Walter
Ong’s 1977 speech “Writing as Technology” outlines the profound impact of writing on society. He begins his speech at the beginning of written language, reflecting on the fact that there was a time before writing even existed. Ong notes that the lack of ability to write things down greatly limited the amount of information that could be communicated and the lack way in which communication occurred. Writing makes it so that information can exist outside of just what the human mind can retain. Writing didn’t make oral language less prevalent, instead reforming it. Oral language became much more complex thanks to the introduction of writing. People started to talk in more organized, structured forms, like the way they wrote. Ong also compares writing to other physical technological advancements, like printing. He states that new technologies reinforce what comes before them and develops existing inventions further. Overall, Ong’s speech provides historical evidence for the impact of writing on society, and effectively encourages his audience to reflect on the power of something that they have probably never fully appreciated.