8 votes

The erosion of deep literacy

7 comments

  1. [2]
    skybrian
    Link
    Ironically, this article is not that deep when it comes to the discussion of what scientists know about the brain and attention. I would expect more citations of studies and charts and graphs....

    Ironically, this article is not that deep when it comes to the discussion of what scientists know about the brain and attention. I would expect more citations of studies and charts and graphs.

    Similarly for history. It emphasizes American religious movements, but the politics was every bit as heated as today and considerably more violent. The American Revolution itself, early rebellions over taxes, the bitter politics between the Federalists and Jefferson's Democrat-Republican party, support and opposition for the French revolution, the populism of Andrew Jackson, and the bitter disputes over slavery.

    I think I do skim more than I used to, and I have less patience. I expect authors to be clear about their central point. But it's more difficult to say whether most people are doing better or worse because none of us have direct experience with everyone. We only know our own bubble directly, and understand the rest based on the reports of others.

    6 votes
    1. thorondir
      Link Parent
      But it enticingly feels so right. It just seems to make sense, because it seems to explain some aspects of modern society elegantly, I feel. I also definitely have less patience than I used to, am...

      But it enticingly feels so right.
      It just seems to make sense, because it seems to explain some aspects of modern society elegantly, I feel.

      I also definitely have less patience than I used to, am less frustration-tolerant, while having read fewer books in the past few years than I used to.
      So it also seems quite on the money, given my personal experience.
      Though, of course, there are a boatload more factors that could potentially lead me to the same point.

      It does make me want to focus more on reading one thing than to read as much as possible.
      I'm hoping that would help with being more resistant to the shallow desire for "moar content!!1!".

      2 votes
  2. entangledamplitude
    Link
    Couldn’t find the right topic... Not quite restricted to the humanities, but I couldn’t find broader topics like culture or psychology. Has shades of McLuhan all over it, and IMHO the interiority...

    Couldn’t find the right topic... Not quite restricted to the humanities, but I couldn’t find broader topics like culture or psychology.

    Has shades of McLuhan all over it, and IMHO the interiority that comes from deep literacy also relates closely to the fourth stage of psychological development in Kegan’s classification. Much that can be said, but I’ll leave that for the discussion.

    4 votes
  3. [4]
    Kuromantis
    Link
    This is a repost BTW.
    4 votes
    1. unknown user
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Not that reposts are discouraged, of course! (It might be slightly more polite to phrase it as "You can find past discussion on this article here." or something of that sort.)

      Not that reposts are discouraged, of course!

      (It might be slightly more polite to phrase it as "You can find past discussion on this article here." or something of that sort.)

      10 votes
    2. [2]
      entangledamplitude
      Link Parent
      Thanks! I was wondering it might be so, but I couldn’t figure out how to search for it. Now that you’ve linked to it, I realize I even commented in the earlier discussion X-D

      Thanks! I was wondering it might be so, but I couldn’t figure out how to search for it. Now that you’ve linked to it, I realize I even commented in the earlier discussion X-D

      5 votes
      1. mrbig
        Link Parent
        Tildes has automated repost discouragement, but I believe a deprecation period was implemented by now. The other post was in March... you’re fine.

        Tildes has automated repost discouragement, but I believe a deprecation period was implemented by now. The other post was in March... you’re fine.

        4 votes