Controversy on Modern Language

Controversy on Modern Language

People have often wondered why everyone around us says different sayings and talks in an unusual way. It mainly deals with modern technology and new generations. Although most Americans speak the same language, there is a controversy on modern language today because of the use of cell phones, regional area slang, and background origin.

Cell phones have become a necessity to Americans in today’s world. Many Americans may have a personal cell phone plus a business cell phone. Teenagers are the biggest target towards cell phones. Text messaging is the most popular way among the younger generations to communicate. Text messaging has many different ways to express, or say, what you are trying to get across. There are many kinds of abbreviations and symbols in the text messaging language. Some of the most common examples are LOL means “laugh out loud”, IDK is “I don’t know”, and THX means “thanks”. These small abbreviations and slang terms are now being used outside of text messaging. Americans sometimes find themselves talking in the way they would usually be texting.

Where Americans live is another issue with how people talk. It’s called regional area dialect. Tennessee residents are known for having a country slang when speaking, while citizens of New York would speak more proper. This is kind of like Ebonics, the informal speech of many African Americans. Ebonics is not another language, it is the English language used differently. Instructor John Rickford, director of the center for African American studies at Standford University, quotes, “What this means, first of all, is that Ebonics is not slang. Although Ebonics certainly has slang words- such as Chillin (“relaxing”) or homey (“close friend”). Now almost all Americans are familiar with this type of dialect.