Introduction

Communication plays a significant role in our lives as one of the most effective means of self-expression. While the ways we communicate have evolved greatly in recent years, it all still begins with a single thought. Speaking involves using our voice to articulate these thoughts, writing captures them on paper, and literacy reflects the ability to understand the ideas at their core. Clean, simple, straightforward—but is it really? These three elements are integral to the world of communication, but their meaning goes far beyond surface-level definitions. Writing can be traced back to 3300 BCE, the term “speaking” emerged in the 1200s, despite its previous existence, and “literacy” was first introduced in 1883. Words with such deep historical roots cannot be fully understood in a single sentence, or perhaps even defined at all. More often than not, their meaning is shaped by personal interpretation, but a lot of different people seem to have gotten solid information to back up their take.

Speaking

Thinking as a step-by-step process, Speaking comes first. While modern communication often focuses on digital platforms like iMessage and “DMs,” oral communication remains one of the most prominent ways to express ourselves. Walter Ong’s insights, as discussed in J.D. Applen’s “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge”, explores how speaking served as the foundation of early communication, even with the advent of writing and literacy. It relied on memory, performance, and communal participation to preserve and pass down knowledge. Communities were built and strengthened through shared experiences communicated orally, with face-to-face interactions fostering inclusion, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas.

When speaking to another person, the ability to observe expressions and reactions adds depth to the conversation—words alone cannot resonate if they merely linger in the air. We learn from a very young age what is right and wrong to say in certain scenarios, as well as how to communicate why we know it is right or wrong. Understanding requires deeper engagement, and verbalizing thoughts, even if repeated, is often easier and more effective than second-guessing. Feedback becomes immediate, and the process of refining ideas feels more satisfying. However, speaking presents a unique challenge when it comes to memory. Unless the speaker’s audience possesses strong long-term retention, spoken words are often quickly forgotten. This creates a significant limitation for what should otherwise be the most natural and straightforward form of communication.

Writing

Next comes writing—the old-fashioned pen-and-paper method crafted with feathers, wood, leather, ink, and other materials. The transition from speaking to writing was revolutionary for communication and human interaction, rendering the limitations of oral communication obsolete—except in cultures that continued to prioritize oral traditions. Writing allowed information to be preserved, stored in leather-bound books, and revisited endlessly. This innovation became both a source of inspiration for future authors and, as some would argue, a form of torture for children learning to write today. Yet, the pioneers of writing remain influential in today’s world. We’ve built upon their penmanship and structure, creating new spaces for individuality and self-expression. However, this era of writing brought challenges, particularly for oral cultures. Those reliant solely on oral traditions often found themselves excluded, unable to engage with written works due to a lack of literacy.

Fast forward to today, digital writing has introduced an entirely new dimension. In some ways, it mirrors traditional writing, but in others, it represents a dramatic evolution. Technology has made it easier to store information digitally, convert it into shareable formats, and send it to anyone, anywhere. One of the most significant upgrades is grammar correction. While grammar can often feel like a debbie downer, it serves a critical purpose. As J.D. Applen notes in “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge”, “The rules or grammar of computer languages can be designed to accomplish a known set of tasks, and, once designed, can then be put into machines to carry out these tasks immediately.” In digital writing, grammar tools enhance sentence flow, suggest word changes, and flag errors with attention-grabbing alerts, making the writing process smoother and more accessible.

Another significant upgrade is the transformation of communication. Digital platforms have enabled instantaneous sharing of written content, a far cry from the days of messenger birds. Texts and “DMs” can be exchanged in seconds, regardless of distance, while social media posts can reach entire networks of users milliseconds after being published. Technology has created a safer, more inclusive space for writers and creators to share their work. Anonymity through aliases allows individuals to connect with like-minded communities, fostering confidence and collaboration without revealing personal identities.

Literacy

Physical

Now onto step three, which can be alternatively called the “Understanding” step. Without having previous knowledge of how to speak or write, Literacy would basically have no purpose, or even be made to exist. We as kids are taught to learn how to really dive into a piece of writing. The basic 5 paragraph essays which summarizes, argues, and shows what we learned about it and what other people should know about it. This is what Literacy is. It’s knowing a product–in this case writing and speech–with all of its ins and outs. It has transformed the education world in person and online, but it always starts with something physical to fall back on. A single thought that has all the answers to why the product was created or the creation being taken apart, analyzed, and put back together to be created over and over and over again with the now known knowledge of what it is.

Another way to think about this is the media. Television shows and podcasts are created using a script, an outline. To make a script, a person must know how to write, and to act it out once it is all done, they need to know how to speak. Other than the word “Literacy”, this can be known as “Secondary Orality” by Walter Ong as he describes “Technologies such as radio, television, and telephones are media for secondary orality-style discourse, and their output could not be manufactured without the existence of the written word” (Applen, 2013). To be able to use anything we do today we need to know where it originated from and how to use it. Yet, in today’s world, that step is skipped and people just wing it.

Digital

This brings us to the Digital portion. Digital Literacy is essentially the same as physical literacy, except with the use of technology. Just as we need to understand how to speak and write in order to create something physical, in the digital world, we need to understand the ins and outs of how to use our device. Navigating and engaging with our digital devices creates a whole new world in connections and possibilities, helping with worldwide communication and collaborations. We use our devices now to help us achieve things physical literacy couldn’t quite achieve, but see how it is still there? Having previous knowledge of speaking and writing still helps us even on our digital devices.

The downsides of both versions of Literacy falls onto hierarchy. Many people don’t have the ability to access technology or learn how to speak or write even to this day, leading to many people finding themselves lost in comparison to those who do. In the digital sense, the limitation falls on the device itself. Only so much data can be contained in one memory-chip, and if it goes over the limit it can overload and crash the device, leading to the loss of digital creations embedded into the device.