LOL, GTG, BRB … and the list goes on. The use of cyber slang goes beyond the imagination in the new era of communication. The slang commonly known as netspeak or chatspeak that was brought to existence by the younger generation is now extensively used by people from all walks of life across generations. Regardless of the generation you belong to, it seems we have no choice but to jump on the bandwagon to stay relevant, though this new form of communication has its pros and cons in social and academic settings.
Cyber slang is considered cool among youngsters. If you are into using slang, you would be considered the coolest kid on the block! The need to stay inclusive, coupled with the pressure imposed by their peers, further demand the use of cyber slang to remain in the in-group. Youngsters use slang to replace words, phrases and letters in the alphabet in expressing their emotions in any informal communication setting. The ability to encode and decode such messages would enable one to get the message across in a shorter span of time.
According to linguist Gretchen McCulloch, as cited by independent, non-profit media organisation NPR in 2019: “The new rules are about: How are other people going to interpret your tone of voice? … The old rules are about using language to demonstrate intellectual superiority, and the new rules are about using language to create a connection between people.”
Most of the time, slang becomes a filler in a conversation for the younger generation as compared to the older ones. McCulloch further explains that “for the youngest group of people, there’s no literal meaning left to LOL at all”. It is indeed interesting to understand how the acronym “LOL”, the literal meaning of which is “laugh out loud”, is viewed from different perspectives by different generations. The older generation sees this in its literal meaning whereas the younger generation sees it as beyond just laughter but more in the form of a “state of emotion”.
What’s in it for me if I use cyber slang? Does it cause more harm than good? Is it here to stay? Let’s cash in on the benefits of cyber slang and see where it takes us. Cyber slang is considered a pervasive unstoppable part of modern society. It allows you to maintain fluent conversations with people of all generations, thus remaining current and relevant in your spoken ability. You have the option of switching from formal to informal communication and vice versa to counter any awkward situations and to keep the conversation upbeat and lively. Cyber slang is “novel, humorous and interesting, and it possesses qualities that attract attention, particularly that of humour” (Eisend, 2011).
On the contrary, language experts concur that the heavy use of cyber slang could generate problems among young learners in understanding basic grammatical concepts that would help them build a firmer foundation for their future. Besides, it widens the language gap between parents and children in understanding the words when such usage by children could be innocent or malicious in the cyber world. Parents are left with no choice but to scrutinise and assign meaning to every communication of their children to keep them safe in a world conquered by technology.
It may seem that cyber slang fits the social setting well, but it does become a hindrance to obtaining quality writing in an academic setting. When students become familiar with the use of slang, they tend to use them in their assignments as well as in any other official writing and conversations with their lecturers. The grammatical structure of sentences and the use of vocabulary are weak and limited if students depend too much on slang and are not able to comprehend the correct use of grammar. According to Alanur Aydemir, writing in the Daily Sabah in 2014, students are likely to get so used to slang that they no longer realise the importance of standard English in formal settings, which would result in poor writing and communication skills. Many educators and academicians have yet to fix this growing problem as cyber slang has been deemed a powerful form of communication. Now is the time for educators to educate students on the dos and don’ts of professional writing and how to differentiate between standard English and common slang.
It is also important for us to understand that the use of technology is certainly something to embrace. A search for information is now quick and easy with the available tools in technology, but at the same time, it is of utmost importance to ensure that students write good English in any form regardless of whether it is formal or informal communication, whether on paper or on social media. There are some instances where the proliferation of cyber slang has made it difficult for would-be graduates to demonstrate a good command of the language to their potential employers, tutors and colleagues.
Cyber slang may be the way to communicate going forward, but being able to understand the dos and don’ts of professional writing as well as language rules will enable one to distinguish between formal and informal communication. Cyber slang will continue to exist alongside formal communication, so long as it is used and understood within the psychical and psychological content of human interaction. BRB with more cyber slang in the next article. CU.