Being a writer in the current technological world has shaped my writing journey. The internet provides convenience and tools that have allowed me to grow immensely but thereby, it has also become a crutch that is always at my disposal. For instance, software and programs that check grammar are more accurate than my own ability to spot grammatical mistakes meaning I no longer need to solely rely on my knowledge of grammatical rules. Proofreading my work has become more of a chore than a necessity for me which quickens the duration of my writing process. These tools accessible on the internet help me adhere to the rules of standard academic writing but also translate far beyond academia. Though alternatively, digital technology has also made me fall back on digital discourse conventions that I use on the regular to communicate. Because of the conventions that exist in digital writing via texting and on other platforms, we are taught to read far more into what a person is saying when they write. Adding punctuation can often have a negative connotation in certain contexts. Periods that come after abbreviations and phrases such as “LOL” have a subtext of being aggressive and curt. We have been conditioned to read far more into persons writing based on a different set of rules and etiquette that is prevalent in digital writing. These conventions make it easier for me to text my friends but they also create a set of new problems. I like to think that digital writing is a different language because of how different it can be especially to those not immersed in that world.

Long are the days of students needing to write papers by hand or use other mediums to write. While many believe that self-expression is lost in digital writing, the resources gained from technology outweigh the cramps and the muscle aches that come from writing with a pen. Of course, digital writing forces its writers to comport themselves in a certain manner as they have to think about their given audience which might change how they plan to display their message but nonetheless with all its faults, I attribute much of my development as a writer on being a digital writer.