My mom has told me that vocal fry, overusing “like” in my speech, and using the word “literally” too much/incorrectly makes me sound unprofessional. Other people of her generation have said to young generations that these things make them sound stupid.
Here’s the thing. Why does this matter? No one owns language, words change meaning over time, and variances in speech don’t negate someone’s skills or intelligence.
Young people work hard, and I’d say a lot of us know how to be professional. Some things are just neither here nor there when it comes to someone’s abilities or professionalism.
People’s speech fillers are necessary. Our brains need time to process. Using “um” or “like” doesn’t always mean we don’t know (it certainly can mean that, but it’s not always the case). Sometimes I’m trying to process the question and formulate my response while acknowledging that you spoke, or that I have more to say. I’ve been looked down on for not saying anything while I’m simply thinking.
Furthermore, as this article points out, the nitpicking of “millennial speech habits” such as these are another occurrence of how badly older generations want to control every aspect of millennial culture. It falls in the same vein of “millennials are snowflakes because they find everything offensive” and “millennials can’t afford to buy a house because they eat too much avocado toast.” It’s controlling, wildly hyperbolic, and misinformed stereotypes.
If you’re offended by a young person’s speech habits, you’re not offended by the way they talk, you’re offended that a young person doesn’t always do things the way you do. You’re simply afraid of change and losing power.
