The Problem with Today's Youth Language

804 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Demerits of slang in communication

Have you noticed something wrong with the vocabulary that the young people of the modern world have been using? If not, I suggest you take another look. The words and sentence structure has become lazy and lost its rightful rank of importance, falling into the youths’ view of boring and tedious. The vast amount of words are slowing decaying to the last of their lives, soon to be un- or misused by the masses, some even becoming extinct out of malpractice or ignorance of the current existence. Sadly, definitions have even been altered due to being wrongly used in everyday speak, mainly misused by the youth of today. I will talk about how some or most young adults speak, how it can carry into adulthood, the cons of using the language, ways to encourage the use of proper and advanced language in speaking and in writing and more.

The tone that many young people take on that is informal, and that is all right, especially if it is around friends or family. The problem is that some of them do not understand the appropriate times to change their tone and slang language to fit a more proper or formal setting. Instead, they continue to use the slang and inappropriate tones that are normal for their everyday conversations. This can cause complications for the youth in certain situation, such as, job interviews or when talking to an adult who is not familiar with them. The speaking mannerisms may also show up in writings, causing hardship on students in classes that require essays.

If a teen has improper speech or cannot tell when to shift their mannerisms will likely not develop the skill in adulthood. This is a problem because once in the position of being seen as an adult, it means that you must behave in a certain way and give off a ce...

... middle of paper ...

...onvicted. This method has also been used to avoid telling the entire truth or withhold information. I don’t see possessing the ability to manipulate words for a purpose as a bad trait, as personality traits aren’t good or bad, but are used for the reasons of good or bad.

Instead, I consider it more on the intelligent side, or something of a good thing to have as long as you do not use it for selfish gain or to harm anyone. I, myself, use word manipulation in everyday life, as most people tend to do subconsciously. Speaking from experience, the way we talk to different people changes depending on a wide variety of factors, such as age or rank difference, relationship, and formal or informal setting. It’s simply something we do to switch between dialects and the proper way of speaking in each situation to adapt to the ever changing society and environment around us.

Show More
Related

  • Today's Kids Are Like Killing The English Language Summary

    1752 Words  | 4 Pages

    1. The main point Kirk Johnson, writer of “Today’s Kids Are, Like, Killing the English Language” published by the New York Times, illustrates is a shift in the way society nowadays communicates and expresses themselves with the emergence of technology and other forms of media in this new era compared to the precedent and placid century.

    Read More

  • A Literary Analysis Of 'A Story' By Li-Young Lee

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    The constant changing of technology and social norms makes difficult for different generations to understand one another and fully relate to each other. Diction and slang change as years pass and what is socially acceptable may have been prohibited in the previous generations.

    Read More

  • Adapt Communication With Children

    310 Words  | 1 Pages

    When we communicate with children and young people sometimes we have to adapt how we speak to them because of the age of the child or because of their learning abilities. Obviously the younger a child is the simpler we have to make things to ensure the child knows what is being said to them. But as a child grows and becomes confident in how they speak and communicate then also the language can grow as well. Never over complicate matters because this can make a child feel uneasy and not want to become involved in communicating with someone else.

    Read More

  • Neil Postman

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his essay “Defending Against the Indefensible,'; outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the language as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the “prejudices of their elders';, further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as well as “linguistical tyranny';

    Read More

  • Extra Lives Why Video Games Matter Analysis

    857 Words  | 2 Pages

    Chast shows two young teens on their laptop, chatting with each other while they are sitting in the same room, separated by a text box. By using slang in the dialogue, Chast is implying that our society’s communication skills are becoming lazy and incorrect in terms of grammar. Also, his dialogue contrasts entirely with the work of William Shakespeare, who uses complex language, unlike Chast who uses abbreviations. The picture depicts that teens are blinded by technology and do not focus on other important things such as communal relationships with family and friends. I would use this in an essay to display the lack of face to face communication that is developing in today’s world. To continue, I would argue that the diminishing use of verbal communication is a disadvantage rather than an

    Read More

  • Literacy Narrative

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout my childhood, the idea of having a college education was greatly stressed. As a result, it was my duty as the next generational child, to excel in my studies and achieve a life of prosperity and success. Learning became the basic foundation of my growth. Therefore, my youth was overtaken by many hours spent reading and writing what was known to be correct "Standard" English. I first found this to be a great shortcoming, but as I grew older, I began to realize the many rewards acquired by having the ability to be literate.

    Read More

  • Thesis Statement For The Great Gatsby

    514 Words  | 2 Pages

    Displays developing facility in the use of language, but sometimes uses weak or inappropriate word choice

    Read More

  • Fein And Millhauser's Vulgarity By Teaching Slang In The Classroom

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    He asks, “why don’t they use it?” (Millhauser 307), in reference to his previous point about authority. He should be explaining why they don’t use it. He also goes on to ask, “Is there actually something wrong with slang that makes a superior type of mind or of social experience shy away from it? And if so, what?” (Millhauser 307). Millhauser does not answer his questions which makes it seem as if he does not know the answer himself. His questioning makes his argument seem less reliable to the reader. It is not very logical to expect the audience to be persuaded by Millhauser if he doesn’t provide answers and explanation to questions he has

    Read More

  • Bilingual Argumentative Essay

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    One student stated that “as long as I know how to speak slang and proper English, I should be ok” (Godley, p. 708). However, nearly all students felt a need for speaking AE or, at least, avoiding slang in work settings (Godley, p. 708). Students’ arguments in favor is maintaining AE in work situations appeared to be navigated by the belief that AAVE is perceived as negative in mainstream society (Godley, Page 709).

    Read More

  • Why Good English Good For You By John Simon

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    Simon emphases the significance of knowing, and using proper English, as well as keeping it alive. He proposes ways to sharpen the brain, which will result in a greater sense of discipline and memory. Simon also notes that everything we do is done with words, therefore, English is viewed as an essential to everyday life. The accurate use of rhetorical devices in this article are just one of many examples on how good English can help a person on a day to day basis. Despite Simon’s knowledge of proper English, the remainder of Americans must train themselves so that they may also achieve correct usage of the English

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative: Coming To America

    627 Words  | 2 Pages

    No struggle or problem, however, would badger my thirst for knowledge, my yearn for improvement. I never failed to rehearse my English while walking to school, whether it was a phrase I heard the day before, or if it was big words I heard on television. At home I'd watch the news, a fan, point blank in my face, as I wipe off each dribble of sweat—we didn't have an air conditioner. Still, I studied how the reporters would speak in a rhythmic, unbroken professional English that stirred me to yearn for such articulation of the English language. I wanted to speak to others, I wanted a connection, a way to communicate with everyone around me—I felt like an

    Read More

  • The Impact of Social Media on Language

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Firstly, it is very common for people to believe that Social Media has had a negative impact on the use of language by teenagers . This is because of a variety of reasons. The first being that communicating online is almost like a 'mid-ground between spoken language and written language for communication' [1] The term used for this is 'written-speak' or 'spoken-writing' [2] If young people are continuously using this form of communication, it may have severe ramifications on young people’s communication and literacy skills, as it can lead to the learning of...

    Read More

  • Gender And Language

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    How does language affect our interaction with other genders? Language is the basis of all interaction. The language we use is essential to other’s perceptions of us. We instinctively know this, so we cater our language to suit how we want to be perceived by others. Language is not the only factor in perception though. Other’s interpretation of our language is as important an ingredient in their perception of us as the language we use is. Our perceptions of each other, more than anything else dictate our interactions with each other. The essential question is does interpretation of language vary between genders?

    Read More

  • Importance Of English Language In Medicine

    1939 Words  | 4 Pages

    Now you know our friend’s experiences -Rodrigo, Rubén, Jessica, Nieves, Ms. Rena, and all the rest of them. And you also got to know how they are related to English language; their difficulties, advantages, points of view and ways of thinking. Fortunately, this might mean you are now aware of the relevance English has in our current context. Although some people may still say that learning English is just an option, we are now able to stand our ground and claim that English is now a tool, a means … and an open door to a whole new world of experiences, people and resources which were not so easy to access

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Verbal Communication

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nine out of ten people you see nowadays are either looking down at their cell phone, scrolling through their social media feed or talking with someone. This is because technology is everywhere. This advanced technology has completely changed the way we communicate. It’s changed just about everything about us to the way we interact with one another. Now, the question is, how has this been affecting the way we communicate with each other? For the most part, verbal communication has gone from face to face contact to technological contact in such a short period of time. Most teenagers nowadays would rather communicate through technology than to have a normal face to face conversation. This has caused a decline teens grammatical and writing skills.

    Read More

More about The Problem with Today's Youth Language

Open Document