“omg lol! sry g2g ttyl <3 u lots.” Believe it or not, this is what the written language has become — a series of unpronounceable letters stuck into short expressions. Within the last decade, technology has become an integral part of the growth of the economy and industry. Not only do we have access to electronics such as TVs, computers, gaming systems and cell phones, but these gadgets have become a part of what we need to survive on a day-to-day basis. But with this increase in technology comes the decline in our daily conversations.
One would assume that with better means to communicate to others, our words would increase in significance and meaning, however, that is obviously not the case. With technological advances in texting and instant messaging to make the volley of conversation to be almost as instantaneous as a normal conversation, we begin to attempt to utilize these text-conversations with the same speed and vigor as speaking to another person. By using acronyms and short, curt sentences, we get across the same message in as few words as possible. Unfortunately, it is during this exchange that the value of a word dissipates into cyberspace.
In ancient Rome, handwritten letters were once read as if the writer were in the presence of the receiver. Each epistle was laden with the tone and feeling of the writer, who, being absent, could only rely on words to be his vessel of emotion. Words like these carried orders, comfort, and could even express shameless satire, something very rarely found in today’s virtual messages. “I <3 U” just doesn’t contain the same value as an “I love you,” as neither does “lol” today ever construe a hearty chuckle from the sender. These artificial messages have stripped the meaning off of words, leaving them only as shells of the meaning they once held. But not only have words been lost, but so has the experience of live conversation.
Often have I been present at a gathering where everyone has their head buried in a cell phone, firing off messages every 10 seconds to one of four recipients. This may seem normal, but how often have we ever had the experience of discussing four different topics with four people all at the exact same time? It is literally impossible! Furthermore, texting can only hold so much expression at one time, making deep discussions such as philosophical reasoning or political deliberation out of the question. Instead, we look to gossip and objective topics spoon-fed to us by the media, resulting in the media-crazy society we host today.
Dos Pueblos High sophomore Connie Phung is co-founder of Kids Speaking Up, a local group working to educate youth on social, national and political issues and inspire them to write.