Starting in the early 2000s and peaking up to this point, our society has leapt into the middle of the social media era. More specifically, the rise of outlets like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and the fall of Myspace and other duplicates. The tumultuous levels of popularity for each of these sites have alternated like a heart rate monitor; the unpredictability of social media now is a particular symbol of the fickleness of the public.
But, that's not what I'm talking about today. At least, not fully.
Ever since our convenient communication has been shortened to 140-character blurbs, the occasional meme or a quick caption, the communication itself has been shortened, too. This has been shown in the most obvious of ways: text language. No matter your age, you've heard of a few LOLs and TTYLs. There are even dictionaries to help certain modernly-challenged individuals keep up (found in a tourist trap gift shop near you). These acronyms have contributed to the fast-paced method of today's living, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
What comes with these types of creations, though, is the parent factor: the evolution of other--what should be timeless--things. Snail mail is a thing of the past. Not only is it outdated, but it's different from what we know now. It isn't likely that anyone's made a habit of using text language or emojis in a handwritten letter. Traditional mail used to be the hub for casual correspondence, but no more.
In essence, we've lowered our standards. Sure, an iPhone 6+ is far ahead of the standard of technological excellence than a typewriter. But, when thinking literarily, a tweet is a severely handicapped version of a personal note. We don't notice anything wrong with this; it's happened slowly, which means that we've become resigned--welcoming, even--to the fact that communication has become dependent upon convenience.
Articulation has evolved into something extraordinarily simple, and sincerity is its casualty.
There are lots of varying opinions on this subject, but there are some very literal facts here, too. One thing that particularly concerns me is words losing their meaning. Even the most common of terms have definitions beyond how they're normally interpreted. For example, catholic. Catholicism isn't only a religion; the word catholic literally means universal or all-embracing. Another example of this stuff is the word awesome. By its very nature, awesome means to evoke awe. Yosemite is awesome. Being healed of cancer is awesome. That 5-for-5 deal you got on your poodle's chew toys is not awesome.
My point? We, as a generation, have been struck by convenience, whether intentionally or unintentionally. What we must remember though, is the importance of speaking with intention. Think before you speak. A lot of significant things have lost their value in the era of overwhelming technology and social media. Let's not allow our very lives to lose meaning, too.
But, that's not what I'm talking about today. At least, not fully.
Ever since our convenient communication has been shortened to 140-character blurbs, the occasional meme or a quick caption, the communication itself has been shortened, too. This has been shown in the most obvious of ways: text language. No matter your age, you've heard of a few LOLs and TTYLs. There are even dictionaries to help certain modernly-challenged individuals keep up (found in a tourist trap gift shop near you). These acronyms have contributed to the fast-paced method of today's living, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
What comes with these types of creations, though, is the parent factor: the evolution of other--what should be timeless--things. Snail mail is a thing of the past. Not only is it outdated, but it's different from what we know now. It isn't likely that anyone's made a habit of using text language or emojis in a handwritten letter. Traditional mail used to be the hub for casual correspondence, but no more.
In essence, we've lowered our standards. Sure, an iPhone 6+ is far ahead of the standard of technological excellence than a typewriter. But, when thinking literarily, a tweet is a severely handicapped version of a personal note. We don't notice anything wrong with this; it's happened slowly, which means that we've become resigned--welcoming, even--to the fact that communication has become dependent upon convenience.
Articulation has evolved into something extraordinarily simple, and sincerity is its casualty.
There are lots of varying opinions on this subject, but there are some very literal facts here, too. One thing that particularly concerns me is words losing their meaning. Even the most common of terms have definitions beyond how they're normally interpreted. For example, catholic. Catholicism isn't only a religion; the word catholic literally means universal or all-embracing. Another example of this stuff is the word awesome. By its very nature, awesome means to evoke awe. Yosemite is awesome. Being healed of cancer is awesome. That 5-for-5 deal you got on your poodle's chew toys is not awesome.
My point? We, as a generation, have been struck by convenience, whether intentionally or unintentionally. What we must remember though, is the importance of speaking with intention. Think before you speak. A lot of significant things have lost their value in the era of overwhelming technology and social media. Let's not allow our very lives to lose meaning, too.