Language and Civility

I have been thinking a lot about language, as much because my kids are at an age where they are exploring where swearing and incendiary words fit into their vernacular as because I have begun to follow commentary on various websites of late.

I will preface this by saying that this is not about politics or what is happening in my town.  This is simply an examination of how we currently as a culture communicate with one another.

In our daily lives we communicate in ways we would not have imagined years ago which both encourages and dismays me simultaneously. Cell phones, emails, text messages have all created a false sense of anonymity thus allowing people to express themselves in ways they might not or ought not to say in person.  

I was raised to use language correctly, evidenced by the many re-writes my Mother insisted upon of any essay or term paper or book report I think I ever did in school. Re-writing something I have written is so ingrained in me, that I even re-write statuses and comments I post on the web. We answered the phone with a simple hello and waited for the caller to say hello and identify her/himself we always said goodbye.   We were taught to write letters properly in school and sent thank you notes when we were given a gift even if it was a pencil case or underwear from a relative. 

Somewhere along the way, much like when leaving one’s trash behind at the movies, using as little language as possible in our communications seems to have trumped politeness and kindness in some instances and the brevity of  such communications seem to have further divided many of us rather than the idea of worldwide connection with the internet, etc.

When we sent a quick text without a hello, or we shoot off an email on Facebook without a “Dear So&So” and with a “Love” or “Sincerely” because it’s easier to just shoot of the information and end it with an LOL, <3 or a smiley face, we lose some of the simple connection to one another.

When we post comments in connection with article or a blog or an opinion piece and we use either abbreviations and profile names rather than our own a little bit more of language is lost.  When comments are posted without fact or with personal attacks that when read together look like adults bickering like kindergartners it demonstrates yet another erosion of language. 

We have allowed the internet and cellular phones to encourage ill-mannered behavior to flourish. We have allowed simple electronic communication to be the norm.  We have allowed verbal garbage on the floors of our public theater. We have made swearing at one another acceptable because we use emoticons or abbreviations to do so. When polite communication using the English language with proper grammar flourishes we at the very least can find some common ground. 

As many varieties of flowers that exist, so are the opinions of those who post on the internet.  Many disagree on all kinds of subjects near and dear to our hearts.  Opinions on important subjects tend to come with personal attacks and spewing of sometimes brutish verbiage designed, I would imagine somehow having the last word or making someone with whom they disagree leave the discussion.

We can stop the shouting and talking at each other via LOLs (laugh out loud) and IDKs (I don’t know) and ROFLs (rolling on the floor laughing) and pick up the phone and speak or better yet meet in person imagine what can happen.

Language.  It can divide us or in the alternative unite us.  I vote for the latter yet fear we are moving toward the former.  Remember what your Mother said and “mind your language.”