I ask this question based on what I see going on around me. True it is that the evolution of such things as i devices, calculators, and programs that help us to become more expert at word crafting have all contributed to us doing things faster and more efficiently; the question is whether or not all of this has helped to put literacy in an uncomfortable position.
Gone are the days when we would use our mental abilities to solve math problems because we can now depend on the good old calculator to do it all for us. Gone are the days when we would spell out our words because we can now use shortened versions to express ourselves.
I would say that the advent of message texting has taken away our ability to write correctly. Just think of this example; the use of the abbreviation LOL to say something like lots of laughter or laugh out loud.
Then there are the self correcting apps and pieces of software that pick up after us so to speak and correct our grammatical errors as we compose our various texts. In addition, more of us feel that it is so much easier to send emails, text messages, and i messages instead of picking up the phone to make a call or meeting face to have a chat.
Yes, we are all busier now but we need to keep in mind that literacy should remain a priority. We need to retain our abilities to do our math mentally whenever the opportunity offers itself, and to use full texts when communicating with each other.
Just my two cents worth for today.