A dummy’s guide to internet culture
So… I recently ran into a few adults talking about how the internet has ruined English and how the younger generation is incapable of speaking eloquent, perfectly structured, grammatically perfect and rightly punctuated English.
We are basically the 21st century Shakespeare. So, here is a shitpost to rage about how the internet English (fun fact: it’s called internet speak) may just be the most used and developed dialect of the English language, being at its best where it can provide with all the methods to express ourselves efficiently.
Here it goes: A dummy’s guide to Internet language and meme culture
The internet seems to be one of the most used methods of communication in today’s day and age. In fact, most of us spend our time surfing through it. It’s only natural for this widely used, multipurpose and limitless platform to develop its own language. Okay… maybe it’s a little over-exaggerated. I’m not really saying that internet speak or internet lingo is a completely different language… But that’s exactly what I am saying.
Internet speak has developed its own grammar rules and is almost developed like a different written dialect. It has become so widely used especially on sites like Tumblr, Twitter, Reddit, and multiple other blogging and social media sites, that almost the entire global internet usage or internet population are fluent in this form of written English. How do you think you can beat that with your illegible Shakespearean English?
The usage of punctuation, capitalization of letters, and the usage of spacing can change the flow and pace of your posts. And italicizing, underlining and even making your text bold along with the rest can entirely change the perception of the tone of a sentence. For example, the word “sure” has a very different meaning when compared to “sure”. The first one sounds like a genuine word of agreement due to its short and sweet nature. Whereas the second one is elongated, making it sound more sarcastic than the other. The italic font also denotes a sense of mockery in this word.
Also, it is a common misconception that the internet speak absolutely doesn’t use punctuation. Cause, that’s definitely not the case. It’s mostly just minimalist use or a slight lack of punctuation, and this has led it to become a major function or indicator of rhetoric speech. The concept of not using punctuation at all creates texts that sound like you are ranting as it provides a continuous flow of the sentences, and shows that even if questions are written, they aren’t necessarily asking for answers. The usage of question marks also plays a big role in the indication of rhetorical sentences (for example: someone has asked you why do you buy all things that are rainbow colored, and you answer with a “because I want to?”).
Punctuation can help denote the context of a text and helps us perceive it in the way the writer intended it to be. So basically, the lack of punctuation, or maybe even the excessive use of punctuation (example: “what????”) can entirely change the context and tone of the sentence. So, stop complaining about how we don’t know proper English just because you think that we can’t use punctuation properly. We are two steps ahead of you.
The English language has evolved so much over the past decade or so, ever since the internet came to existence and the usage of social media has become the essential basic for almost everyone. The language has become to be more practical and easier to use for users. English is generally considered a difficult language to learn and speak due to its complex grammar and sometimes senseless rules. The internet speak is a more convenient version of written English. Due to its simple word usage and lack of grammar, it is easier to comprehend while keeping the same meaning. This is also sometimes used to add humor or comic effect to sentences.
A thing that is commonly used by the internet speak is a method of conveying messages through inexplicably inflated hyperbole. For example, many a times you may come across people using phrases like “I would murder a man for her” instead of a plain and simple phrase like “she’s pretty”. You may have also seen the usage of “I would die for it” instead of “I really want this”. The new age humor has definitely changed the way we speak and write (well…. type) and not all of it is logical or comprehensible, but whatever.
Now, about meme culture. Memes are a widely used method of expressing oneself using pictures, GIFs or even videos. It is majorly used to convey a reaction or even just humor. Memes seem to be an evolved version of a “normal” joke. Keeping all that stuff aside, memes are a great way to entertain yourself. And scrolling through memes is one of our generations’ favorite ways of passing time. We even use memes to address heavy topics which may be hard to talk about normally, since the usage of memes can lighten the mood and make the understanding of such topics much easier.
Memetics is actually a real topic in psychology, and it has definitions and analysis papers written on it. However, for the average, normal human the conceptual understanding of memes isn’t really required and I suppose most of us don’t care. We just want to enjoy our memes in peace and watch people get rickrolled (cause that’s still totally relevant. Eh?) and have a good laugh about it, instead of trying to understand the concept of a never ending, fast spreading phenomena that travels using the internet and is created and altered by multiple people’s creativity and styles combined.
In conclusion, Internet lingo is great. Recommended. 10/10. We stan.