There has been ongoing debates on whether increased use of mobile devices for communication have negative impacts on youngsters’ literacy. While there are certain aspects of modern communication that are at risk, I disagree that modern means of communication are hampering young people’s comprehension and writing capacity.
Firstly, communication associates with the use of social media platforms, which significantly helps improving literacy through language exposure. As frequent users of these networks, young people are constantly in need of improving their language in order to adapt. For example, on Facebook, where users post mostly texts and short-form videos, modern youths must be able to navigate all sorts of content, giving them great opportunities to read and share more. However, it must be noted that social media may promote the use of informal language and abbreviations in favor of quick information communication. However, this endorsement can be greatly mitigated considering the young would be able to experience language in various forms, thus improving their fluency, exposure, and comprehension on their topics of interest.
In addition to social media, mobile devices provide young people with a wide range of literature from the internet, which further improves their comprehension skill. With the rising popularity of e-books and online news, there are great potentials to improving one’s reading capacity. For example, websites like The Guardian and Pitchfork informs the young on various reading topics and information that help boost their knowledge acquisition. This advantage also raises questions on potential inappropriate contents some people may come across like false claims and biased views. To solve this, guidance from teachers and responsible adults might be of great assistance in order to reduce such exposures to youngsters.
In conclusion, while there may be concerns regarding informal language and inappropriate exposures, I believe that overall, mobile devices can have benefits for youngsters through social media exposure and online literature access. Through this, along with guidance and appropriate intervention, educators and parents can make these gadgets useful for their young.