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Reading Aloud 7 The cultural shift created from the change to interior reading life cemented our pro­gress ­toward varied reading materials and cultural literacy. This tran- sition is the subject of argumentative discussion among scholars. If ­silent read- ing was rare or rude in ancient times, then at some point the social norm surrounding reading shifted. ­ Today, if we ­were seated at lunch, in an airport, or at the bus stop, and someone began to read aloud, it would feel like a breach in the social contract. You can read, but do it silently. It seemed like our once-­ rich read-­aloud tradition would be relegated to an experience for only the youn­gest of us to enjoy. The Digital Tradition Technology has impacted our interactions and sharing of societal knowl- edge. Since the 1800s, photography, radio, motion pictures, telephones, tele­ vi­sion, digital media, and social media have become hugely influential ­ factors of ­ human existence. Into the age of the interior life came the advancement that would personalize information-­seeking be­hav­iors to meet personal desires at the point of need and interest—­the Internet. The modern digital era ­rose to a crescendo in 1994 with the U.S. govern- ment releasing control of the Internet. The World Wide Web was born and changed the speed and style of ­human information exchange and reading for- ever, creating a platform that ­ houses all manner of digital media that can be solitarily engaged, explored, and judged for quality and continuing the shift to a more internal existence. The 21st ­ century has given rise to myriad interactive media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. ­ These social media platforms allow participants to share information in a variety of media: written word, icons, photos, and video. “This is intriguing ­because technology has given us the ability to practice our intrinsic nature as visual and verbal individuals” (Mendoza 2015), bringing together all of our traditions ­ under one umbrella. So from cave drawings, to storytelling, to read-­aloud, to libraries with eBooks, to app buying, we have hungered through the ages to share our cultural experi- ences with ­others and give our society a shared history. Issues Related to Reading Aloud with Technology Reading aloud can be a cultural awakening to the shared ­ human connec- tion and a tool for the greater good. We have explored the rich, storied chronicle of the read-­aloud. Why with this proven rec­ord of success would we want to change the read-­aloud to include technology? We have all stood in front of a group to perform and wondered if the experience would success- fully engage participants. Would participants be able to connect with the information? Greg Toppo (2015), in the Atlantic, interviewed a longtime school