Talk The Talk
For the past twenty years or so, the internet and personal computers have become so commonplace that most people could not imagine how modern society would function without them. Personal computers have even taken the place of cellphones and cameras, with single devices being able to fill the role of all three. They have been integrated into every system of communication, education, and entertainment. Because of this, it has become a necessity to understand the particulars of not only the internet, but also internet culture itself and how people use the internet in their day to day lives.
James Paul Gee defines a discourse as a set of rules and standards that people adhere to in a manner that is dependent on the specific task or situation at hand (Gee 5). This concept has been talked about recently on the internet very much through the concept of “Code Switching” where people of a certain race will use their own vernacular when around other members of that race and default to a more general way of speaking while around others. Discourse is a very important part of writing, in that one must understand who they are writing for and the circumstances of whatever it is that they are writing about. For example, it might not be most apt to use very complicated and esoteric language when writing something intended for small children. Similarly, it would not make sense to use language intended for small children (For example, a Sesame Street style “Hello there, boys and girls!”) in a piece intended for grown adults.
Leave a Reply