The ability to read and write, arguably the most important skill humans have developed, has not always been valued as much as it is today. To some, the ability to read and write has been taken for granted and viewed as merely a means to obtain education. However, the ability to read and write has become essential to the lives of many modern people, both in North America and in much of the world. Today, people all over the world rely on reading and writing in order to gain access to education, employment, and other opportunities. Literacy, or the ability to read and write, is about more than just obtaining education. Literacy permits the expression of ideas, affords individuals the freedom to explore new ideas, and can have a significant effect on social and economic development.

The first reason literacy is not as important as it was in the past is that literacy has become less requisite to obtaining employment. Today, many jobs do not require employees to read or write. For instance, those working in factories, offices, and stores all perform their jobs without understanding complex orders of labor or complex texts. However, in the past, literacy was essential in many professions. For example, before computers became ubiquitous, many jobs required workers to be able to read and write in order to keep accurate records of inventory, orders, and sales. This required workers to be able to read and write in the numeric and alphabetical systems that many employers used. Today, however, most businesses rely on computers to keep their records, and this is no longer a factor in hiring decisions.

Of course, literacy is not entirely unrelated to employment. Some jobs, such as teaching, require workers to be able to read and write in order to explain, teach, and explain concepts to students. However, today most teachers use textbooks to teach their classes, and students use technology to read those textbooks. For example, computer-assisted learning programs allow teachers to teach students concepts by showing them videos and images. Students then read the texts and answer questions on them. While teachers’ and students’ literacy is still important, it pales in comparison to the literacy needed to work in a modern office or factory.

If the afore-mentioned reasons do not suffice to justify the continued importance of literacy, consider the importance of literacy to socioeconomic development. Literacy allows people to become educated, thereby allowing them to understand and use new inventions. Literacy allows people to explore new ideas and concepts and to express those ideas and concepts in writing, thereby helping to shape society. Literacy is essential to globalization. Literacy allows workers, businesspersons, and farmers to communicate across continents, thereby leading to new economic opportunities. Literacy helps to educate citizens so that they may be aware of their rights and duties as citizens. Literacy allows people to vote, thereby ensuring that their representatives act in the best interests of the people. Finally, literacy allows individuals to learn as they work to improve their lot in life and the lives of others. Literacy helps to foster a sense of community and a sense of patriotism.

Indeed, literacy has been, and continues to be, of great value to modern society.