet would be AOL which a lot of people my age would probably agree was theirs as well. I can remember sneaking downstairs after my parents went to sleep to get on to talk to all my friends about the events that took place that say at school. I would stay on very late and be exhausted the next day for school. I can remember the dial up tone on the modem being so loud I would cover it so my parents wouldn’t hear it. I came to find out later in life, my mom could always log on and see when the last time I was on. The whole time I thought I was getting away with being on AOL all the time when my mom knew every time I was on and off. Damn technology.

My next digital experience would be a cell phone with text messaging. I know I text more on the phone then I do talk on it. I try to text as if I was writing a letter because if I use short hand it sometimes shows up when I am writing a paper or something important. I am afraid this will happen to the next generation. I understand that language changes all the time. We have had Old English, Middle and Modern English throughout time but all are respected. The English some kids are using today some people may think are ignorant. If this language is continued throughout a period of time then this may be the new language which may not be respected and people may not take language as serious as it should be taken.

Society will mostly run on technology and it will be more used then just plain old books. I am afraid libraries will no longer be of use and may close. The reading programs in schools will diminish and school libraries will be turned in computer labs. The students will then ask what a library was and what it used to be used for. Going into the teacher profession I hope this is a question I will never have to encounter. If the internet is down and research cannot be compiled then students won’t be able to conduct their research at all. This is why we need books and why print is so effective and useful.

I do give the internet a lot of credit but I do not think that it should be used for everything. I value print such as books and such very highly. I understand many people, mostly older, have a hard time with computers but society makes it necessary for the older people to learn. Although the internet is useful, convient and quick speed it is not the answer to all the questions one may have. I do use the computer a lot in which I respect but I do value print more and it has made me a more literate person and student of the 21st century.