English Changed by Internet & Social Media: A Global Transformation - Essay Sample

Introduction

The emergence of the internet and the increased use of social media networks have led to a lot of transformation of communication. Social media has dramatically increased the number of people that can receive information at a time, and this is to the extent of a global scale. The frequency of communication has also been increased (McWhorter, 1). Consequently, this has had a significant effect on how people speak English. There are several changes exhibited by the way people speak and write in English while using social networking platforms.

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English is the most dominant language used for communication over the internet. Several changes have been made on the language to accommodate the needs of communication, such as the need for immediate and fast feedback (McWhorter, 1). A lot of rush to pass messages across is involved, mainly because people are communicating with several people at a time. The evolution of language for convenience is inevitable, and this does not exclude the language used on social media (Birkenstein & Graff, 169).Appropriation of vocabulary is a significant effect of the internet and social media use on written and verbal English. Specific meanings of certain words have changed, and meaning is provided depending n the context of use, and this phenomenon has dramatically affected verbal English communication (Lunsford, 1070).

Several synonyms in the English language are continually developing due to the increased volatility of the language. This is due to the effect that internet slangs that have been accepted around the world as English words are being used in verbal communication everywhere (Birkenstein & Graff, 168). For instance, the term "troll" describes the behaviours of seeking attention by uttering outrageous comments on other people and tiffs on social media. In a similar way, the word "wall" refers to the profiles that people have over the internet where they can present the things they believe in and share them with people who can view them and comment on them (Lunsford, 1071).

The constant use of slang on social media has misled many people into using informal language, grammar, and incorrect spelling to ensure (McWhorter, 1). The use of slang has developed intending to maintain accents and particular meanings, and this has evolved to a point where it is used in regular communication. Proper language skills are constantly being weakened by the internet and social media unwarranted use of misspelled words and abbreviations (McWhorter, 1).

The aim of internet communication is mostly mutual comprehension and increased accessibility (Lunsford). Pragmatism is the primary concern of social media communication. Even though improper language and the use of abbreviations may be comprehensible among young adults and teenagers, the older generation may have a problem in comprehending the modern informal language (Birkenstein & Graff, 170). The use of informal language in social media seems to have simplified the English language; however, the ability to communicate deep thoughts could have been eroded.

Another impact that social media has brought on the English language is the introduction of new vocabulary to the English language (Birkenstein & Graff, 169). Increasing slang popularity transforms the word from being slang, and it is incorporated into the English language. New social media terms such as "unfriend," "memes," and "selfie" are now part of daily written and verbal communications. Similarly, acronyms such as LOL, DM, TBT, and OMG have been incorporated into the oral and written English from social media (Birkenstein & Graff, 170). These words were not being used before in the English language, and their use in social media has increased their popularity. Some of these words have even been incorporated into the English language (Birkenstein & Graff, 171). It is important to note that such vocabularies are being rapidly introduced on the internet, and they are being used excessively and quickly, and most of the time, they are discarded in the same way.

This may seem like a lazy form of communication, but it mostly facilitates convenient and fast interaction over the fast-paced society introduced by the internet (Birkenstein & Graff, 168). The negative impact this has had on the English language are the misspellings, use of informal speech in wrong contexts, and the improper use of grammar (Birkenstein & Graff, 169). There is a positive effect of social media on the English language, and this is through the increased awareness people have on the mistakes that they make on the internet, and this is done when people spot errors on different posts and highlight them on the comments.

Social media has affected English positively and negatively. The increasing demand for convenient and fast communication has increased the need for people to use improper and informal language, use abbreviations, and make spelling mistakes. The newly developed vocabulary has been converted to daily verbal communication use. Some slang words have even been converted into mainstream language, which eases the understanding of the English language. The increased awareness of the proper use of language is a vital effect of social media.

Works Cited

Birkenstein, Cathy, and Gerald Graff. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. WW Norton & Company, 2018.

Lunsford, Andrea A., et al. Everyone's an Author. WW Norton, 2017.

McWhorter, John. "Is Texting Killing the English Language?" Time, Time, 25 Apr. 2013, ideas.time.com/2013/04/25/is-texting-killing-the-english-language/.