It seems that the growth in Blogs and text messaging has led to a reduction in peoples' ability to use English correctly! Especially with regard to formulating arguments or expressing opinions. I'm realy convinced of this!!! Am I the only one?
2006-09-11 00:17:28 · 24 answers · asked by pugsley 3 in Social Science ➔ Other - Social Science
WTF U Mean?
G8 fun 2 B Had M8!!!
2006-09-11 00:18:58 · answer #1 · answered by Emma W 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't think that use of 'text' and 'blogspot' necessarily leads to a reduction in intelligence. However, it may well lead to a reduction in communication and understanding and this is where the problem lies.
Language is a living, vibrant thing that undergoes minute changes all the time. If I spake to thee in 'Biblical' terms, wouldest thou not think it strange? Yet this was the language in the 1600's. Language changes according to influences on it. Think of all the songs around in the early part of the 20th century that referred to being 'gay' - a happy and carefree state. No one, today, would use the word in that context.
Overall, what is really important is the ability to be understood. For that to happen there needs to be some stability in language, grammar and spelling. If the progress is too quick, we lose the ability to understand the language of the past. If progress is too conservative or restricting, especially now that multi-culturalism is part of our society, language is deprived of colour and richness.
Finding the balance is the secret.
2006-09-11 08:14:29 · answer #2 · answered by »»» seagull ««« 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you've identified the issue - not being able to use English (or any other standard language) correctly. Using txtspeak etc. can be OK (if a bit annoying) and typos and abbrieviations are understandable when speed of communication is the most important factor.
However I do believe that it can be damaging when, as you say, people have no other vocabulary to fall back on and are unable to express their feelings without resorting to profanity or TLAs.
Ultimately though, I think the root of that problem lies more with formal education (either the quality of it or the total lack of it) rather than with the existence of text and net speak.
2006-09-11 08:42:02 · answer #3 · answered by lauriekins 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A reduction in intelligence.... certainly not. Human intelligence is not measured by a person's readiness to butcher words.
A reduction in *perceived* reduction by others reading your 'writing' .... YES.
Just from how I am formulating this answer you can tell I have a respect for my native language, and this translates to you thinking highly of me.
If I type lyke dis den u wuld think Im kinda stopid!!!!!!!1
These people (mostly teens) ARE able to write in English or their respective language quite capably... however they value being lazy and amongst other teens and pre-teens it is cool to type with no regard to proper conventions.
The only lasting effect that I have seen is that these seem people rely on spell-checkers and then don't catch when they let 'u' instead of 'you' slip into their college essays.
2006-09-11 07:27:20 · answer #4 · answered by kenny_the_bomb 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think we can say that it reduces intelligence. Intelligence is God given - born with it.
But I do think that people's flair of the English language is being diminished with the use of these short hand abbreviations. People are loosing to convey emotions properly - all they do now is ":-)". I think it's a real shame but we have to move in with the times. A language is merely a means of communication and if everyone are able to understand text short hands than so be it.
Shakespear is probably turning in his grave but what can we do?
2006-09-11 07:22:55 · answer #5 · answered by Gooner 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That certainly is a possibility! But only the same as the vast use of computers and typing making it alot hard for people to handwrite things! I used to be able to write by hand perfectly but over the past 8 years or so i have hardly ever had to handwrite anything and so can't do it as easily when i do have to write now.
I don't think its harder for people to express themselves using text language but not everyone understands it even now and so less people will follow your meaning! So from taht point of view, yes it does make it harder to express yourself!
However, give it time and text language will become more and more common place and as the older generations are generally the ones who can't follow it, there will be fewer and fewer people who don't understand text language and so then it won't be harder for you to express yourself correctly by using it!
So really, i think its just as easy to express yourself but harder for people to follow!
2006-09-11 09:14:14 · answer #6 · answered by johnapdavies 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who use it may do so to cover the fact that they cannot spell, read nor write.
So many children leave school with total ignorance of the English language, that is a frightening statistic, and one day it may be the only way they will be able to converse.
2006-09-14 08:32:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'll admit to using some text language but only the odd word when I'm actually texting. There are several questions on this site which I don't even attempt to read as I can't be bothered to work out what they say!!!!!
2006-09-12 17:03:51 · answer #8 · answered by sarahlee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm in agreement with you here.
I watched a guy (seen it with girls too) behind the window in a Bank, and all but held a pen in 'his fist' in order to 'try and write.'
It's symbolic of much ...of ignorance etc (to tired to list these 'things') ...where we are 'free to express ourselves,' but really have not got the ability or the tools within the self to do so.
Everything is either 'awesome.' 'hot' or 'cool,' and the only way to express degrees of any of this is to do so the American way by adding 'soooo' at the beginning.
It's brain dead language for the zombies.
Sash.
2006-09-11 22:50:23 · answer #9 · answered by sashtou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i always write in blog and messages in proper english, but i guess that makes me pretentious. I think that it may have affected people in a small way as i was reading my friends english story a couple of months back and it contained the lines 'on friday n again on saturday,' 'n i was like...' but again being pretentious i must say tht it probably depends on the persons strength of mind in the first place.
2006-09-11 07:25:37 · answer #10 · answered by jo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Abbreviation of three letter words to single characters or using txt spk anywhere other than a mobile, displays a laziness beyond belief, and an inability to converse on any level beyond that which you possessed when you crawled from the primordial ooze..... (I think that sums up my view)
2006-09-11 07:44:38 · answer #11 · answered by Pington 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋