I think I can best categorize group feelings or, orality with experiences that occur in college. Just as in pre-literate cultures a person found identity in vision quests and their communities, today a person can find a similar group feeling in college. Many people associate college experiences with a time when they ‘grew’ as individuals, and classroom environments facilitate the community aspect of an outer rather than interior self.
I previously talked about blogging and the ways in which my personal blog acts as a “fetish”. Continuing this stream of thought, I believe literacy can be exemplified in many forms of individual based writing. Although blogging occurs online and is therefore related to the electrate mode, because I use my blog as an extension of a journal I believe I can categorize in this way. My literate sense of self is what produces these personal blogs.
Finally, I would categorize social media sites such as Tumblr and Twitter as part of the electracy experience. Social media is a perfect blend of the group feeling found within oral structures (one “follows” blogs in addition to procuring “followers” and can view their “biggest fans”) and the emphasis on the individual found in literate structures (“customization” tools, focus on the individual’s inner thoughts/personal posts, “bio” sections, et cetera).
flyingdesksets 