Throughout Jonathan Culler's The Closeness of Close Reading, he expresses in different ways how "the practice of close reading...has [become] something we take for granted" (2). Close reading is an important skill to obtain but has been lost throughout the generations for numerous reasons. Some include sloppy reading and the lack of focus on its importance but most of all the increase in technology has put a rift on its importance and language itself. Technology is one of the best discoveries this world has seen but it has its flaws just like anything else. It can open a bunch of doors but can also close others. Language is losing its importance, authenticity and correctness as technology evolves, and people become more involved in abbreviating the language through text messaging and social media rather than learning its true meaning and correctness.

In a passage within this story there is a small emphasis that right now, at this moment, is the most important time to bring back the importance of close reading. This particular generation is one that has been "raised in instant messaging" (3) therefore, they have already lost this universal good of close reading that is an essential ingredient for English and other languages. As time goes on people grow up and so does technology. Children now a days are starting to use social media and cell phones at younger and younger ages. Children as young as ten have barely even gotten a chance to learn how to read and write their own language correctly. Now they are starting to abbreviate the language through text messages and the internet before really knowing the true meaning of what it is they are messaging. It is time to get young children to pay more attention to their language than their electronic screens. Technology is going to continue to evolve along with children and everyone else. As they become more and more involved in their electronics the importance of the language and the closeness of reading needs to be emphasized more both inside and outside of the classroom.

People need to start looking at their language rather than through it. People these days like to take the easy way out of anything they do. This includes things like reading and writing. Some students have a habit of just skimming a reading instead of reading the whole text in full detail because it is easier, but because of this they have missed important details that make up the story and its complete meaning. This is an analogy to peoples' everyday language. When people want to say something to someone, most people instantly go to their phones or computers to send amessage, but this is "where language becomes a crude, ever more abbreviated code for communicating minimal information" (3). Due to technology people can lose their ability to socialize in person. Like skimming a book, people miss out on the details of talking to someone in person and seeing the true meaning of what they are saying through their body language, tone of voice, and so on.

Every language is beautiful. Each language has it's own way of expressing different meanings and emotions. However with this increase in technology, language is losing its beauty and authenticity. Everything is being taken for granted because of this generations' "speed-reading culture" (6) they have become accustom to. Most people miss out on the beauty of their own language, or the one they are learning, and what it is all about. Knowing ones own language completely takes time and thought but helps when it comes to understanding the culture of that language came from and the meaning behind all its parts, but once technology comes in all of that seems to get lost. One doesn't get to experience personal socializing and seeing a language come alive, which is what language is all about. Language surrounds everyone in every aspect of their lives. It is ones communication with everything and everyone. Knowing a language is not just knowing how to speak it. It is knowing its meaning, "how to read what the language is doing" (6), and how to properly write it. That is what language is all about and that is what needs to be brought back into the lives of the younger generations. 

Although language is losing its importance, authenticity and correctness as technology evolves and people become more involved in abbreviating their language through text messaging and social media, there is still time to bring language back to life and teach the new generations its true meaning and correctness. Technology will continue to evolve and so will the generations to come, therefore now is the time to bring back the importance of close reading and everything it entails. Technology can be very beneficial and will continue to help improve the way of life for the entire world, but it will also continue to have its flaws. People must learn not to pay too much attention to their electronics when communicating with others because that could cause an issue for many people when it comes to socializing in person. Not only that but it takes away from communication as a whole. Body language, tone of voice and facial expressions are all greatly taken into account when determining what someone is truly meaning to say what they want to but when it comes to instant messaging many conversations can become misinterpreted and more. It is time to save the beauty and authenticity of languages. Culler expresses that this time is now before it is really too late. Close reading is a big step to getting language back to where it should be and with the help of teachers, the willingness of students and others this step to re-modifying language can be achieved.
