The article, “99.9% of proper grammar is absolute” of David Wertheimer analyses how our speaking through writing has deprived over the years in comparison to the convention style of written language. The advent of the developed world and advancement in technology has played a major role to the negative aspect of written language.
The discovery and use of new generation technology such as instant messaging, emailing, and texting has brought so many changes in our written language. In the contemporary world, major aspects of any individual revolve around time. It is not surprisingly possible on how people are engaged and seems to be busy. In one particular time, everybody seems to be concerned with time.
Everyone seems to have someone to meet, somewhere to go, or something to do. Time wasting has become something of greater interest and the longer you take to complete a task the more time is wasted. This phenomenon of time consciousness has been translated into the written language. People are economizing on the time it takes them to write a text or a message. One way of reducing time in writing is using shortcuts in the writing of messages and texts.
The message origin and use of such shortcut is through online chats and instant messaging. Most online chatters use the minimum time possible to exchange ideas on whatever topic of discussion. The ever-changing phenomena of speaking through writing can be attributed mostly on the environmental and economic changes. The world has been reduced into a global village and most cultures have become interconnected with each other.
You may find that in an online chat, a conversation is made between two individuals who have never met each other. The individuals in most cases are thousands of miles apart. More so these characters may be coming from two different and diverse cultures that have their own way of communicating in terms of shortcuts. The blending of two or more cultures in communication and speaking in writing contributes to a wide range of enrichment on the scope and varieties of the form and style of written language.
In our older days, whenever I had an assignment, mostly I would type it on my computer so that after successfully completing it, I would go through it with my friends over an IM. Through this exchange, my friends would message me back, but instead of taking a lot of time and trouble to design a well-organized written language, I would just incorporate a few abbreviations and codes that would be easily discernible and convey the message that I was intending to send. In classes, students are texting using their cell phones; this enables them to communicate in class using less time to avoid being caught.
The tradition of using and communicating through traditional written language has had a nosedive. It brings out a scary phenomenon of it being lost. However, it seems to be too late to salvage the language as technology plays a major factor and seems to favor this erosion. It is inevitably and painstakingly evident that it is too late to do anything and stop this menace. All we need to do is sit back and let the roller coaster continue until it final cruise. Individual efforts might prove more effective in curbing the trend but due to varying needs, it might prove impossible.
References
Wertheimer, D. (n.d.). Digital Web Magazine - 99.9% of Proper Grammar Is Obsolete . Digital Web Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2013, from http://www.digital-web.com/articles/999_of_proper_grammar_is_obsolete/
