Communication, Information Technology and the Value of Language, Research Paper Example

Communication is an important aspect of social progress. It could be realized that with the connections that communication establishes, several points of development are expected to occur. This is the reason why it is very important that communication be taken seriously as a tool towards a better future. In the same manner, several developments in communication have been developed, one of which is the existence of the internet and the creation of the different portals that are designed to increase communication system’s reliability. While these connections are established, there are still some gaps that occur and one of which is related to language differences between internet users around the world.

Even beyond the existence of language gap, connecting people from one country to another has become possible due to the conditions of relation that information technology has established in consideration with the said aspect of communication. With this approach, learning a new language has become an easy task, yet it still involves a recommendable amount of effort on the part of the learners, as Kaufman discusses on his video entitled How to begin learning a language. The question is, is the same thing real about the condition of conversing through the provisionary ports of communication hosted through social websites like facebook? Is language structure an important aspect to consider in line with consistently handling communication options through the internet with the assistance of social websites? These questions shall be better expanded through the presentation that follows.

Facebook is a social networking site that was born during the early sections of 1994. Back then, the said site only welcomed several individuals to put up their personal accounts and have the chance to communicate with other individuals from other sections of the world. Only a small number of users knew about the system because of the lesser popularity of internet during the time. However, at the entrant of the year 1998 to 2000, a boost of number of members has already registered in the site. Many of these individuals come from different sections of the world other than America itself. Expanding its impact in the society, facebook has also paved the way for the introduction of a new culture that has brought about a sense of change to the language that ‘facebookers’ use when they talk with their friends online. English was still considered as a general language, however the online terms such as “lol” [laughing out loud], “gtg” [Got to Go], “btw” [by the way], “fyi” [for your information], as well as many others have become a common ground of understanding between facebook users. These terms made it easier for the users to communicate with each other even though they may not personally understand each other’s own original languages. This approach to communication made it easier for the said users to utilize the English language without a specific structure hence not limiting them from being grammatically unable to express themselves in proper English terms.

However, this same advantage creates a crucial disadvantage when it comes to understanding and utilizing the English language properly. Communication is supposed to create a sense of developmental improvement on the users of it. This development is expected to create a sense realization on how proper speech should be properly adapted to. Nevertheless, with the current utilization of online language, the users slowly become ignorant of the real language and the proper form by which it should be used for communication.

True, facebook creates a whole new realm of communication development that the world embraces today. It is obvious how individuals as young as five and as old as 65 towards the age of 80 continue to enjoy the provisions that facebook gives to readers. Understandably, it could be analyzed that with this advancement in technology, redefining communication has become a practical form of connection that made it easier for the modern human community to recognize the worth of IT in improved communication. Along with such redefinition of world culture relating to the condition of establishing international connections with different individuals around the globe, this development also shifts the condition of language, how it is used and how it is perceived as a valuable element for communication. Abbreviated online languages have now become a form of international speech that people who embrace modern communication systems specifically recognize. Reforming the structure of language does have its advantages and disadvantages. This is the reason why when engaging with online conversation, it is important to note how one lets such system of language affects his or her personal use of the actual language for conversation in relation to proper grammar and structure outside the realms of online websites such as facebook.

With the impending culture development, a lot of other social networking sites are expected to spur out in the future. In consideration with these developments, the concern is most likely dependent on whether or not the proper structure of language use would be lost and be replaced by irregular forms of conversation. Would this particular development be helpful or not in creating a general language that is understandable and yet has no limits or rules? This question remains to be observed for practicality and applicability in the coming years as the human society welcomes several new forms of communicating through the portal of connection that the internet provides them.

References:

Barnlund, D. C. (2008). A transactional model of communication. In. C. D. Mortensen (Eds.), Communication theory (2nd ed., pp47-57). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction.

Kaufman, S. How to begin learning a language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moqTFBQx6Cc&feature=relmfu. (October 28, 2012).

Schramm, W. (1999). How communication works. In W. Schramm (Ed.), The process and effects of communication (pp. 3-26). Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press.