There is a paradoxical claustrophobia about the vastness of the internet. The world is condensed into a smartphone. We talk about being glued to our screens because it seems as though when we are online, we are unable to look around, outside or beyond. Donning a VR headset immerses you in an expansive new world, but completely cuts you off from those standing nearby.
Alongside this physical constriction there is an emotional flattening. The online environment of social media, news headlines and meme culture does not allow for nuance or context. Everything is stripped back to bare essentials. There is no room for the luxury of explanation or exposition.
‘Because Internet – Understanding How Language Is Changing’ by Gretchen McCulloch takes a look at how language is evolving to deal with the new digital terrain.There are great discussions on text speak, emojis and memes. I didn’t realise, for example, that putting a full stop at the end of a text can imply passive aggression. I have been doing it for years, thinking that I was just being over precise.
Language itself will be fine. It cannot help but evolve to meet the demands of each new generation. Or rather, each new generation cannot help but repurpose language to find a way to express themselves.
But we should be mindful nevertheless of the new digital terrain in which our self expression is playing out. With fewer words and less time in which to make a point or grab your attention, we are necessarily going to pump up the linguistic volume. Sentiment is condensed and flattened as texts move online. Emotions are emptied out.
I have been thinking about these dynamics over the summer. ‘Poetry Please’ is the result, exploring the contrasting language forms of books and bytes. Poems that meander slowly and lyrically on the printed page are condensed into instant quotes. The art of poetry is reduced not to prose but to text.
