The Internet Changes our Language

So in my courses lately, I've been studying a lot about Language. The way we use language, the way language influences what we do, the way language changes. I've found it very interesting, actually, much more so than learning about literature. These past few weeks we've been talking about internet languages. We read a couple of articles written on the pros and cons of socializing via new technology. One of them started to make me think. This article, which was written by Tamar Lewin in the New York Times in 2008 and can be found here, talks about the benefits of using social media sites. It talks about how using Social Media sites help kids learn the technological and social skills that are needed in the real world, like "how to manage a public identity". But what really caught my attention was when they talked about how new media is being used to "explore new romantic relationships". I started to think about this. Being an interconnected teen, I can say that this certainly rings true. Sites like Facebook and Twitter and Gchat have changed social relationships a lot. Not only that, they've changed the very way we use language a lot.

Think of it this way: In the real world, face-to-face communication, we have certain rules. You don't mumble when you're talking to somebody. You don't look at someone else while you talk to them. You generally face them and make eye contact. You use body language to communicate, like facial expressions and hand motions. The language and tone you use fits the occasion, whether that be respectful, patient, argumentative, accepting, or jovial. Face-to-face has its rules. Then we developed the telephone, and with it came a whole new set of rules. When you talk on the phone you generally start the conversation with "Hello?" the person that made the call then assures that they are talking to the right person. Once that is confirmed, they confirm who they are for the person on the other end. The conversation then can proceed. These are rules that we follow when using one form of communication that we don't follow using another. So it's only natural that, as more forms of communication have been created, the rules would also change. The rules, the mannerisms, and the structure of language that we use on a Facebook post is different from an email, which is different from a text message, and so forth. For example, if I had a lengthy idea that I wanted to put to my friends to discuss, Twitter would not be a good place to do that. Instead I would want to use my Facebook page, or if it was really lengthy, this blog, and then maybe I would link it to my Facebook or Twitter page. That's an unspoken rule of internet communication. If I had a little quip that I thought was funny or insightful, then Twitter or Facebook would be a good place to do that, and a blog would not be a good place for it. Commenting on other people's thoughts is also a totally different experience. On Twitter, a comment or reply is stated in the form of a new post, which minimizes the possibility of conversation or discussion. On a blog, you can actually post a comment that is directly connected to the post and able to be easily seen by everyone reading the original post. The same applies to Facebook, but we can also just press "Like" if we want to. This simple action of Liking a post or comment sends its own message and tone.

Tone is also a key aspect of online communication. Without the use of facial expressions, body language, and voice inflections, we've had to find new ways to create tone. Consider the great difference between these three phrases in an IM Conversation: "Okay then." "Okay then. :)" and "Okay then. :(" The first could be indifferent, agreeing, or accepting. The second could be agreeing or accepting, but it could also be an attempt to please. The third one is totally different, it sounds resigned. Things such as emoticons, action asterisks, ellipses, and acronyms can change the tone and mood of something completely when you're using internet languages. Also consider the difference between these two statements: "Idk when ur going 2b hre lol we r w8 ing 4u." As compared to "When are you going to be here? We're all waiting for you." Maybe it's just me, (being the kind of person who has to have capitalization, punctuation, and spelled out words) but I find the first message to make you sound more rudimentary and less intelligent then you might actually be. In my mind, the tone of the whole message can change dramatically just by using the word "u" instead of "you".

These new forms of communication and the rules and structures that go with them have changed the entire way that we conduct our relationships, just as Lewin said. People act differently online. People interact differently online. People communicate so differently online. And as new technology develops, that language and language structure will continue to change. Let's just hope that change doesn't involve a "Dislike" button.