Do IM and SMS contribute to decay of language - Essay Example

Do IM and SMS contribute to decay of language The perspective determines whether instant messaging (IM) and short message service (SMS) are deteriorating the language in society or are more of a cultural and literary improvement. These modes of communication require quick to the point replies either to say the most in the shortest possible number of words or to keep up with the fast typing counterpart. The modern generation’s introduction to texting of these sorts has influenced their behaviour in academic writing (Momberg). The fact of importance to most is which kind of effect is it having. Lecturers in the universities have been attributed to having said that the use of SMS to an extent nearing generalized communication over the day has resulted in loss of punctuation and proper spellings for most of the students (Momberg). On one hand it might have been the sole reason for their to the point replies with brevity (Momberg) since they have now gotten used to it. The conciseness something that would be considered as a positive effect of instant messaging and short message service but does it even out the loss of literature's grasp itself as well or does it help evolve it? It might be interesting to note that jargon of such kind was not really introduced by texting (Crystal), it was there 50 years before the introduction of texting. English, infact, is said to have been generalizing abbreviations since its epoch. Words such as car, exam, ok, etc (pun intended) were often abbreviated long before the modern age. All these first forms of the words were criticised in their own time, but have now become a part of the formal english literature (Crystal). Do we consider that evolution of culture or decay of language? It is the perspective that matters. To weigh the pros and cons of such an evolution might be the way to go. In 1711, Joseph Addison is said to have criticised the abbreviation of words. These abbreviations and short words are often SMS-esque and are often blended with the modern day short messaging and texting, be it over internet or a cellphone. The text messaging differ in terms of their abbreviations over individual writing styles. Although, some standards are now settling in as trends, there is no standard style or expectation of writing a short message or an instant message (Crystal). To find the origin of the usage of abbreviations in texting, it is not hard to see that it was to overcome the technological bounds of typing with a cell phone’s keypad rather than a full keyboard or even, for some, due to shifting newly to a keyboard from a traditional pen and paper writing as well as to save the costs by writing the minimum amount of text characters. On the other hand is it really just this which influences the transforming of correct spellings in to, often, more complex ones which might apparently take more time and energy. David Crystal regards it as a need to play with words and sounds to form a language without barriers that pushes the trend forward to even use words and abbreviations that are rather more complex than the language they are replacing (Crystal). The trend of texting might also be used as a cover up by many who can’t actually spell. On reading a text message full of SMS jargon, you have no way to tell whether the sender can spell proper english and has done it deliberately or doesn’t know how to spell and is using the short message jargon as a way to escape scrutiny of the reader (Clarke). This might be of interest to those who think that sms is decaying the english language; SMS is only hiding the facts that people have abandoned reading and writing proper literature. SMS, on the other hand, might be informally educating the readers to a new trend and evolving global language. The debate between these two sides would depend on how the abbreviations and the jargon is being used. Plain writing is not the only thing that has been influenced by short messaging and instant messaging. Poetry has also come in the line of texting through these mediums. Starting from sending the famous poems over text messages to friends, and later shortening the words to keep up with the speed and space, the trend has dived into writing new poems on those standards. The rhyming and stanzas now built to specs for the newly forming short message language. In this regard, it might be safe to say that this is evolution of language. We might find it queer to follow such a language as a formal way of writing, but we already are using the abbreviations that received criticism the same way a few centuries ago, in today’s formal language (Crystal). SMS poetry has found a whole new set of poets and audience. It might be called as the next generation poetry; a completely new, transcendent, genre (Crystal). The poems in this genre might often be a rework of the famous ones or new poetry, parody of a previous poet or simple mocking of the wording used, a comic touch or a romantic poem - it is most often found a fetching appeal in the readers (Crystal). Prose, however, is something that has been affected most negatively by instant messaging and the short message service. The detrimental effect over the prose is one of the reasons that attract most of the criticism towards the use of SMS jargon. The quickness and brevity of responses on IM and SMS has often made up for the lack of prose in the text being read. The brevity often induces witty responses. The short message service might not have been kind to prose, but has been entertaining in terms of communication itself. The witty responses often delve into unique banter. Since it is being used by not just a specific region or people, rather a whole generation, it has also gotten media attention and found to be having SMS related competitions. Often sponsored by the service providers either to test the load on their services or merely to advertise the service, the SMS language has found its way into a competitive environment. Many competitions focus on quick SMS responses or on SMS poetry. These competitions have further encouraged ‘SMS poets’ to write for the evolving genre. The creative writing in SMS, with a 160 character limit, has given a new dimension to the art (Crystal). Ranging from mobile novel channels to computer applications supplementing the art of abbreviating, SMS poets have taken it into their hands to reshape the genre to the maximum. If the overall effect of the instant messaging, a quick chat over the keyboard, and the short message service, a shortened phone keypad and 160 character limit driven response, was to be determined, it would be more justifiable to say that they have rather given a new look and evolution to literature more than they have damaged the ‘proper language’. Those who previously might not be literate enough to communicate in written medium find it much easier to communicate in SMS language. It is also fair to note, that unlike its predecessors, the SMS abbreviations are not as much likely to blend totally into the proper prose and might rather form a separate form of writing due to the extent of differences in writing styles and the diversity present. References Momberg, Eleanor (November 12, 2006). SMS usage improves brevity but harms writing skills. The Sunday Independent (South Africa). Print. Crystal, David (Saturday 5 July 2008). 2b or not 2b? The Guardian. Web. Clarke, James (May 15, 2009). Cutting out jargon is on the menu of choices; Those who can't spell have found an escape in the SMS language. The Star (South Africa). Print. Read More