Journal

Being a writer in the 21^st century is very different than being a writer 100 years ago. One main difference would be the number of writers, or people that think they are writers. To be considered a writer I believe one must have one of the following traits: Be a successful author, being in an occupation that requires a lot of writing, have an English degree, or simply write a lot.

                In today’s world writing is available to most people in developed countries. The increasingly large amount of text that is being converted to a digital format is changing the way writing is perceived and who is considered to be a writer. People that specialize in digital media probably have degrees in computer graphics or some form of digital art. Even marketing degrees come with some knowledge of how to operate a computer effectively.

                The benefits of the digital age allow a good piece of writing is able to go viral and reach a large audience very quickly. It is also possible for a different form of communication, such as a video or a gif, to spread very quickly around the web. Lots of the writing posted on the social media sites (the less serious ones) is put up in the form of memes. Memes have become increasingly popular and an effective way to market an idea or piece of information is to put it in a meme.

                Overall the digital capacities present in today’s society allow for a larger amount of people to engage in writing, but in order to reach a professional level a degree of some sort is usually required.