TXTESE: Ixnay on the English-hay?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
When I was growing up, Pig Latin was the exciting way to butcher the English language and still somehow seem like you were talking super sly Spy Speak. I’ll be the first to admit I am not in touch with the youth of America today, but I think I do know enough to be worried about what I am beginning to refer to as “txt-ese.” Txtese is a new form of English being perpetuated by today’s youth who are completely hooked to their cell phones and other text/instant messaging services. I text myself every now and again, and admit to making some of these shortcuts. I can understand making a lot of shortcuts when you’re trying to type a dialogue on tiny cell phone buttons. But what concerns me today (enough to write this blog) is how the “shortcuts” have spilled over from texting on a cell phone into normal correspondence.

I email a lot at work. Right now I am managing two employees. One of my employees is a very young lady recently graduated from High School who sits at the office’s switchboard. This girl is really great. She is helpful, she has a wonderful attitude, she’s reliable, and pleasant. I would not say anything negative about her, except for her communication skills. She rarely talks to me in person or even over the phone. Instead, I get emails from her. Which is fine, but also sometimes just odd because a simple phone call would suffice. But that’s neither here nor there. I want to share with you below some bits that I took directly from her recent emails to me:

Thanks tho cuz I wouldn’t have known……...do you wnt coffee set up……...there are ppl in the conference room right now……...see if we need nething 4 it….…..Have ne thing 4 me to do??..........every other month there is new staff haha well hopefully……..ne ways just let me know as soon as……..I don’t want to all of a sudden b out of a job with out a back up u know…….…Do you have nething 4 me to do?..........I hate to do that to ppl because I knw it’s a burden they have wrk to do too…….…she didn’t knw we even had…….…didn’t knw of a key either…..

I get the NETHING (any thing) a lot from her. It kind of makes me bonkers. I would never send an email to my boss with this kind of grammar, but it’s not a problem for her. I make a lot of allowances for her youth and inexperience but I still have an abiding concern over what this example indicates about her generation’s communication skills and the future of the English language.

On a further note, it’s not just kids who seem to be stunted in communication skills. I think that too many people now rely on text messaging or email to address issues that ought to be addressed personally. A lot of people -- being non-confrontational or out of fear of rejection -- lately seem to reveal all in just that way. For example, the last guy I went out on dates with could only seem to tell me via text message how he felt about me. That’s in part why I told him I didn’t want to continue dating. Technology is great, but I think that with it we are beginning to de-evolve some of the best elements of human behavior. If we continue to interact with each other in such a sterile manner, how will it shape our future?

So to sum up, I’m appealing to all you parents out there – pls mke shr ur kidz knw how to spell OK? Let them know it is okay (and better!) to tell someone you love them to their face, and not just only as a message over the computer or cell phone. Together we can build a better America.



PS – Since probably only my close friends and family are reading this, let me take this opportunity to say I love you!