In today’s technology driven society the way news is spread and the way people are interacting with one another has changed. People now learn the news from TV rather than newspaper, and videos on the internet are now focal points in conversation and in daily life. In the piece Kress argues that traditional writing and essentially writing as a whole are being diminished and replaced in today’s society by images and technology as a whole. I agree that there is being a large shift towards the new technological age based around Television and the internet, and away from books, newspapers, and writing in general.
Kress claims that the images will soon replace words, “Given that the communication world around us is moving to a preference to image in many domains, the new technology facilitates, supports, and intensifies that preference”(5). This preference towards the screen of a computer or television is encouraged and even pushed by the continuing advances in technology and the ease of gaining information with this technology.
I think a prime example is the career of ESPN sports analyst, Bill Simmons. I first learned about Simmons through his articles in ESPN The Magazine. In each monthly addition he would have the major article in the magazine and was one of their focal writers. Soon ESPN moved Simmons, their feature writer, to ESPN online and not long after to their major TV broadcasts. Simmons went from being a writer to being a face on TV. His career exemplifies the way society has adapted to the television and away from hard cover writing. Simmons is still a journalist and covers the same stories he would writing, but now he covers them on the much more popular television.
Society is not seeing a demise in writing, but merely a huge growth and takeover in images. Video tutorials instead of instructions, CNN versus the local newspaper, and simply movies instead of novels are all prime examples. The world is revolving around image-based technology and writing is becoming the way of the past.
Collin Comp II (CC1302) 
I agree that our technology is growing, but I also agree that writing is not fading away. Your right like Simmons we have just adapted to our technological world. Our advances and opportunities have made things easier for us to transmit our message. Even tho we have technology, writting will always be there.
I agree with the above comment. While technology is growing it does not necessarily mean that the words are being replaced by images. There are other factors to include such as convenience. For example, people may use a computer or a tablet to read an article or a book. With advances in technology the possible of “E-Books” has blown up. People now look to the screen for words as well as images for simplicity, convenience, etc.
That’s a great example for the counterpoint. I can definitely see both sides of the argument, I just believe the contrary. Your point does raise an interesting idea that words are adapting equally with the technology. Thanks for the response!
i agree with the above comment. Ido not not feel if writing is fading away but in this computerized era it is just easier to get across information without having to write as much. But i feel like there is no replacement for good writing. And technology is just another form of text to me anyways. If your watching a video, looking at an image, or just listening to a recording i feel that these formats are all the same to reading a paper. just a diffrent source to get the information.
-kb
You provided excellent examples to support your belief of how images do not indicate a demise in writing. I agree with you. Images and videos have been substantially insightful and useful, especially as a student. Watching a news video clip or even an online tutorial video can be faster and efficient ways to obtain information. However, I still believe an emphasis on the importance should still be placed, and images should be used as supplements, not replacements. Reading and writing is a unique connection to the history of our past, the best means of current communication, and a way to publish content as a reference for the future. The descriptions, feelings, emotions, thoughts, ideas, etc. that writing encompasses are irreplaceable.
-Uzma
I think that last line really hits the nail on the head for the counterargument that words will never fade away. The thoughts and emotions that can be put into writing can sometimes never truly be seen on the screen even by the best actors. So your point that the images are supplements, not replacements is a good point because of how irreplaceable the feelings and emotions found in writing are. Thanks for the comment!
I completely agree with your statement. Technology is growing faster every year. Things that might have seen like science fiction years ago are true and real today. As a matter of how communication is today how fast we are able to express our thoughts almost instantly.Including mages and text. I don’t thing that text is necessarily more important or replaced by images as they are both equally present and important today. Images and video are just more convenient but leave very little to ones own imagination.
I agree with your blog post. I really like how you hit your points and touch on all of the aspects surrounding them. I also found your example of the ESPN sports analyst very interesting as well. I’m glad that you pointed this out because technology has to keep itself current with the peoples wants. With technology changing so quickly, who knows what Bill Simmons will be doing 20 years down the road? I feel like news and other forms of written text entered the electronic stage after the iPhone became huge. After that, commonly used websites started to push towards getting their website accessible on phones. Coming back to your post, I really like your conclusion. I really felt a sense of closure, and it perfectly exemplifies what we covered in class. I might have to refer to your conclusion when I’m writing mine for paper 2.
Thanks for the comment my man go ahead and use it for the paper. I hope it helps you out!
This is a post with which I absolutely agree. In addition to contributing greatly to our culture’s failure improving our listening skills, the use of images to overpower words is all too common and all too deceitful in today’s society. One of the best examples makes me the most upset. I am talking about pharmaceutical commercials that utilize a cartoon animation to convince people to buy it and state at the very end in a soft, fast voice, “May cause death.” You give good examples and are effective at stating how image based media is growing faster than text. It is important to realize this as the language of contracts will be the most important language to understand in the near future. I look forward to reading more of your comments.
Thomas Walker CCSS4
Wow that’s a great example, that idea never even entered my head. I think that example really portrays that images are replacing words, but just as much for the bad as the good. I mostly talked about how the benefits of technology are causing the change, but your example is focusing on how pharmaceutical companies are using the change in technology to try and avoid the words that could hurt them. I think this is a great comment showing both the positives and negatives that come with the new age of images. Thanks a lot for the reply!