“Young people these days don’t know how to write or speak properly anymore.”
That’s a statement I’ve heard quite a few times, particularly recently. While my first instinct is to be offended, I can also understand where this type of thinking comes from. In our cell phone-texting-micro blogging generation, we are masters of the art of shortening communication.
In fact, one might even say we are on the verge of completely changing the way people communicate with one another for good. In some ways, it’s nice. You can get in contact with someone instantly, follow their blog to catch up on life instead of waiting for a letter in the mail and send out your daily thoughts and experiences in 140-characters or less with the click of a button (or on your handheld device).
However, some people fear that this is leading both to a breakdown of formalities and even some issues of privacy and just what should be kept to yourself and what should be broadcast across the cyber-world. In our need to communicate faster, we see a great deal of abbreviations and “leet-speak” being used around the Internet and text messaging.
Some have even carried over this shortened version of the English language to the real world and this is where we find accusations that young people don’t know how to speak or write properly. Sometimes it comes from plain ol’ laziness and other times, people become so accustomed to the shortened version that they’re not even sure how something should be said or written properly.
On the flip side, I am often considered “younger” myself (being in my 20’s) and my children are young but we all write, read and speak very well in my house. This isn’t just because I’m a writer but because I was taught politeness and basic formalities and I pass that on to my children. I’m not a “grammar Nazi” as some call it but I expect my children to speak properly and respectfully.
I don’t think the phenomenon of poor grammar and Internet-speak in the real world should be blamed on “young people” and if we are at fault, is it really our problem alone? Couldn’t some of the blame fall on the generation before us that allowed us to get away with this rudeness and laziness?
Age aside, I think it’s up to those of us who care to enforce better reading, writing and speaking in future generations. Whether you’re a parent like me teaching your children or a writer setting the example in your own words and actions, you can make a difference. Let’s stop pointing fingers in age-blame and start showing society that we expect more of ourselves and one another.
Lisa Mason is a freelance writer with a specialty in Internet content and SEO articles and the author of How to Earn a Living Writing for the Internet as well as two poetry anthologies and a how-to poetry book. She has written thousands of articles, hundreds of ebooks and thousands of website pages and related content.
Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa’s blog from her website.
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