language is a thing that can b rly gr8, or rly awkward. sometimes u can communicate ur ideas well, n other times they can get completely lost in translation. n it's weird 2 think that English especially is so diverse that we've developed unique dialects spoken by tons of different ppl. technology has gr8ly helped progress n shape da way we behave ; ppl often find themselves thinking in txt speak n whatnot. But just like that, we're forced to code switch everyday; sometimes when addressing authority figures, and others when we need to sound more official and intelligent. Which strikes me as odd, personally, because how can speaking a language a certain way impact your entire life?
language elitism is totally a thing, n as much as we'd like 2 think it's not a daily occurrence, it is. even when ppl hear some1 at the grocery store stuttering to get their message across, they make assumptions. y doesn't that person bother 2 learn proper English? as anzaldua alluded 2, "If you're not going to learn how to speak like an American, go back to Mexico where you belong." or if we hear a foreigner who didn't learn English as their 1st language speaking it, we think they sound awkward, or strange. our society 2day has created such a stigma around anything that's not our standard English, or our accepted form of "casual English"; n if no 1 takes u srsly from the start, how can u communicate anything to anyone?
Although you can understand the (uncomfortable) text speak I tried to write in, understanding and comprehending truly are two different things. Does the message come across with nearly as much depth as opposed to if I had written it in standard English? Probably not. But even then, there's a phenomena at play: there's a certain ethos associated with different dialects of English. And in a day and age where this kind of speak is used on a daily basis, could this stigma be heightened or completely done away with?
As a great man once said, "the medium is the massage," the medium clearly plays a big role in communicating, let alone trying to communicate philosophy. It's not uncommon for people to get in arguments over what a text means, because there's so much ambiguity hidden in the few words typed. Meaning that as long as digital messaging exists, the world of communication will always be a diverse lingual experience. Text speak can't possibly be taken seriously, while standard English is the tool used to really nail your point down. Some people are more skillful than others at code switching; so can they really be communicating anything meaningful via "casual English?" Language has become more about self-expression in modern times, and in this process, the messages trying to be conveyed can often be lost.
