Life Without Print

Life Without Print 

September 9, 2016

    Fewer and fewer people that know how to read, no democracy, no journalism, and no public schooling. These are just some of the effects that our world would be going g through if printing technology didn't sweep through the world. Our world today would be unbelievably different if these technologies didn't come into play earlier in life. 

    During class today, we developed a list of what our life would be like without printing technologies such as Gutenberg's and print in general. Our lives would've consisted of dull jobs and smaller views on the world. We would go to work in large factories or small farms. There would be nothing to read or write, and no public schooling to learn these necessary skills. We wouldn't know what was going on outside our communities or country. We would be behind in scientific discoveries, have fewer religions, and there would be no consistent history because no one could write it down. Life would be without purpose. 

    After discussing this list of events that would've happened if printing technologies didn't exist, each table in the classroom drew a card and on this card was a word like "poster" or "poem." Using these words, each table had to present to the class what our lives would be like during these times of low literacy and terrible work conditions. 

    Each group was unique in presenting their ideas to the class but we all had practically the same underlying concept, which was that life would be dull. After hearing and listening to every group I realized how lucky we are to be born in a time where print journalism has come to life and we have the ability to connect with other people through it. 

     During these trying times, people didn't know or understand what life was like outside their community's walls. People had no journalism and many people couldn't read. This activity helped me understand how people's lives were like back than and what they had to go through, it really put it in perspective. 

    I am glad that I live in a time where there is democracy, journalism, trade between countries, public schooling, and that most people know how to read and write. But I also know and understand that it wasn't always like this and that a lot of people have worked hard to make the world what it is today, a land of opportunity.