To be electrate means to be familiar with technology. To use a quote from Ulmer, electracy “is to digital media what literacy is to print.” This phrase implies that necessary skills are needed to understand and communicate with technology. Electracy is the result from the transition of cultural print literacy to modern electronic technology. According to Ulmer, alphabetical printing is only a memory that supports complicated reasoning impossible to maintain within the human mind. And digital imaging correspondingly supports widespread complexes of emotions beyond our mental capacity. Literacy focuses more on methodologies (sciences) whereas electracy focuses more on the individual state of mind (arts). We are becoming an electrate generation. In this era, anyone born to this world is instantly exposed to technology. They will grow up experiencing the new inventions of technology, which eventually leads to the development of new skills. In this sense, this new generation will automatically become more electrate leaving behind the cultural practices we once admired in the dust.
Today, technology is generally used for digital interaction. We are accustomed to experiencing technology everyday of our lives. Whether it’s from work or simply surfing the net, it is clear that technology is evolving rapidly. Since we in an era we are surrounded by technology, electracy inevitably affects us all.
Sources:
- Ulmer L. Gregory, Internet Invention: From Literacy to Electracy. Longman Publishing Group. 2002
- Ulmer, Gregory. Electronic monuments. U of Minnesota Press. 2005.
- http://www.apocalypticmediations.com/hypertext/ulmerele.html
- https://mpm17fall2009friday.wordpress.com/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electracy
- http://heuretics.wordpress.com/electracy/
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