Meaning
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.
2. The terms that Johnson singles out are “like,” “duh,” and “yeah, right”. These words are constructed and scattered all throughout Kirk’s argument. This supports the main thesis of Johnson’s entry is that these slang terms are utilized to project the significance of the time we live in. He also marvels at the way one might unconsciously need those words to buffer and fill statements.
3. A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, but has veracity to it. Johnson demonstrates that there’s a paradox in this new age in that He provides a technical and ornate response by saying that computers of today, used by this new society dependant on “duh” and/or “like” and “yeah,
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right,” were built by the brains of the older generation, contrasting the perception that the youth would fully eliminate the “yes or no” establishment. 4.
Caustic is defined as being too abrasive and/or too critical: “Shannon’s caustic commentaries slightly shifted the employee’s smirk into a frown.” Incisive is defined as being clear and direct, referred as an action: “While writing a research paper on Napoleon and his influence, Sarah traveled to the library for a novel on the subject and formed an incisive and thought-provoking argument.” Semiotics is defined as being the study of signs and symbols and how they are applied: “As a young boy, Elias was intrigued in semiotics and how the pi symbol came to be.” Unpalatable is defined as distasteful and unpleasant, usually regarding forms of food: “Marge’s mother had always an unpalatable and unappealing dish every Thanksgiving dinner.” Self-deprecation is an action of not giving value to and belittling oneself: “Once Alice had taken the will of replacing her rimmed eyeglasses for contacts, her self-deprecation only diminished and confidence
bloomed.” Purpose and Audience 1. Johnson’s purpose for writing his thesis was to entertain and substantiate how the alteration of word selection between two different generations can be interconnected and how the new slang is totally out-of-the-box to an aging figure compared to the current youth. He provides a humorous description of the differences of “duh,” and “yeah, right,” by stating that while duh sounds more forthright and seemingly irritable, yeah right sounds more “laid back, a surfer's cool kind of response to anything…” [paragraph 9]. He also brings about a scenario after paragraph eight and before paragraph nine that showcases a parent-child discussion and how the child’s idealistic and all-too-predictable response is “duh”. This initiates an amusing jab at the child, in which Johnson clearly takes the initiative to explain that the particular word can exude an answer, annex additional accounts about the argument or the inquiry a person’s replying to, and simultaneously offend the person who is speaking. This canny explanation only perpetrates the truth in which the reader might reevaluate how they too unknowingly identify that they use the word repetitively and for the same purposes Johnson mentions. 2. While reading this analysis, Johnson sought to appeal to a broad variety of ages, eager to inform the mass audience of this new slang. When aggravatingly explaining why the word “like” startles and frightens him, he satirizes it by reiterating it: “’Like is, like, dangerous,’” [paragraph 11]. The readers don’t necessarily have to approve or agree of the slang, but rather gain a set of knowledge from a father raising two adolescent sons in the twenty first century. Johnson surely assumes that his readers know the slang due to the transmission of popular culture, advancements in technology, and teenagers saying these terms in front of their elders, much like in Kirk’s case. 3. Johnson concludes that “’duh’ and its perfectly paired linguistic partner, ‘yeah, right,’ are the ideal terms to usher in the millenniums and the information age…” [paragraph 2]. He goes on further saying that while writing this analysis, his sons may intervene and quip their father’s “exaggeration” with a patent “yeah, right.” Johnson can be interpreted as knowing the reader’s initial thoughts while digressing to his own words. He pleads for the audience to hear him out, for he has been persuaded that both slang terms, “duh” and “yeah, right”, are emerging to complete the vacancy in the English language because times are changing. He feels that some inquiries nowadays can adequately be replied with the old-fashioned yes or no, but meanwhile, an abounding gush of publicity and witless babbling jeopardizes the continuity of the outdated society and its influence. He even goes as far as to say that both “duh” and “yeah, right,” are the solutions. I’m pretty convinced with his response in that as a fifteen year old girl, given the article’s publication date, the slang is pretty much around and thriving. It’s candid of him to admit that this “new” slang has pretty much shaped our culture, the media, and the way we consume every day. Method and Structure 1. The quotations that Johnson provides in paragraph thirteen provides a, first and foremost, theoretical and tinge of fiction, regarding the usage of the slang terms. Since this article was published in 2001, this situation would’ve been relevant then. From my common knowledge, no one in the adolescent age group would use the slang in that particular connotation as he did. If Johnson would do a revision of this article and publish it to fit 2015’s mold and our current use of the slang, it would’ve proved far more accurate. I would’ve liked to see more examples of it the very first paragraph, which would’ve contributed to his thesis. It would’ve grabbed my attention and I would’ve been intrigued to continue on. 2. I think that Johnson didn’t mention “like” until the middle because it’s more of an unknowing selection of word choice to use for the human mind and he really does an outstanding job pointing out a common adolescent flaw, making us look guilty and aware in the process. It makes the essay more approachable and interesting because Kurt knows what he’s talking about, given that he’s a father of two preteens going into their teenage years. It makes the reader, especially a young learner, feel like an adult understands the use of these terms and what they mean. 3. Personal experiences are contrasted with this new age for Johnson. Yes and no was the “slang” of his time, the obsolete era he regards as the 1950’s. He strongly believes that the flow was more straightforward than now and parallels it with events in history he grew up with that, “belonged to the Manichean red-or-dead mentality of the cold war, [and] manufacturing,” [paragraph 4]. Impersonal evidence is the phrasing of the quotations in paragraph thirteen. Before proceeding with it, he describes it as “hypothetical”, meaning a fictionalized scenario. This may have inspired him from a “typical” teenager’s actions, but writing the quotations as “hypothetical” gives almost no truth to his real life situations. They’re both equally effective in that the personal evidence gives us Johnson’s take on his experiences growing up during the 50’s and how the evolution of society is ever changing, and the impersonal evidence can give a sense of self-awareness for the reader to avoid using the slang in that specific way he wrote, giving us explanations as to why he wrote it that specific way. 4. The meaning of “duh” is used in an annoyed tone to implicate that something is already obvious and apparent; “Yeah, right” can be classified as a sarcastic response or an agreement to a statement; “Like” can be defined as a prepositional phrase used to describe something or a phrase used to describe a similarity between two subjects. “Duh” sounds more annoyed than the other slang terms. “Yeah, right” sounds more mocking and doubtful than the other two. “Like” just sounds like one’s not really certain of what they’re saying and/or describing. Language 1. Johnson’s tone is humorous and incisive. He gives life to the terms in a very unique and amusing way in which he contrasts the true purpose of “duh,” and “yeah, right”. It gives the reader a visual and a chuckle when Johnson contrasts a gruff “duh” to a nonchalant “yeah right”. His incisive tone is reflected when bringing in an expert. Kirk takes a different approach with these slang words and expands his questions through a professor of linguistics and semiotics at a top-notch Canadian university, Marcel Danesi. Danesi believes that once one places the word “like” halfway through a sentence, “…a statement can be turned into a question, a question into an exclamation, an exclamation into a quiet meditation,” [paragraph 12]. It gives a sense of familiarity among the reader and author when Johnson wavers and incorporates both tones throughout the essay. 2. While discussing and supporting his thesis with the importance of “duh” and how they buffer our statements and complete them, words pairs appear such as “understatement or overstatement, stupidity or insightfulness, information saturation or yawning emptiness,” [paragraph 6]. This contributes to Johnson’s mentioning of the usage in a right or wrong way and accentuates the need for this guideline when compared to his “yes or no” era. 3. Johnson provides a comprehensible, yet sophisticated distribution of ideas while giving humorous truth to real life situations. Comparing two of the biggest cites in America to two of the frequently used slang terms, he declares that New York is all about “duh” while Los Angeles fits more with the “yeah, right,” slang. He goes on further to another major influence of the slang: mass media transmission. Johnson firmly believes that the small screen industry and their advertisements can be presented innocuous and still by merely vocalizing, ‘‘Yeah, right,'' even after the end. He even states that government and national bodies are culprits as well of using the slang; “Any politician's speech cries out for heaping helpings of both at various moments,” [paragraph 10]. I had to read this essay more than once due to the intricate style and symbolic way of writing Johnson offered. It was something in between due to newfound words and just because overall, it was so humorous and intelligent, that I found myself wanting to get a laugh with every phrase and word I saw all over again.
One specific example is, “...We are becoming a callous, chickenhearted and immoral people…” Wainwright uses words such as callous, and immoral, to show his stern disapproval of the witnesses actions. In this sentence, Wainwright is calling out everyone, saying that more people need to be good Samaritans, and help when someone is in need. This is because Kitty Genovese had at least 38 witnesses, but not one of them went outside their home to help her, and not one of them called the police until after the murderer had driven off. Another example of Wainwright’s use of diction is, “Another witness had the awful distinction of being the only person Kitty Genovese recognized in the audience, taking in her final moments.” This was when Kitty called the man she recognized by his name, but he didn’t answer, he ignored her, leaving her helpless. With the specific content of the sentence, it appears that Wainwright shows her sarcasm towards the man that had to go through those “traumatizing” moments. By Kitty calling the man’s name, it shows the inexcusable public apathy from him, for not caring, or bothering to see what she
A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself. After Guitar suspect that Milkman has taken and hidden the gold, Guitar feels betrayed by Milkman. When Milkman is in Shalimar, Guitar leaves a message warning Milkman that he is going to kill him. The conversation between Guitar and Milkman is paradoxical because a best friend would not try to kill you, and an enemy would not help and warn another enemy.
In order to understand the concept of Moore’s Paradox, we must first assess and understand the behavior of logical and performative contradictions. Credited for devising and examining this paradox, George Edward Moore, a British philosopher who taught at the University of Cambridge and studied ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics describes the paradox in its omissive and commissive forms in which we will discuss thoroughly. I will then express my standpoint on which solution is the most optimal choice for Moore’s Paradox in order to analyze and explain why I believe my solution is superior to other solutions. I will also discuss any issues that arise
Contradictions are ideas or statements that oppose one another, such as paradox and irony. Paradox means that a statement contradicts itself, which may or may not be true; while irony is when you say one idea but mean another. For instance, The Declaration of Independence is one example which Americans show their contradictions. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “All men are created equal” at the same time Americans had slaves in their possession which evoked all African-Americans to obtain any natural rights as indicated in The Declaration of Independence (194). In addition, the paradox involved with this statement is a reason, which makes this country a travesty. All of these writers relate to The Declaration of Independence when dealing with contradictions
She argues, “Now I suggest that the culture in which they develop tempts them into narcissistic ways of relating to the world” (244). The author argues that the society in which young adults grow up, reflects on their view of the world. Growing up in a technologically advanced society, teens seem ill prepared to deal with their day to day surroundings that require social interaction. Many millennials show little interest in anything dealing in the past. Instead, they are focused on the future and the next great technological advancement. Lastly, at the end of her essay, Turkle expresses the true social issues of teens due to the abundance of technology. She claims, “teenagers who will only ‘speak’ online, who rigorously avoid face-to-face encounters, who are in text connect with their parents fifteen or twenty times a day, who deem even a telephone call ‘too much’ (243). Turkle claims that there are consequences resulting on the heavy reliance of technology. Teens only speak over text and cannot even speak on the telephone, because they are too internal. Rather than speaking externally with others, teens are quiet while only communicating with themselves and over the phone. They would rather write words, than speak them. This is creating a generation of young adults who are not comfortable in normal social
In “Cultural Illiteracy,” a preface to the novel The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein critically evaluates how technological distractions affect the younger generation. Bauerlein states that “digital diversions” are cutting the younger generation off from culturally enhancing mediums and is in turn making the younger generation less intelligent. Though Bauerlein is correct about the increase of peer pressure due to technology, he is mistaken about how technology is making the younger generation unintelligent.
Since it’s been a predominant topic of our discussion, let us talk about the infamous English language. We can be sure that it has painstakingly progressed throughout generations of reevaluation and modernization, and has thus become what it is today. It has gone in several directions to try and mesh with the various epochs of language, from the Shakespearean era to the common English slang we use now, we can all agree that English is a language that has been transcending and will continue to transcend into many
Writing, according to an article in Times Magazine titled “Is Texting Killing the English Language” by John McWhorter, is an art that has been around for about 5,500 years. Since writing is deliberate and takes more time to compose, it’s usually better thought out and sounds more sophisticated. Speech, on the other hand, is more of an “unconscious” practice.
In Postman’s perspective, America has moved along with an incredible way of communication to accommodate itself with the several different interferences that are brought on by television. This ends up killing the printed language (156).
Despite the warnings of Orwell through both his essay and dystopian novel, bad English is still used today, and could be argued to affect more English than it did during Orwell’s life. The consequences are also just as he predicted, those who control the language are able to wield control over the thoughts of others. The usage of poor quality English by media has he effect of making the recipients of news more detached from events and as a consequence, more self-focused. The clumsiness and foolishness imposed by bad English ultimately degrading thought, politics, culture, and society is what Orwell had foretold. This is the English tragedy that is disregarded, modern thoughts of “English” are not of language but of the English Queen.
“Your Ability to Can Even: A Defense of Internet Linguistics” by Tia Baheri, is a great read. The article focuses on the new language that has been created among Internet users and how some critics think it is a negative impact on the English language and how others, such as Baheri herself, think that there is nothing wrong with the change what so ever. After reading the article, I agree with Tia Baheri, I also think that language is as she states, “Supposed to flex and shape itself to convey what we mean to say as directly and efficiently as possible”. Yes, some who do not spend a lot of time on the Internet may not understand some of the newly used phrases but for others it is the best way to express themselves.
Another strategy Johnson uses is the use of logic. When addressing the woman’s son, he describes him as a “great man” , but “to whom I never spoke” and “had never seen” . This is an example of logic because he is saying that he
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Johnson explains that language is one of the many proofs of civility among people. Being a people of class and artistic pleasures most are well read and pursue knowledge daily. This leads to what he calls internal causes for changes in language such as the sciences. Many scientific terms are created to represent new ideas and discoveries. By creating a dictionary Johnson hopes to build a foundation on which more words can be founded not eliminated. I believe that Johnson finds this type of change to be beneficial to the English language; saying “a language is amplified (Johnson2751).
Because of Brown’s lack lustering amount of background information, I have to assume that his involvement to social media and technology is where he gets the motivation for some of his vocabulary such as “commTech” and “MedBots”(Brown 325). Brown has a very unique writing style. What Brown lacks in character development, he replaces with writing style. I found it hard to make notes on the character’s because he never gave me much reason to care about the character’s until they were killed off like insects. While the bonding between reader and character is scarce, his use of writing devices such as similes come in an abundance, “pawns in a giant chess match”(Brown 284) and “You’re mad as a Red.”(Brown 280), both quotes are said by important characters, but they are referring to characters that have no ties to me as the