As the years go on, technology is constantly progressing. For the younger generations, it is easy to adapt to these changes and usually isn’t an issue. Yet for older generations, they tend to struggle more and become bitter when they have to ask their children or grandchildren how to text on their new iPhones. Many older people, and few younger, believe that many of the technological advances we have today are getting out of hand. I think they’re just mad they don’t know how to utilize it. With the advancing technology, comes advancements in the way we portray information like poetry or books. I am all for this!
I believe technology makes reading anything SO much easier because it is constantly accessible at our fingertips from Instagram to Google! Many people, like Lindsay Saienni, proposed the argument that due to the fact that information so easily accessible through these platforms, that our attention spans are shorter. Therefor hindering our ability to read and comprehend “real” poetry because the poetry on social media can be more condensed and easier to read. While this may resonate with some people, who exactly defines what “real” poetry is? Not me! I don’t believe that because a poem is posted online versus on paper or in a book, that it should be discredited as “real” poetry. Sure, somewhere there may be a structed list of criteria that poetry should uphold, but who says a short poem on Instagram can’t live up to that criteria?
Poetry comes in all shapes and forms. We should welcome the idea of poetry being more accessible to us, even if that means it’s on a social media site like Instagram. Likewise, at the end of the day, not all poetry you see online may meet that list of criteria you believe poetry is, and that’s ok! Sometimes things are just there to make you laugh. Lighten up! The internet can be intimidating, but just because something is easier doesn’t always mean it’s bad.
Literature & the Internet 