In the novel 1984, Syme explains to Winston that the purpose of Newspeak in the novel is to "narrow the range of thought." Syme becomes excited when he explains to Winston how "we're destroying words-- scores of them, hundreds of them, every day." After viewing the TED talk on "Texting is Killing Language" by John McWhorter, write a response to the following question:
Is texting the Newspeak of the 21st century? Is using this texting language harmful for society's ability to communicate (written/oral)? Does it affect students in a negative way? Or, is texting just a new form of language used today separate from formal written/oral expression? Think about the presentation you just viewed from the TED talk with McWhorter.
23 comments:
I think that he is correct on this. If you can speak like you write then it does make sense that you can write like you can speak. I don't know if texting is "dumbing" down our language, it may be just writing like you speak as he says. I can see people not being able to properly right while being big in texting but I can also see people texting and using words such as "lol" while still being able to write regularly
I think that texting and formal writing are separate and do not really have an affect on each other. When people text in abbreviated words, they are aware that they are texting in slang so that they can get to the point quicker. However, when we are taught in our years of schooling to write in certain ways with guidelines, I think we are going to continue to write the way we know we are supposed to, instead of using slang in formal papers for class. I don't think that the texting language is Newspeak for the 21st Century because I feel like we are not getting rid of or destroying words in our language by cutting them down to one letter, like 'you' to 'u'. The same meaning remains, and we still have multiple words for one thing we are trying to explain, and that is the opposite of what the people in 1984 are trying to achieve.
Texting is the newsspeak of the 21st century. It is not harmful to society; it is actually helpful. It allows us to write like we speak in order to write out a casual conversation. This idea greatly increases the ability of humans around the world to communicate. I do not believe it affects students negatively. It is a positive thing for students to be able to collaborate with casual language. Texting is a helpful new form of language that we use today and it is very useful language.
Texting is not the Newspeak of the 21st century. Language is an ever changing thing and texting is a new aspect of language. Texting is the "finger speech' and is more like the way we speak then the formal writing done in school. It can effect students in a negative way if they do not separate text writing and formal writing. Texting is a new form of language that students just need to separate from formal writing or speech.
I think that texting is a version of Newspeak of the 21st century.I think that using the texting language can be harmful for our society if we don't continue to read and write in some way every day. It is always important to expand your vocabulary so that we don't narrow our own minds and thinking. Because we can not do big things and reach our goals without the knowledge and vocabulary to think it up. I do not think texting is a new language. I think that it is a negative impact unless we continue to read and write daily. Texting can just be a form of communication, but if we only use texting and stop writing, reading and having oral conversations every day, then it may become the Newspeak of the 21st century.
I do not believe that it is killing our language, I feel that it is adding and evolving the language. Our texting language is almost a separate language from the one we speak. Due to the fact that most people do not speak the same way that we text. We are simplifying our language to make texting faster and easier, but not changing our language that we speak. Our language has changed with the years and is continuing to change, texting is just one of those changes to the language. I feel that our language is positively changing and evolving.
I don't believe that texting is harming our ability to communicate because "text language" represents actual words in our language. The words from our language that are abbreviated haven't disappeared. The abbreviations may cause some of the meaning behind the word to be diminished over time, but the effect is nothing compared to the decline of language in 1984. In the book, the language has been shortened and compressed to the point where it may be impossible to convey certain complex ideas and I don't believe that texting could ever be credited with doing anything that significant to our language.
I do not think that texting is "killing" language, but it definitely has changed it. When I think of language, I think of formal language, such as what is written in a textbook or said in a speech. I have not thought of texting as formal language, but yes, it is still language, it is just a different style of language. We do not speak like we write, I even considering that formal language. Texting is an easier and faster way of speech, but we do not text as we talk. I know that I do not say "brb" during a conversation, rather I would say "be right back." So I do not think that texting is "killing" language, it is just a different style of language, such as formal speech, informal speech, and then the abbreviations such as texting.
I think that on one hand it can be damaging to the oral/written language of the younger generations. I have found myself using texting shortcuts in my typing from time to time. I can normally keep it separate, however. There is a big difference between writing and typing than there is with typing on a phone. I don't think that anyone talks the way they text and if they do that could be a bit concerning. The guy in the TED talk said that young people are using their texting skills alongside of their writing skills. I think that students and young people are normally able to keep the two skills separate. I agree that it is a sort of new language developing but I don't think that is damaging to our writing and talking skills for the most part. I think that the thing that really damages the oral conversations is the ability for people to stop and think about and formulate a response over text rather than having to respond right away in a face to face conversation. For this reason, I feel like a lot of younger people aren't used to holding actual person to person conversations.
I don't think that texting is the new Newspeak because as he said in the TED talk, we are developing a new language in conjunction to our written language. It is not replacing the way of written language, it is evolving it.
Texting is not the biggest problem in the world today, today texting affects different people in different ways with shortcuts for words and abbreviating things such as BTW which means by the way or ttyl which means talk to you later. Texting is much looser talking it is 'fingered speech' we are writing the way that we talk instead of talking the way we write. We use "text talk" because they are filler words they help keep the conversation interesting. I don't believe it affects students very much but it is making our language sloppier but it its truly the turn of the times. Texting is a new era that is developing in us and creating new conversations and words in our dictionary. Youth have not been able to use proper grammar and spelling since the beginning and it still troubles us now. Texting is not ruining our society is just here because of our advancements in technology and we are going to have to get used to it. It could be considered a new form of language but not as much because not a lot of people still talk the way they did in the old days.
While I do believe that texting does decrease the sophistication of human speech and can eliminates the complexity of ideas within an academic setting, I also do feel that texting is a more rapid and effective method of communicating without much thought. It is true that this form of language may reduce the level of complexity in a conversation or argument, at the same time it can decrease language barriers within modern society and may even allow highly intelligent people to speak in more layman's terms as a result of the changes in the English language. Overall, texting is not a detriment to linguistics as much as a simplification of the English language that has been taking place in order to keep up with the increased pace of society and the globalization of the English language as a whole.
Texting is not the Newspeak of the 21st century because people who use texting language continue to have the ability of using formal written/oral language in written works, speech, and in texting itself. I think that today's youth has a habit of crossing over 'informal' use of language more often than they should; however, they still have the capability to effectively communicate with every generation.
I agree with Mr. McWhorter and think that texting has not had a negative effect on the way we speak and write. Typically, even those who text on a daily basis, do not talk or write the way that they text. The English language is constantly evolving, with new slang terms always being created. The way people spoke in the early 1900s is not the same way we speak today, however one is not better than the other. Just because we have changed the way we speak, does not mean that people are becoming less educated. Texting has just become another form of communication and has not negatively effected the way we speak face to face. Texting, in my opinion, has ben a positive change in the way we communicate because it is fast, efficient, and has broadened the way that we connect with one another.
Texting isn't necessarily something that has a negative impact on people when you think about the difference between having those conversations and writing formally. It's something that's used everyday as a quick way of communicating with another person. There are a lot of people don't really speak the way they text because they're taught social skills in school for the most part. Using these abbreviations in texting can sometimes transfer into a real conversation, but ultimately when you're texting it's typically just a way of communicating with someone in a quicker way rather than typing the whole phrase out.
I think that the use of texting language is not harmful for society's ability to communicate. We have the ability to speak and write formally when we have to. It makes sense that you would text how you speak, not worrying about being grammatically correct. Because we are able to distinguish when to use a more formal language, it is not harmful to society.
I wouldn't say texting is the Newspeak of the 21st century and it isn't harmful for society's ability to communicate, nor does it affect students in a negative way. I do think it is a new form of language that is separate from written/oral expression. My texting language is much different than my oral expression because I don't use 'lol' or 'btw' when I'm talking to other people and I can't really use emojis either. There are distinct differences between texting and speaking, which is evidence that they are two separate entities and don't affect each other very much.
Texting is the newspeak of the 21st century, just because of how much it is truly used. All we do it use faster options of communication so its obvious that that everyone is going to use a faster method of talking. I Agree with McWhorter because he is right. I do not think that texting is ruining the language of today its just a convenience and just the time we live in. It is a different form of language and i think it should be know that formal language are two separate worlds and they should not be combined and that why we have school in place to still keep that formal writing around.
I think that texting is not a bad thing that people have developed. I actually think that it is more complex than what people might think that it is. Texting requires people to know the language because we take that language and simplify it in a new way. different texts also have multiple meanings and the fact that we can understand it all shows intelligence.
I don't believe that acronyms used in texting are causing a negative impact on society. Even if it looks simpler and "dumber" to others, it really isn't if you think about it. People who use acronyms are aware of what they stand for, they just use the acronyms because it is faster and more convenient for them. Everything in life changes and evolves, it would make sense if language changed along with our culture and society.
Text speech, I surmise, has no negative impact on a young person's ability to communicate in an oral or written manner. It is merely a condensed form of the English language used to communicate in a fast manner. I have yet to hear individuals of a younger generation use text abbreviations in personal conversation. Though, this form of communication may dim the intellectual nature of interactions, as much conversation occurs over the texting medium, and the texting language does not provide for the expression of complex ideas.
I don't believe that texting is alike to newspeak in any way except that it shortens speech. Newspeak's purpose in 1984 is to shorten speech so that the government can limit the populations vocabulary and apply new meanings to words, but texting shortens speech in order to mimic how we talk normally, as said in the Ted Talk. I don't believe that texting is harmful to students in any way, as it is used as a form of loose communication between friends and if I was to talk to someone formally, I would use proper grammar and structure. I think texting is a new form of language that will continue to change and evolve to fit the current society and technology, but isn't a change in result to the "laziness of the new generation."
I think texting impacts our writing but not our speech. People rely so much on spell check and struggle with spelling simple words. Also, people don't know how to write using proper grammar anymore. Texting impacts our ability to properly write because you are constantly taking short cuts when texting.
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