Ever try going a day without including LOL in your texts?
We challenge you to try it.
Linguistic expert John McWhorter has expounded on the topic of LOL. On CNN, he writes: "Let's face it - no mentally composed human being spend his or her entire life immersed in ceaseless hilarity. The LOLs must mean something else.
"They do. They signal basic empathy between texters. What began as signifying laughter morphed into easing tension and creating a sense of equality.
"That is, 'LOL' no longer 'means' anything. Rather, it 'does something' - conveying an attitude - just as the ending '-ed' doesn't 'mean' anything but conveys past tense. LOL is, of all things, grammar
"Texting is not the mangling of language - it's the birth of a new one."
So what's the actual issue? It's not so much problems with grammar, it's the problem with one on one communication. Most people can say that they text more people than they actually talk to over the phone. The number of text messages sent monthly in the U.S. exploded from 14 billion in 2000 to 188 billion in 2010, according to a Pew Institute survey. We've gotten so carried away that instead of talking to someone over the phone, you can talk to your phone and it will text it for you. I'd love to understand why people find that necessary.
Psychologists have proved that interpersonal communication teaches people to think, reason, and reflect. This is not only important for dealing with people in "real world situations" but expressing your own opinions in a functional manner. Many people can vouch that they've gotten so used to texting someone, that actually feels intimidating to call.What is the point of switching your "language" when you can't fully express yourself. Despite this, there are a number of reason why texting is beneficial, convenient and necessary, but don't say "WTF..I'm SMH and IDK why ppl can't TTY in a decent manner these days".
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