The internet is indeed helping languages evolve by providing a new set of communicative dimensions that did not exist in the past; however, there is a downside to that as well. While the internet is a medium that helps to enhance our language, we must not forget that the data found on the internet has been fed by humans.
With that in mind, the individual’s perspective plays a very crucial role in determining whether the evolution is benefitting or proving to be detrimental to the usage and the richness of languages. The biggest consequence of the evolution of language on the younger generation is the fact that they are facing difficulties in correct grammar as a result of being used to the internet language.
While I do agree that language is ever changing in terms of adjusting and adapting to the time and place that we are in, it is important not to embed the culture of a language with the changing times. A result of embedding the two is the fact that words that used to be considered respectful are now used as slang or acronyms.
The internet can be treated as a curse or a cure. It all depends on the mindset of the people using it. With the pace at which technology is evolving, language, too, is trying to keep up. The final result is that words that used to be associated with various emotions and expressions that could be felt from reading a text or observing someone’s body language is now reduced to emoticons. The internet is here to stay, so let’s all strive to make this stay for the internet and mankind a pleasant one with cherished memories of the present, which will be a blast from the past in times to come.
-The reader is an Indian accounts executive based in Dubai
