The Evolution of the Language of the Internet: What Students Need to Know

Nowadays, people cannot imagine their life without the internet. Communication, planning, entertainment, and even finances have moved online, replacing their real predecessors. We want to delve deeper into the evolution of Internet language starting from the origins of online communication, and ending with modern memes, their role in history, and implications for students. It will be interesting, stay tuned!

Early days of Internet communication 

We bet hardly anyone remembers the early days of the Internet when people were first introduced to the magic of online communication. Back then, people were content with only text messages, replacing traditional letters. Basically, people treated online communication like a literal letter, trying to keep it formal, organized, and literate. If you could introduce a modern LOLs-type message to someone from the beginning of the 2000s, they would be terrified! 

It's not for us to judge, but internet communication has disseminated into the real world, spreading its LOLs and ROFLs into human interactions.  While it may facilitate the process of communication, some people go too far with informal internet slang, often using it in improper situations. The academic environment is one such situation where people must adhere to formal and standardized rules of communication to maintain mutual respect and understanding. No surprise that many people turn to professional paper writing service that specializes in academic writing. Qualified professionals will ensure that the tone of voice in academic papers is just right, allowing students to meet all academic standards. 

LOLs and LMAOs: What are they?

Incidentally, we are moving ahead! Although it is impossible to track down the emergence of internet abbreviations, people were already using them actively in 2009. Yes, we are talking about lol, lmao, xx, and many many other alien ciphers you are googling to understand their meaning. They appeared to respond to the drastically increasing number of internet users and interlocutors. These short forms of phrases allowed to save time and make communication easier, faster, and… cooler. 

Remember, if you really struggle with your formal language, consider to pay to write research paper. Professional help will not hurt; instead, it will provide complete guidance to achieve academic excellence. 

Entering the modern age

Since approximately 2010, the Internet language has been off the leash, introducing more and more types of content integrated directly into communication. Photos, videos, GIFs, and emojis have become indispensable parts of online correspondence, making people who do not use them boring and hard to understand (according to internet users). However, all the abovementioned elements indeed help to increase clarity and mutual understanding in online communication where you don’t see the person. Emojis, for example, are the most convenient tool to visualize emotions: if you are upset–use crying emo, you are laughing–use laughing emo, you are anything–you know the drill. 

Apparently, the discussion about Internet language would be incomplete without mentioning memes. These funny pictures and videos that steal hours of your time online are also the product of modern online communication. Just think about it: a decade ago, people discovered global events via TV or newspapers, but today, you can see a hilarious image and understand anything. Sometimes, it is even scary that people can make fun of everything these days. In the future, historians will explore modern memes on par with documents. Isn’t it funny? Wait, I think that I have already seen such a meme. 

What students can learn from Internet language?

 

It may not be so obvious, but students can really draw meaningful conclusions from learning about internet language. For instance, be very cautious with abbreviations in your academic papers since some people may not be aware of specific organizations, concepts, and approaches. It is better to explain the meaning of the abbreviations and remind them of their full form from time to time. Additionally, memes, photos, and other visual elements in internet communication hint at a similar approach in your papers. Do not hesitate to add pictures, charts, and other content to visualize what you are talking about. Thus, you will make your paper clearer, more interesting, and more understandable.