By Brianna Meeks

The very purpose of texting and social media is to communicate. So, it’s perfectly natural that as technology has changed, the way we communicate has changed as well. It is now very easy to send a quick text to someone to ask a question or share a story.

Social media helps us stay up-to-date on what is going on in our friends’ lives. Technology may have increased our range of expression, but many question what it has done to the quality of our communication.

One aspect that concerns people is that of acronyms. LOL and OMG, the most common acronyms, are making the transition from being used only in texts and on social media to being used in our spoken language as well.

Junior Lauren Hoffman said, “Acronyms are okay for texting but not for talking face-to-face.”

English teacher Mrs. Karen Kosbob agreed, saying, “[Acronyms] are becoming part of our language. It’s harder for people to switch out of the texting mode.”

Another, more subtle, change is that of punctuation. Presently, using a period can turn an otherwise friendly message into a slightly aggressive one. This is one of the less obvious results of technology, but some, like junior Elizabeth Getis, find it to be an intriguing change. “It’s kind of cool how putting a period in the right place can convey tone,” she said.

The issue of technology and language really boils down to the lack of integrity that technology is creating in our communication. It has become easier to assert only enough effort to send a text or facebook message than to make connections more meaningfully in person.

As sophomore James Smith said, “Your friends have been turned into a screen that fits into your pocket.”