A short essay I wrote in HS Grade 12 - found while cleaning up google docs XD

The Modern English Language – Adapting to Change

It is easy to criticize modern English. Critics can simply point out the ambiguity of political propaganda, the decadence of profanity, and the silliness of emoticons. However, before judging, one should recognize how the English-speaking society has evolved and subsequently see how well English has adapted to those changes. I believe that the overall competence of a language depends primarily on its ability to assist the ordinary person in communicating ideas. Modern English, in my opinion, has become an efficient tool of communication in today’s world. This essay explores how English has changed and how its changes affect modern society.

The internet is the greatest invention of the 20^th Century. English, both spoken and written, has changed dramatically because of the internet. Now that communication around the world has become quick and easy, it’s natural that we, the users of language, would want to make communication quicker and easier. One way of shortening language is acronym usage. Recognizing the efficiency of using acronyms for technical terms such as ISO for the International Organization of Standardization, we adopted the idea for the internet. Why spend a full three seconds typing “laughing out loud” when “lol” will do.

Another fun tool for communicating over the internet is emoticon usage. Emoticons are especially good for expressing emotions quickly. I feel it is hard to adequately describe feelings with words, especially a small amount of words. Sure, typing “happy” in the instant messenger would express your feelings, but it won’t have the same impact as an emoticon. People register images faster and more vividly, and it doesn’t matter if those images are lopsided because we get used to it. Also, since technology has made emoticons in most instant messengers more like actual images, they are even easier and faster to recognize and use.

Changes in society have created changes in language, but it also works in the reverse. The ease of language use in online communication has raised a global group of technologically savvy teens, who form a large base of internet users. Being well-versed in the internet is very important for our generation to successfully thrive and compete in tomorrow’s world, where the web will be a driving force behind all sorts of industries. I find, also, that the simplified version of online English has helped to bring people from different parts of the world closer together, breaking down language barriers.

In the fast-paced modern world, speed and efficiency of communication is essential, and English has adapted well to the change. Modern English will surely endure in connecting us all in a harmonious global culture.

AN: I think I really need to take up classes or have writing projects forced onto me to write lol. I chuckle at some of the things I wrote... but overall I have not changed much.

-L