Throughout all of our readings so far, we have been presented with multitudes of different definitions of literacy. For instance, we often simplify literacy to its stripped down definition of the ability to read and write. But it is more than that, being literate means you can comprehend, analyze, and engage with texts. Literacy allows society to progress — or in some cases regress — through the documentation, comprehension, interpretation, and communication of ideas.
Literacy is not solely applicable to just reading or writing physical texts; it extends to new technological advancements, which can be demonstrated through the four stages of literacy development. Baron describes these four stages: the first stage being the invention or engineering of the technology, the second stage questions if it has a useful function for society, the third stage allows it to become accessible to large quantities of people (i.e. the cost is significantly lowered), and the final stage requires authentication or verification processes. If all of these stages are met, the new technology will become commonplace in our society.
That being said, the developments of technology have altered the original meaning of literacy — it has become a socially, culturally, and technologically dependent concept. It’s definition is dependent on its social situation; there is no fixed meaning of literacy. It has become an abstract term to express how societies evolve through the development of communications.
