As technology speeds up all aspects of our daily lives, everyday communications have evolved into “micro-conversations” (not to be confused with these) best embodied by the advent of text messaging and IMs. Not only have the conversations gotten shorter and more precise due to the back-and-forth nature of these channels, the actual language used within those communications has gotten shorter. A new pidgin dialect has arisen that is an acronym/shorthand hybrid created and embraced by the online and cell phone communities. If you are looking to learn the lingo, find out the 411 here. BTW, it’s my POV that acronyms and shorthand need to be obvious and shouldn’t be forced upon others IYKWIMAITYD (and no, that’s not my UPS tracking code).
As more people embrace new technologies and segue (not this) from quills to keyboards, there will undoubtedly be continued online language development whereby complete messages will be transmitted in abbreviated forms. For instance, ISTM that SSEWBA will soon be interchangeable with: it seems to me that someday soon everything will be acronyms. And as more and more people join the online community, more and more people will also suffer from some of the negative side effects.
Forget the days of lore when thumbing referred to hitchhiking. Now people are obsessively thumbing text messages. New physical and mental ailments are arising, from text message thumbs to mouse wrists. But the most widely known computer related injuries (CRI) include Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) and Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). According to one source, “the estimated cost in lost productivity and compensation [as a result of computer related ailments] in the US was over $17 billion.”
Even good ol’ Uncle Sam has something to say about it. Check out this OSHA link.
