Is Facebook partly responsible for a generation of SMS speak and poor use of the language?

You use Facebook right? So do I; so does pretty much everyone I know.

It’s great, a little bit addictive at times, but great nonetheless. It means we can keep up to date with people we’ve not seen for years, with family members living at the other side of the planet (hello Uncle Andrew, remember I want a free holiday) and also share many of our recommendations and media preferences through Facebook’s pages and fan groups.

Everyone knows how popular the social networking scene has become but I wonder, at what price?

Important note: before I start this I want you to know that my brother has dyslexia, and I’m very aware of the difficulties he faces on a daily basis, both with the written word and mathematics. Nothing I say below is in any way way directed at people with these difficulties like my bro.

“Dear Mr. Zuckerberg – Any Chance We Can Have Our Language Back Please?”

This is a post that I’ve been thinking about for a while, and it focuses on my absolute amazement that people who previously interacted fantastically on a professional and personal basis, have apparently forgotten how to use the foundations of the English language when faced with “What’s on your mind?” – Facebook’s Twiter-esque opening gambit. (Sorry Mark, I’m not directing this at Facebook soley, but you are the biggest player in that game…)

I’m talking about the usual occurrences:

Your joking!

Tell them that there not getting their until later…

What a dull day Facebookers, I’m board and feel like a looser…

I really do understand that some people just aren’t well versed in the use of the English language, and that’s absolutely fine – I would never judge anyone like that and don’t want to be coming across as standing on my soapbox.

However, these Facebook status language faux pas are from people who are in careers dependant on the use of their native language – teachers, nurses et al. To make matters worse, they’re seemingly unaware of this and take no steps to prevent themselves from doing it.

Short And… Erm… Sweet?

To add a bit of fuel to this fire there’s the old text language; it too making it’s way onto social platforms.

Personally I’m not a fan of “LOL”, “LMAO” or “ROFL” – I do not LOL every single time I send a text message.

Do you? Really? Do you literally laugh out loud? Didn’t think so.

(I actually had someone say the word “LOL” to me once too, presumably to save themselves a few seconds of actual laughing).

What I do understand and kind of support, is the need to shorten things for SMS (Short Message Service) and so almost get why “LOL” etc has become so popular. What I do not understand at all is when the written word is changed to fit a dialect or seemingly converted to text speak, without it actually getting shorter.

Case in point, I saw on Facebook last week the following status update, from someone who has a rock solid grasp of written English – and it wasn’t a typo (I asked):

I wont a new car!

Now really, the word “wont” is literally no shorter than the word “want”, but for some reason it was textually abused to fit how it sounds when it leaves a feisty Northern mouth.

Real Life Language Issue?

So, where does this stem from – and more worryingly where does it end?

Well, to figure out where it stems from let me just present a quote that was brought to my attention by a very good friend of mine, when recalling a post he’d read focusing on an old school teacher:

I would ignore punctuation & spelling and concentrate on what they’re trying to say, as long as it sounds about right.

Right-o.

I almost see that point too – saying that as long as someone can effectively communicate, then does punctuation and spelling really matter?

Yes Mr. Teacher dude, it really does.

If I get a CV through from someone and it is littered with bad spelling, punctuation and grammar – what should I do? Take an objective look at the candidate’s relevant experience, or disregard the candidate on the basis that the building blocks of the language are literally missing?

And where does this end? If some (not all of course) teachers take this approach and tomorrow’s generation are seeing this “acceptable” use of the language daily in their social networking routine, how long before it becomes the “right” way?

Honestly, I’m not sure that will ever happen, but you see my point?

From The News Stream To The Main Stream

This Facebook language problem has now seemingly made the jump from social status updates, via your online news stream, to the professional world.

Only yesterday I was reading a blog from a potential working associate and spotted a  “your” where there should have been a “you’re”. Not once either, several times.

Sounds quite stuffy when I say it but, in an industry that commands high quality copy and textual content such as the one that we’re in, it instantly put me off doing work with that associate.

Sorry, it does sound a bit like I’m being a pedantic asshole – but I stand by it.

Will We Ever Write In The Same Way Again?

In closing I’d just like to say that this is entirely my own view and I’m not saying I’m write (sorry, easy one) but I’m sure other people must have noticed this creeping in over the last few years.

Maybe I’m just a miserly SEO goon, but I’d love your opinions on the subject please.

Take it easy on me…