Speech vs Writing- The Epic Battle for Modern Supremacy

Since the dawn of man, communication has played a vital role in how we interact and live. No matter where one defines the beginning, there has always been some kind of speech. Whether it was a groan, noise, or actual words remain to be seen, but what we do know is that speech is needed for one to live properly. When early man starting using symbols as a way of showing data, it was the beginning of writing. With the evolution of man and the growing technology that comes along with it, the issue has arisen as to which method, speech or writing, is superior in today's society.Without writing it could be said that life as we know it would cease to exist.
First, it should be shown that speech is almost just as important, but without speech in today's society, it would be difficult, but still possible to live. There are, in fact, individuals who are mute due to stroke, psychological problems, paralysis, or other reasons. They find ways of communicating without speech, if speech is defined as verbal communication.
According to the book Communication In History, the earliest precursor to writing were symbols and signs, the first of which was the use of ocher (discovered in Qafzeh, Israel), a red pigment that is believed to have served a symbolic function. More common were notches on rocks or sticks, pebbles in a pile. Later on, the use of coins began, starting with coins being differentiated based on shape, numbers of marks, as well as other distinctions. These symbols were used to trade goods and symbolize things, no one is quite sure what the notches stand for but it is obvious they stood for an amount of something. The shapes and symbols on the coins were believed to determine how much or what type of goods a person could receive. If early man used these methods to develop their simplistic society, it must be even more important in today's society.
Let's look at the modern world without writing. People would have no way of showing data or signs of warning. Traffic would be frightening with no stop signs, no yields and no way of seeing street names(which would make it especially difficult on men because we are too proud and stubborn to ask for directions). Grocery shopping would be tragic; are you buying a bag of mashed potatoes or laundry detergent? Oh well, let's wait for dinner to find out. These things may make things difficult, but they aren't the answer to the question being asked. We need to see why writing is so superior to speech in today's society.
An easy answer to the question would be, of course, the Internet, which is a never-ending source of text, videos, photos, and online auctions. The Internet is an essential and crucial part of today's society. Colleges(such as UMBC) have campus-wide wireless networks, sports games are being web-casted, and even Presidential ads are being put on the Internet. Computers have replaced the card catalogues in libraries, and most students can research anything on a computer and print out what they need instead of signing out a book. E-mail has almost virtually replaced letters and postcards. The snail mail has lost its touch.Why wait two days to answer somebody when you can answer them in two minutes? In a Washington Post article titled "The Dumbing of America," author Susan Jacoby states that "No wonder negative political ads work. With text, it is even easy to keep track of differing levels of authority behind different pieces of information," the cultural critic Caleb Crain noted recently in the New Yorker" With the Internet and text, it is easier to see decisions and remarks made by politicians and others in the past. Barrack Obama could have said something when he was running for Senate a few years back, and thanks to the Internet, John McCain can bring up this long forgotten speech and use it to hurt Obama. Basically, with everything written down and stored somewhere, it is easy for people to validate points and issues that may arise.
At this current time, writing is as important as ever-- if not more. There is now an essay portion on the SATs. Essays are replacing quizzes and tests in classrooms, and colleges require one if not more essays and writing samples to be turned in to not only determine placement, but living arrangements, scholarships, and even campus privileges.
In this day and age, proper spelling and writing is essential. Many children are using Internet grammar; lol (laughing out loud) and c u l8r (see you later),in actual everyday situations. My 12-year-old sister doesn't talk on the phone at all; she texts, constantly. In my experience on my middle school's literary magazine, we had several people submit wonderfully written pieces that were filled with some of the worst spellings I've ever seen. The works were rampant with shortened spellings like " u" replacing "you," and "luv" replacing "love", and it was sad because over half of the submissions were like this. For those who do learn how to write properly, many jobs and opportunities await.
Writing and reading will never die because they are both too important to society. Washington Post writer Howard Gardner brought up this point in his article entitled "The End of Literacy? Don't Stop Reading," when he says "I don't worry for a nanosecond that reading and writing will disappear. Even in the new digital media, it's essential to be able to read and write fluently and,if you want to capture people's attention, to write well."
Now it could be said that the ability for someone to speak well is just as important, but consider this- you can't hear a person who can't speak, but you can read what they have to write. Internet forums and blogs allow these people to talk to others that are going through the same issues as them. Some people aren't good speakers, but they are great writers and it shows that they have the same intelligent capabilities as anyone else. And writing well still reflects one's education and intelligence.
Basically, without the element of writing, today's society would be nothing. Writing lets us check facts by reading information that must be answered immediately (such as going to imdb.com to find out which actor played someone in a movie). It lets us communicate with others to inform,entertain, and persuade.
Imagine what it would be like to lose your voice and not speak.You would be frustrated (although my friends and family would probably throw a wild party if it happened to me), but you'd get by. Now imagine what a world without the World Wide Web, books, newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals and research, street signs and text messages would be like. What would business be like without e-mails and faxes? It's tough to imagine, isn't it. For this reason, on the scale of speech vs. writing, writing tips the scale in today's society.

WORK CITED

Crowley, David and Paul Heyer. "Communication In History" Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2007

Gardner, Howard. "The End of Literacy? Don't Stop Reading". The Washington Post.Sunday Feb 17, 2008. Page B01

Jacoby, Susan. "Call Me a Snob, but Really,We're a Nation of Dunces". The Washington Post.
Sunday Feb 17, 2008. Page B01