Premium Essay

Is Technology Killing Language of Young People

In:

Submitted By banderson66
Words 313
Pages 2
Is Technology Killing Language of Young People
Brian Anderson

Language is not dying due to technology, it is expanding and evolving as technology advances. In this paper I will attempt to argue texting and linguistics brought about by technology are not necessarily the downfall of writing and communication of young adults, but instead try and point the direction towards texting and communicating using technology is another branch of language and literacy.
There is a consensus among people that technology e.g. the Internet, SMS (Short Message Service, and communication via hand-held devices, among other things, is killing language as we know it. Literacy, spelling, and knowledge of words is dying among younger generations and the killer, some think, is technology, specifically texting.
The fact that words and language can be symbolized, shortened, and recreated to words and phrases that fit within 140 characters must be making people who find ways to shorten and abbreviate words and phasing dumber than those who, twenty years ago, had no Twitter, or texting, LOLs (laugh out loud). Right?
Many think texting, technology, communicating via hand-held devices will kill literacy and continue with the explosion of linguistic evils of texting and downward spiral that is writing and speaking as we know it. Such prophecies include the erosion of children and young adult’s ability to spell, punctuate, and capitalize correctly.
Children and young adults “could not be good at texting if had not already developed considerable literacy awareness. Before you can write abbreviated forms effectively and play with them, you need to have a sense of how the sounds of your language relate to the letters. You need to know that there are such things as alternative spellings,”(Crystal,2008).
Language has been around since the dawn of time. Writing has not. Today, people are

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Is Texting Making Us Dumb?

...Ashley Fuell Marissa Campbell English 121 May 6, 2014 Is Texting Making Us Dumb? Almost everyone I know over the age of twelve years old owns a cellphone and uses it to communicate through text message. Add to that the large amount of people who use email and social media, and it’s clear that we depend a lot on technology to communicate with each other. In order to make these methods more efficient and immediate, a form of tech speak has developed and due to frequent, constant use, has begun to creep into the school classrooms. Tech speak is a form of slang that shortens words to make text messaging faster. It also includes emoticons, a way of using punctuation marks to make a picture of a face or whatever the user wants to form. Technology is making us bad spellers with the use of spell checkers and autocorrect. This texting lingo is also damaging our youth’s written language skills because students are finding it increasingly difficult to switch between using tech speak and proper grammar. Further, texting is hindering students’ abilities to focus in class, hurting their grades. Finally, college entrance officers are reporting application essays with tech speak and acronym shortcuts being submitted by prospective students that end up causing the student to be denied entrance to the college. Tech speak is becoming increasingly more evolved and complex in its own way. Students who use tech speak, or texting lingo, tend to ignore punctuation and capitalization rules, use...

Words: 1848 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Growing Up Tethered

...Sherry Turkle's’ “Growing Up Tethered” examines the use of technology in the lives of young people and the many ways they are emotionally latched to technology to make and often break their connections with others. Sherry Turkle discusses how technology has made is unable to interact with others, yet able to react with technology to reach them. She dives into the many ways young people use it to connect, cope, practice, and often deceive other in social interaction. From social media to simulating everyday life people have become dependent on technology to seek connection emotionally. On the other hand Jane McGonigal's “Becoming a part of something bigger than Ourselves” praises the connections made via technology. McGonigal places famous...

Words: 1167 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Death of the Paragraph

...2013 The Death of the Paragraph We live in a new world filled with technology including computers, cell phones and more. One of the most common forms of communication today is cell phone use. In “Rule of Thumbs: Love in the Age of Texting,” Natalie Moore talks about a serious relationship that she spent most of the communication texting. Before texting came along, talking on the phone was a lot more heartfelt. With the new inventions of email, texting, and instant messaging, it seems more and more people would rather just be a face behind a screen. No face to face interaction, or to even “hear” what your loved ones have to say. That was Natalie’s point that the new ideals of constant texting are killing the communication between people. People who text seem to have a harder time saying what they mean and feel it easier to write it, but is that okay for both parties? This is a question that one should ask the next time we’re about to hit send. This ruined Natalie’s relationship so maybe “texters” should take a lesson. Young people today are in a constant state of socialization. They are never out of reach from anybody that has their number and today's smart phones constantly bombard them with updates from social networks and email. While this has increased the speed and frequency in which we communicate, it has also given rise to some very disturbing trends. One example is how so many young people now spend far more time text messaging than talking on the phone or...

Words: 792 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

We Are Killing

...We are Killing Each Other With advent of video games, the world’s thirst for reality in the violent gaming realm has increased. In the alter-reality our children have become desensitized and obsessed with violence. As each game becomes more real and more acceptable children are unable to disconnect fact from fiction. Today’s video games have become an ever-rushing stream of death and gore; they have become a part of our culture, and have caused the modern young person to become more aggressive and less respectful of life. Every red-blooded American kid has played or interacted with violent video games at one point in their life. Children seem more technologically savvy and more adept to the virtual world as computers and other electronic devises become more mainstream and relied upon they also become cheaper. Unlike generations in the past, where only the affluent could afford such technologies, they now are available to the masses. It seems as if every household in America knows of XBOX, Playstation, or Wii -with that they probably own one or two of these systems. With the video game systems becoming more prevalent they also become the household norm. When children used to get bored or restless they would use their imagination, maybe go outside and build a tree fort or play "Cowboys and Indians". However, today's subdivisions are becoming devoid of children outside and instead of playing tag they are in front of the T.V. playing the latest "Desensitization-Station"...

Words: 886 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hum176

...following: |Questions |Answers | |What is meant by the term media |Media convergence means the lines are getting blurred between traditional forms | |convergence with regard to technology, |convergence with technology of the media and almost becoming one. Media convergence plays | |and how has it affected everyday life? |a very an important role in how it has affected everyday life of the evolution of mass | | |communication the evolution and media convergence occurs whenever it establish forms | | |communication technology to create new technologies offering new mass communications. The | | |internet allows magazines and newspapers to merge with new technology and computers to | | |increase and report information to readers frequently. Amazon allows readers to have | | |E-readers to combine medium of books with electronic display technologies to offer a new | | |convenient method way of reading. A new source of media mass converge is unavailable for | | |communication and changing the way we receive and send messages. Years ago, there was a | | ...

Words: 1177 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Music and Its Influence on the Caribbean

...internalizing the Norms and values of society, and also by learning how to perform our social roles as workers, friends, citizens, and so forth. This process of human development is said to be based on the concept of “Nature vs. Nurture”, that is the comparative importance of heredity (nature) and the environment (nurture) in the causation of human behavior. The mass media, which refers collectively to all media technologies such as the radio, internet, television, film and smart phones, has the ability to constantly communicate messages to extremely large audiences across the globe and therefore is a major influence on the way the environment affects our socialization process. Mass media is a significant force in moderrn culture; sociologists refer to this as mediated culture, were the media reflects and creates culture. Although family is suppose to be the most important agent of socialization the development of new technologies has bridged an increasing gap between the older and younger generations. Newer generations are drawn into the entertaining and appealing world of technology and are being constantly bombarded with messages from a multitude of media sources, these messages not only promote products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. With lesser and lesser interaction between the older and younger generations cultural traditions, values, morals and attitudes of institutions and families are being disintegrated and replaced by the mass Medias...

Words: 1714 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Video Games

...become a multimillion industry because rapid technology development helps to produce games that attract millions of players. However, there have been debates about the benefits and costs of playing computer games for young people. On one hand, playing computer games is a wonderful entertainment which helps young people in the development of a wide range of skills and knowledge. On the other hand, playing computer games is argued to have significant negative impact on the development of young people, especially contributing to health problems, aggressive actions, and anti-social behaviour. Benefits of computer games Computer games can be a wonderful entertainment for young people, because of their cool and colourful graphics, fantastic music, exciting stories, and challenging tasks (Flew & Humphreys, 2005). The computer, graphical and media technology used to develop computer games have power to create a fantastic gaming world that enhances young people’s imagination. Computer games that can be played and shared can be a family activity especially for family and friends who are in geographically dispersed locations. Moreover, computer games do not require significant investment or long-distance travelling for players. Well-designed computer games can challenge young people right to the edge of their abilities, and motivate them to learn more knowledge (Byrne, 2007). Playing computer games is found to help young people in the development of a wide range of skills...

Words: 1045 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Effects of Technology on Teenagers

...Name Instructor Course Date Effects of Advanced Technology on Teenagers In the modern day, technology advancements are constantly perceived through everyday life. There more and more services available for example, portable Internet, cell phones, iPods, laptop computers, 3D TVs among others (Clinton 24). Technology appears to possess a lot of detriments; however, it also has a more positive impact on the society. In some of the situation, Internet has negative consequences when it comes to sociability. Therefore, this paper aims at informing the reader about both negative and positive impacts of technology on teenagers. Specifically, the research focuses on how teens use it to share information, raise their grievances, and how it helps them in their academic process. About negative impacts, it will be imperative to center the research on how technology causes violence, social barrier, health issues, and addiction as well as dependence. According to Clinton, a journalist at the CNN investigates the explosive growth of the social media and Internet. Clinton relays on his knowledge and numerous statistics to develop his argument about the use and impact of technology on teenagers and children. Clinton also acknowledges the massive growth of technological gadgets such as Smartphones. The author says that one of the immense impacts of technology on teens is the use of the Internet that offers numerous positive opportunities. Primarily, the Internet makes information...

Words: 2566 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Effects of Advanced Technology on Teenagers

...Name Instructor Course Date Effects of Advanced Technology on Teenagers In the modern day, technology advancements are constantly perceived through everyday life. There more and more services available for example, portable Internet, cell phones, iPods, laptop computers, 3D TVs among others (Clinton 24). Technology appears to possess a lot of detriments; however, it also has a more positive impact on the society. In some of the situation, Internet has negative consequences when it comes to sociability. Therefore, this paper aims at informing the reader about both negative and positive impacts of technology on teenagers. Specifically, the research focuses on how teens use it to share information, raise their grievances, and how it helps them in their academic process. About negative impacts, it will be imperative to center the research on how technology causes violence, social barrier, health issues, and addiction as well as dependence. According to Clinton, a journalist at the CNN investigates the explosive growth of the social media and Internet. Clinton relays on his knowledge and numerous statistics to develop his argument about the use and impact of technology on teenagers and children. Clinton also acknowledges the massive growth of technological gadgets such as Smartphones. The author says that one of the immense impacts of technology on teens is the use of the Internet that offers numerous positive opportunities. Primarily, the Internet makes information...

Words: 2566 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Gun Violence Research Paper

...Head shot! That guy was destroyed! I know I wonder sometimes what is happening to our youth today. With so much gun violence especially in the community where there are disadvantage children. Who do we blame and what contributes to the way of how they think. I believe the media, which includes music, television, and video games do impact their behavior and actions. Some games do have educational content yet majority of them promote negative theme such as the abuse of drugs and alcohol, the killing of people and animals, disrespect for authority and the law, foul language and obscene gestures, criminal behavior just to name a few. Kids, typically boys, love the games that blast and shoot things. These are just some examples of the conversation...

Words: 2294 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Nanda and Warms, Bodley, Lee Study Guide

...all behavior is learned - Cultural norms and values are shared by people - All Cultures change Pidgin English- A simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common. (Masta- John Marshall, Bird- Airplane) - Pidgins develop when people who speak different languages come together. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis- The language we speak affects the way we think. It plays a critical role in determining the way people understand the world. - We perceive the world differently because we talk about the world differently Culture shock- The feelings of alienation, loneliness, and isolation common to a person who has been placed in a new culture - Overcoming culture shock is a process of learning (language, customs, and social organization). Ethnocentrism- Is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to any other. Cultural relativism- Anthropologists must believe that all cultures are of equal value and need to study them from a neutral point of view in order to understand how cultural practices developed, how they work in society, and how they are experienced by the people who live them Participant observation- Gaining a close and intimate familiarity with a given group of individuals and their practices through intensive involvement with people in their natural environment. - Anthropologists must learn the language and participate with the group their studying. (Ethics- Need to get...

Words: 1647 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Hebrew Stories

...Hebrew Society – Comparison with Hebrew Stories The Old Testament, which is also called the Hebrew Bible, adapts from The Torah, which is a religious document of the Hebrews. It has been said that The Torah symbolizes events and life of the Jewish people, their experiences, laws, legends and the meaning and expressions of their gods. With the Bible, there has been a rough debate of many hundreds of years about the roots of it. The Bible has been written by the beginning of the tenth century, which was by the time the Hebrews have settled in Canaan. The Jewish religion declares that The Torah represents the history of Hebrew people. But scholars tend to argue that the stories that are apparently the creation of Moses and the Hebrew language, are off by more than five hundred years from Torah. Comparing the Hebrew flood story of Noah’s Ark, of 2348 B.C, there are many similarities found with the Epic of Gilgamesh. Both of these stories start out with God getting furious at the people. They, in his mind, were becoming more and more sinful, and because of that, he regretted of ever having to create the human race. So he goes to a man he chooses, Noah, and asks him to build a boat because he wants to get rid of humans. God then gives accurate measurements to Noah for the building of the boat. He then tells Noah to get animals on the boat, two of each, so they could survive. God reminds Noah that a great flood will occur that is to destroy all living things, but save Noah’s...

Words: 1441 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Plato Gregory Rodriguez Summary

...With the help of the internet and social media, people can spread rumors around the world, and those who share a similar belief will accept these rumors as fact. Although the web and social media can provide information to discredit these rumors sometimes the truth isn’t as easily accepted as Rodriguez states “we tend to reject theories and rumors -- and facts and truths -- that challenge our worldview and embrace those that affirm it”(1) and Rodriguez defines this as "biased assimilation". I agree with Rodriguez’s  idea of bias assimilation as it relates to misinformation to an extent because I have met a few people who no matter what facts I brought to them I can never change their mind but others I can...

Words: 1402 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Student

...Technology, Cell phone, Texting John W. Siggers COM/220 11/21/10 Ruth Cameron In a 1928 film there was a scene where a woman appears to have a cell phone glued to her ear was, ” in fact”, a time traveler, well that is the thinking of some conspiracy logical thinkers. However, this strange scene from a Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film, “The Circus” where a woman seems to be telegraphing or rather phoning who looks as an unscrupulously dressed Martha Stewart, is surely a voyager from the vortex of time and space (Sawyer, 2010). How can one little technological devise come to matter so much. Technology, cell phone and texting, have made a major impact to personal lives both positive and negative, and is preferred over in-person human encounters. History over time is defined by new technology used. In each age a significant impact has attributed to the advancement in the civilization of mankind. Humanity has moved from prehistoric times into the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. During modern times, the ages defined as the Industrial Revolution, the age of steam, the steel age, the age of the automobile, and the computer age. With every new age, the people developed and used the new technology could dominate militarily or economically (Technology 2005). Technology has changed the face of modern day civilization. Technology has inundated grade schools colleges and universities...

Words: 1951 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Socio Culture Changes in Pakistan

...acknowledged. Sociocultural changes in Pakistan Question: Make a list of all the recent (last 20 years) sociocultural changes in every aspect/field (Business, Environment, Technology, Education, Politics etc.) of Pakistani Society, which people consider desirable and undesirable? Discuss with logical reasoning and related example from Pakistan. Table of Contents Change in Politics.................................................................................. 3 Change in Family System ..................................................................... 5 Change in Job Opportunities ............................................................... 8 Change in Business ............................................................................. 10 Change in Thoughts About Religious People .................................... 11 Change in the Pattern of Infrastructure ............................................ 12 Change in Marriage Patterns ............................................................. 13 Changes in Social Get Together ......................................................... 14 Changes in Health Awareness ............................................................ 17 Changes in Eating Habits ................................................................... 18 Changes in Technology ....................................................................... 19 Changes in Tradition .......................................................................... 26...

Words: 10242 - Pages: 41