CyberFootprint

Jed’s post on reading got me thinking about what is happening with languages and literary forms today. Let me complement his reasoning with my own thoughts.

Language is a dynamic system

Languages change over time. Some words will fade away, and some new ones will appear. We do not use the syntax and vocabulary of the Shakespearean English on a daily basis, although we tend to borrow a lot from it.

Language is only a shell for transmitting meaning

As long as people will understand what “l33t h4x0r” means, and they will use it appropriately, this phrase will stay embedded in the written and spoken form of English. Once the meaning fades away, so will the phrase. Therefore, meanings are in people, not languages. I bet Dr. DeVito is happy to hear that.

Language is relative to age

Every generation takes the current state of the language, transforms it and accomodates it to its own needs. The future generations will do the same, but they will learn the accommodated words and stylistical practices not as ‘accommodated,’ but as ‘normal.’ Try to tell your grandma a story how you “pwn’d dat n00b,” and see whether she will understand.

Therefore…

In my opinion, the tensions between the supporters of the ‘sit down, shut up, and read a book’ model and the digital natives are caused by simple misunderstanding. The older generation never felt the need to adapt to the Internet, information explosion and mass gaming jargon like the current one does. Both sides need to be aware of it, and start thinking before they judge each other.