Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Editor-in-Chief
In elementary school, we are all taught the importance of reading, writing, and language. We learn our basic words, nouns, verbs, everything that allows us to communicate and learn from each other as human beings. With writing having been ingrained into our souls and lives at such an early age, you would think that most people would write not just out of necessity, but out of pleasure. Unfortunately, with the rise of digital technology and growing distractions, the art of writing for pleasure and creativity has fizzled out in a generation unable to look up from their screens.
In fact, writing has become not just an afterthought, but a burden upon students who would rather spend their time scrolling social media or joking with friends. It has gotten to the point where very few students can even focus on writing for more than a few minutes.
Even inside schools, students consistently use AI to bypass the “chore” of writing and submit unfinished and plagiarized work all at the leisure of their laziness. The fact that students cannot even sit down and write something in as short a time as a few minutes is horrifying and indicative of a society slowly pushing closer and closer towards a Matrix-like reality.
Even once essential careers, such as journalists and novelists, are being phased out by AI and other forms of cheap writing. It takes nothing to plug a prompt into ChatGPT. Meanwhile, it takes discipline, skill, and a work ethic to create something original from nothing but your mind.
Too often, I hear my peers complain over a simple writing assignment or a book they were given in class. They dread every minute of English and are unable to put even the minimum amount of effort towards becoming literate. What will happen when a generation of screen-addicted teenagers enters a workforce primarily dominated by language and writing? Plagiarism will run rampant, work will be unsatisfactory, and the creativity and originality that once made our society so special will be gone.
However, not all is lost. Even as I sit here writing this article I am keeping the hope alive that one day people may learn to read and write again. The hope that they can look up from their screens upon the beautiful world around them and truly produce something only they can.
Here at Eagle’s Eye, it is these principles of ingenuity and hard work that keep our publication going and keep the engine of truth flowing.
However, we and other newspapers around the world are outmatched and outnumbered by BILLIONS of people that are content to sit around and cast their creativity to the side. It is only through the preservation of writing and implementation of writing for pleasure that we can shift towards once again becoming a society capable of being literate. It does not take much. All it takes is 20, 15, 10, even 5 minutes a day from each individual person, and the arsenal of truth will be locked and loaded.
The fact that you even stopped to read this article means that you are capable of being imaginative. Now, it is your job to go out in your own life and preach those ideals of art and expressiveness that our world seems to be so desperately in need of. If not, we will be subject to a world run by misinformation and apathy as any chance of preserving our human nature fades far, far away…
Featured photo courtesy: BBC