Do you think the English language is starting to dumb down? If so, why?

Question

When people use abbreviations for example, or text speak such as 'c u l8r', does it make you think that the English language is basically falling apart? I ask because in my mind, as long as the intended message is understood by the recipient, does it matter how it'c communicated?

Long question I know, but I'm interested in some genuine answers (ah go on, some joke answers too!)

Anyone spot the deliberate typo in the above sentences? Yup, thanks.

Answer 1

It's changing and getting more laxed. We have made up meanings like "dumbed down" and use slang like "laxed" that wouldn't have been understood some years ago. However, it's always been changing. Think Shakespeare.

Answer 2

'Wot iz u on bout. I no ow 2 Speak proply ryt.

I will tel U thiz 4 nufin yea. JUs COs I dont speAK proply dunt mean I iz stooopid so shatappa ya face yah or I'll bang ya out'

Is that the type of 'dumbing down' you speak of? If so, I have to agree that it is down to all this 'modern' technology - modern communication.

The Internet is used as a 'fast-track' communicating system for some people e.g. Email and this has made people much more lethargic and lazy than they once were.

It's almost as if people cannot be bothered with communicating in reality as it seems to long-winded compared to that of email or text.

I say it's ridiculous and that's why I avoid this abbreviated text as much as possible and I also avoid the habit some people have of adding symbols such as smiley faces - i don't think it belongs in text - it doesn't seem right.

Answer 3

The language itself isn't dumbing-down, just the people, dear. You see, our language has done nothing but flourish over the past couple hundred of years. There are two times more words now than in the time of Shakespear, and he wouldn't have understood a word of what we say today because of it.

People just don't seem to care anymore, and that's the honest truth. Children are dropping out of school, and they don't care at all about the English language or literature. Because of advances in gaming technology (i.e. video games, mp3 players, television, computer), children no longer have an intrest in books that could help them understand the English language better without their knowledge of it. People are too lazy to pick up a book, they want the action right infront of them. If you don't read, you can't speak properly, and it's quite saddening to see more and more children my age and younger hate reading because of this factor.

Because of these stupid and (most of the time) ignorant people, our language sounds dumbed-down, slow, and simplified to an extreme point. I'm sure that you have seen the internet lingo before, because you commented about this. Typing, writing, and even talking like that dumbs you down, actually. You learn to use these abbreviations instead of the real and proper words.

So, in short, it's not our language, dear, it's our people. Now, everyone, get off of your computer some time and read!

-Lella^_^

Answer 4

This would be a definite yes. You would think with spell check on the computers, spelling would get better. Instead, it's gone the other way around.

At least "c u l8r" we can still guess as to its meaning. However I've seen notes that students pass to each other that are written so poorly that they look like top secret government spy codes.

If the English language continue to deteriorate, the US defense won't need to spend billions of dollars developing a top secret code, just get a couple of teenagers together and you've got it.

Answer 5

You know, I pondered the same thing..when I first came on here, all the text message-ese really annoyed me. As a veteran, though, the military has it's own way of taking 'shortcuts', through acronyms, and it really does make it more efficient.
That being said, I still have a hard time getting through some of the really spelling handicapped questions--that is still ineffective communication, as far as I'm concerned.
As for whether the language is being dumbed down? you could say that mass media help contribute to the dumbing down since they write to communicate with the lowest common denominator (on the whole, the equivalent of a middle school education). But hasn't that always been the way of society? The unwashed masses speak one level of the language, and the educated another?
Good question.

and hey, OSC Grumpy...Is that you, Mark? :^)

Answer 6

The English language has always continued to change and alter. I think it's indicative of a 'cause and effect' reaction related to the advancement and changes of the respective times.
Imagine if we all spoke like they did in medieval times and communicated through the language of Shakespeare.
The people of those times would see the well spoken side our our language as slang, and, the text language would literally be foreign.
Its all another example of evolution. I have to admit that I now say that somethings 'book' when its cool. That's text language. I have to be 'book' and with it at certain times so I know just what my daughter is talking about.

Answer 7

Texting is somewhat of a language of it's own. It's just slang. As far as the English language is concerned, most well educated people still speak properly. It's the lazy and poorly educated who do not speak well. This group includes many teachers. Look at your teachers' remarks on your school papers. Most of THEM have horrilbe grammer and don't seem to know about puncuation. Long answer, but how you communicate will reflect on how you are percieved. Dumb or dumber.

Answer 8

i think more and more people are using slang words as its a quicker conversation, for example it was proved that some kids at school have started writing their school work in the same sense as a text message. i think it is slipping slowly and (no offence is intended here) but we have to dumb down our words so that foreigner's can understand us. plus the English language is the hardest language to learn out of all the languages. i guess that may be one of the reasons that the English language is slipping away. hope i have helped. i really sound like a posh git don't i. or should i say i is posh i is!! lmao

Answer 9

I think the English language is going to pot. Most kids today can't spell and have trouble reading anything deeper than a comic book. I think the lousy spellers are just too lazy to learn how to do it properly. They don't even use spell check, how difficult is that? They might learn something from it. Handwriting is also going out the window, most people today communicate with text and emails and key all their work onto printers.

Answer 10

Language constantly evolves and I think that in the next 50 years or so some "text speak" will become an accepted part of English language.

Answer 11

Um at uni I took part in a survey about this very thing - I think no as English is such a complex language, spoke it all my life and still learning new words. Evolution, that a good word