Internet syntax and other oddities invade our use of language IRL
When you send a text message, do you capitalize your i’s? Do you use abbreviations? Do you bother with punctuation? The traditional rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling don’t apply online and in the world of texting and IMing. However, it’s kind of unsettling when these technologically–enabled modes of communication invade our use of language IRL. Case in point: “because” has become recognized as a preposition – “because Internet.”
“Selfie,” a word with roots in the virtual world, has officially been named 2013 Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries. Increasingly, people rely on memes to communicate with each other online rather than using writing to express thoughts and ideas. Memes act as units that carry cultural ideas, symbols or practices, and are transmitted from person to person within a culture. They can be clever and funny, but they also act as shortcuts to communication.
According to the study done at American University, even the use of the period, one of the most basic forms of punctuation, has shifted meaning. Ending a text message with a period implies anger or dismissal, according to the study “Text Messaging and IM: Linguistic Comparison of American College Data.” Since the default is to end a text message with no punctuation, choosing to include a period adds meaning, rather than simply marking the conclusion of a sentence.
These linguistic changes seem to occur quite rapidly, leading many people to criticize technology’s role in the perceived devolution of the English language. However, it could be argued that technology has not changed the nature of language. It has simply revealed that it is inherently fluid, unstable and is always in flux.
Perhaps language traditionalists feel alienated by the newer, innovative forms of language that are unfamiliar to them; after all, while language serves the purpose of connecting people, it can also highlight divisions between groups of people, making generation gaps more apparent. In other words, it separates the Baby Boomers from the YOLOers (though, even this meme may be already past its prime).
Language is not fixed and stable, and never has been; it has changed over time and will continue to evolve. What is alarming is the potential for it to continue changing at an increasingly advanced pace. Technology acts as a catalyst that enables the inevitable evolution of language to occur in more noticeable ways. This process cannot be avoided, so we will have to remain flexible in our use of language or risk being left behind. It’s just a matter of semantics, after all.