Language changes throughout time as technology develops. When something new is invented the maker names it and we continue to use it. These words become common place as the invention becomes common place. This has been evident to me over the past few years as technology has become more advanced, iPods, iPads, touch screens, tablets, and other inventions have made new words. Social media is no exception to this.
It is easy to see how social media has changed the way we speak. We use terms that were coined by social media sites in our everyday lives. Before social media we didn't use many of these words. Before social media if someone had said "I tweeted it", "I posted it on your wall", "I pinned it on my board", "I'll tag you in it", "It's a trending article", or even just the word "hashtag". I would've had no idea what they were talking about unless they actually meant they posted or pinned something on a wall or board at my house. These phrases as well as acronyms like, "lol", "wth", "rotfl", "lmao", "smh" and many others were made common place by social media. We use these phrases because almost everyone uses social media and they understand them. As social media evolves our language to describe it evolves.
We use this special jargon when we communicate on social media as well as in real life. This is just one of the thousands of ways that social media is changing our lives. It makes me wonder how much social media has affected other countries since most social media sites are international. In other countries do they use the English terms or do they have words in their own language that translate into English? It's amazing to see how much social media has affected our lives. I wonder how much it will continue to change our lives.
-Beth Gameren
Social Media Terms
http://socialmedia.wikispaces.com/A-Z+of+social+media
http://socialmediatoday.com/your-social-move/397449/25-social-media-terms-you-need-know
It is interesting how jargon has changed. It changes without digital social media, but there are certainly a plethora of changes as a result of digital social media. Last year the Oxford Dictionary listed "selfie" as their international word of the year. http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/19/living/selfie-word-of-the-year/
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that digital social media will continue to change our lives in ways we'll never expect but that we'll think we won't be able to live without once we have them.