ENGLISH IN SOCIAL NETWORKS
(Musings by Subbaram Danda)
In recent weeks I was quietly wandering through the labyrinthine ways of social networks, some famous and some not so yet. Though my ramblings were casual, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of fascinating information, particularly on English language usage there.
I discussed my discovery with a friend of mine. He entertains the view that just four words are more than enough for anyone to make a mark in a highly popular web -- “wow, nice, awesome and hilarious !” I tend to accept his argument without any fear of contradiction.
Yes, these four words have a peculiar aura about them. They are used, one at a time or in any combination, to describe a photo, a video clip, a joke, a statement or any other post for that matter. The comment together with one’s photo will appear instantly to be appreciated by a chosen circle of friends and relatives! What is more, these words can be used again and again.
Smiley icons
In most networks, to add pep to one’s comments a few other expressions are employed, which are purely ornamental in nature. One or more exclamatory marks are liberally placed next to these four magical words. Special effects are introduced through the use of smiley icons.
And then there is a mystifying suffix, which passed past my faculties of comprehension –LoL. A good soul came to my rescue and pulled me out of my ignorance. It stands for “Laugh out Loud.” I am now a wiser guy !
Invariably, all babies whose photos appear in these networks are “cute.” A variation is “what a cute baby!” This comment will certainly please the parents of the child whether the little one has chubby cheeks and rosy lips or sports a different look!
Vanishing tribe
Before the advent of the computer era, there was a special tribe much sought after in official circles – stenographers. That clan has now been classified under “vanishing species.” Now-a-days computer guys and gals use a script that mimics shorthand! This is the language that is liberally tossed about and used mostly by teenagers in a few networks to the delight of some and chagrin of others.
This micro-lingo finds extensive application even where one is not restricted to use of only 140 characters of short notes and chirps.
As this form of super short English grew in popularity by leaps and bounds, I was told, students of a city college felt that their professor of English, a stickler for rules, would commit suicide sooner than later!
There is another face to the language used in almost all of these social networks. You can express your views in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi or any other tongue, even if you do not know its script, by using English letters! There is absolutely no bar on it.
Topsy-turvy English
One network officially “supports” 76 languages. I do not know what it actually means. Out of curiosity, I went through the entire list and discovered five varieties of English ! I am not kidding. It is a fact. The first two – English (U.S. ) and English (U.K.
I was wondering why the network should talk about supporting five different styles of English, when it has all along been allowing usage of varied forms of it – some easily recognizable, some irritable and some “ignorable” ! Is it all part of a game, whose name is fun?
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