The Written Word

10 years ago, young adults graduated high school with an acceptable level of literacy. Typically, they could write a paragraph with mostly correct spelling and grammar. I am quite confident this is on a severe decline.

My father has a minor form of dyslexia. On occasion he will call to ask how something is spelled, usually because the letters get jumbled up in his head. The key here, is that he calls to ask. He knows and understands this disability, but wishes to better himself. Usually, he has the spelling correct when he says it out loud to us. My father is also a strong communicator. If you listen to him on the telephone with a client, he is very intelligent and knows his subject well. He also has a knack for being able to simplify the technical terms that he has to use on a daily basis, ensuring his clients understand what he is saying. This is part of why he is so successful as a home inspector.

If you contrast this with what is presently occurring in our youth society, it is a very sad and scary thing. I have 24 cousins, at last count, and many of them I speak to online using various chat programs (usually MSN Messenger). On a regular basis, I am asking them and reminding them to spell correctly when speaking to me - or at least make an attempt. Why am I such a stickler for it? If you do not make it a habit to write/spell correctly, eventually the proper forms of words are going to be lost on you, and you will lose your ability. It is a skill that must be honed and practiced in order to be effective and there when you need it to be.

I had this conversation with one of my cousins (who shall remain anonymous) today. This person got quite defensive with my conversation, culminating in the following statement:

"i dotn think it makes me look cool its just easyer and it doesnt mean that i cant typ normal i am quite cabable thankyou. Jeepers i can talk writte and typ just fine when i want to typing msn way does not affect me the same as other people"

I love all my cousins. I want them to be successful in life. Part of being successful is having the ability to communicate effectively. The downward slope of literacy has begun. Terms such as "urself" and "wit" and "shur" are easily formed bad habits that have great potential of carrying over to everyday use. Acronyms, I understand, are part of being in an online chat as well. I can understand their use on occasion (IMO, TTYL, TTFN, N2M, AFK, LOL, etc). But when an entire conversation becomes short form, is it not a fair assumption that this habit will develop into common English?

I have seen this in the youth, and I have seen it at the college level. A distinct inability to communicate via the written word. The decline of the English language can even be seen in popular fiction. When we compare literature from history, Hugo, Hawthorne, or even Tolkien, we find the use of the English language to be exemplary - even when translated from another language. And yet, many of my peers even at the college level have difficulty writing a coherent essay. Where have we, as a society, gone wrong? What will books and the written word be like when I am old and gray?

I am the first to admit my vocabulary and spelling ability are not as strong as they could be. Yes, I use a thesaurus when writing and I rely on spell check on many occasions. But do I try to write properly? Yes. Do I make the effort to learn the words? Yes. Much like my father, I make an effort to communicate effectively, even if I have shortcomings. We are raising a society of youth who are too lazy to make the effort. It is very scary and will have very real consequences.

I suppose it is just something for you to think about. I will continue to encourage my cousins to write correctly. Sure, it is annoying to them, but maybe one of them will take it to heart. And when I am living in Abu Dhabi riding camels, perhaps they will be the one who can write me a letter that I can understand.

I hope all is well in your world.