Why SMS lingo irks me
Ppl hu cnt b bthred 2 type prply do nt dsrve 2 be rd..
It took me at least five whole minutes to type in the above lingo. I detest it. Period.
The common arguement given for the usage of such deplorable language (sorry, it cannot be anything else) is that
1. The 'Older Generation' usually have a problem with it. But younger generation is okay.
2.It saves time
3.It saves money.
4.It is how everyone types and who types whole words anyways.
5.It is no big deal. What is the harm if you use it? Why fuss over such a thing?
Allow me to elaborate on why the above are invalid statements.
It is not because of age that people have a problem with butchering words. It is because you care about the language. I know many twenty year olds and many teens as well who think it is just 'not cool' to use wrong spellings. (Thank God for such people.)
I cannot for the life of me, imagine, using 'thout' for 'thought' or 'thinkin' for 'Thinking'.Are you going to save tonnes of money by typing that extra letter? At
the most your message would run into three texts instead of two.
To me it is irritating because misspelled words jar on my eyes.
Also, the more you use it and the more you see it being used or the more you read it, the greater are the chances of it becoming an unconscious habit. There have been so many reports in the media not only in India, but also abroad, about how SMS lingo is creeping into answer sheets too. Students use 'btwn' instead of writing 'between' and many more such words are being distorted, maimed.
Welsh Journalist John Humphrys asserts that 'sms lingo' or 'textese' is essentially lazy and sloppy behaviour. It simply results in eventual ignorance of proper grammar and punctuation. In other words, it just makes you stupid.
I tend to agree strongly.
If I am sparing time to text a person, then the person is important for me. If the person is important enough, I think that person deserves a proper message. A message typed hurriedly in textese just doesn't cut it for me. And now with the auto complete option in all phones as well as the built in spell-check, there is really no excuse too.
And it is not just texts. I am also talking about such lingo being used on Instant messengers on smart phones, on the social media, on chats, on e-mails. In short in every online media of communication.
When I get messages or mails or Facebook comments typed in SMS lingo or textese I cringe. To me it spoils the pleasure of reading.
95% of the time I do not read them and just delete them.
Yes I am that finicky.
I do spend at least 16 hours of my day with words. I live with them, I breathe them, I string them together and create complete new worlds with them.
So the least you can do, as a favour to me is, give me whole words and proper words. Please.
I would consider half eaten, butchered words an insult.
N ys, if U wanna txt ur frnds usg sms lingo i dnt mind at al jus lv me out of it. ;-)
__________________________________________________________
PS: If you still don't know about my Ted talk, go watch!
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here . (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here.
http://preetishenoy.com/
It took me at least five whole minutes to type in the above lingo. I detest it. Period.
The common arguement given for the usage of such deplorable language (sorry, it cannot be anything else) is that
1. The 'Older Generation' usually have a problem with it. But younger generation is okay.
2.It saves time
3.It saves money.
4.It is how everyone types and who types whole words anyways.
5.It is no big deal. What is the harm if you use it? Why fuss over such a thing?
Allow me to elaborate on why the above are invalid statements.
It is not because of age that people have a problem with butchering words. It is because you care about the language. I know many twenty year olds and many teens as well who think it is just 'not cool' to use wrong spellings. (Thank God for such people.)
I cannot for the life of me, imagine, using 'thout' for 'thought' or 'thinkin' for 'Thinking'.Are you going to save tonnes of money by typing that extra letter? At
the most your message would run into three texts instead of two.
To me it is irritating because misspelled words jar on my eyes.
Also, the more you use it and the more you see it being used or the more you read it, the greater are the chances of it becoming an unconscious habit. There have been so many reports in the media not only in India, but also abroad, about how SMS lingo is creeping into answer sheets too. Students use 'btwn' instead of writing 'between' and many more such words are being distorted, maimed.
Welsh Journalist John Humphrys asserts that 'sms lingo' or 'textese' is essentially lazy and sloppy behaviour. It simply results in eventual ignorance of proper grammar and punctuation. In other words, it just makes you stupid.
I tend to agree strongly.
If I am sparing time to text a person, then the person is important for me. If the person is important enough, I think that person deserves a proper message. A message typed hurriedly in textese just doesn't cut it for me. And now with the auto complete option in all phones as well as the built in spell-check, there is really no excuse too.
And it is not just texts. I am also talking about such lingo being used on Instant messengers on smart phones, on the social media, on chats, on e-mails. In short in every online media of communication.
When I get messages or mails or Facebook comments typed in SMS lingo or textese I cringe. To me it spoils the pleasure of reading.
95% of the time I do not read them and just delete them.
Yes I am that finicky.
I do spend at least 16 hours of my day with words. I live with them, I breathe them, I string them together and create complete new worlds with them.
So the least you can do, as a favour to me is, give me whole words and proper words. Please.
I would consider half eaten, butchered words an insult.
N ys, if U wanna txt ur frnds usg sms lingo i dnt mind at al jus lv me out of it. ;-)
__________________________________________________________
PS: If you still don't know about my Ted talk, go watch!
If you like my blog, you might enjoy my books :) Grab them here . (You don't need a credit card. You can pay cash on delivery) or if you are an Amazon Fan, you can grab them here.
http://preetishenoy.com/
No comments have been added yet.
