Assignment #5

R U LSNG YR ABLTY 2 US TH ENGLSH LNGG ??


In my opinion, I don’t think that text messaging and social networking has caused any loss in our language among teenagers these days. I think it’s the fact that we choose to text and type the way we do, because it is easier for us. I think that text messaging and social networking may be excuses to be able to type using abbreviations, but aren’t the actual causes as to why we do it. The problem is that sometimes people just pick up on the habit of using abbreviations instead of typing properly, and others just make mistakes in their typing occasionally. For example, typing “right” instead of “write”, or “no” instead of “know”. I have seen some people that actually do write like that because they just have a bad habit of doing that, but sometimes people don’t think at the same time and accidently write that. I think the problem really is that teenagers are becoming more lazy now-a-days, because they decide to. It’s like what Brock A. said in our discussion under this topic, “If there were two routes to a destination, and you want to take the faster and shorter route, then you are going to take that one, because obviously it is the better route.” Well in certain ways that is true, because we do choose in certain situations to type using abbreviations because to us, it is faster. If I am about to drive somewhere, I will quickly text “c u in a bit” because I am in a hurry, otherwise, I will actually take the time to type all of the words out.

On the other hand, I do believe that people are losing their abilities to express themselves and their feelings in person, and that they feel more comfortable communicating through a screen or cell phone. The other day I was eating at a restaurant with my friends, and we looked over and we saw this couple, who were on their cell phones while sitting across from each other! I actually started to wonder if they were texting each other? Anyways, I think lots of people would rather text their feelings because they really are uncomfortable, or in some cases, they feel like they might forget something to say, so they figure texting is an option to be able to think before they speak or type. Some people also text in the same room to each other because they don’t want anyone to hear what they say out loud, or it is embarrassing to say in person. In other words, I do think that social networking and text messaging may be one of the causes of people losing their abilities to express themselves and their feelings in person. I just don’t think it is one of the causes in our loss of language today. The book “1984” connects to our loss in language today because their language, called “Newspeak” makes it easier for them instead of having a great big vocabulary, and like I said before, a lot of us as well have become lazy by using abbreviations in our language, only because we choose to.