How has the Internet had an effect on language, specifically English?
From Internet: Knowledge and Community
How has the Internet had an effect on language, specifically English? Is the language used on the Internet different from the one used in the physical world? Do you think the Internet will ultimately destroy or improve the English language as we know it today? - Katie Aiello
I think that languages arise as an answer to the needs of the users of that language. As the needs of the community change, its language will change (but language is also used to build worldview and therefore it also has impacts on the community that uses it-- language impacts and is impacted by its community). The English language is in a transition state, English speaking communities are in a transition state. The internet isn't necessarily destroying the English language and it isn't really "improving" it-- the English language is changing because the community that uses it has new needs which have arisen due to our reliance on the internet.
Robert Price's Response:
Linguistics is a very interesting topic. I found it so interesting that I studied it for a while in high school (where I had to write a research paper on the subject) and a little in college.
Languages arose in the past due to factors outside of their native communities. This was partly caused by agriculture because farming allowed for larger populations to be supported. Eventually populations got so large that people would move further and further away from their homes or home land. Some of these people moved so far away that they encountered other peoples and cultures. These people of course had their own language and, provided the outsider wasn't killed first, they would share it with the stranger. The stranger would then eventually return to their native land some time later and share what they had learned and this process was repeated again and again. My point with this story is that largely external (rather than internal) forces shape languages. My references.
The Internet is/was, in a way, a force both created by and outside of our culture. English (as well as all languages) is always changing. "Google" has become a verb, and it may even have found its way to the Oxford English Dictionary. Texting is its own language that emerged from the Internet. Again, I think the Internet is a force outside our culture that should be considered "the village beyond the mountain" within the context of linguistics. I agree with the above poster that the English language has responded to the Internet but I think it's due to more reasons than simply necessity.
The internet has caused many new words and phrases to be added to our collective vocabulary. I would not have known what "tweeting" was a couple of years ago, but now I read people's "tweets" every day. I think the internet has added a lot of specificity and idiosyncrasy to the way we speak. It's really created a whole new area of the English language that someone who has no interest in internet-culture won't understand. I can think of a lot of people in my life who wouldn't know what a "wiki" is even. If you take a quick glance through the Urban Dictionary [1], you will see all kinds of brand-new phrases and words that people have created and shared about and through the internet. That kind of instant access to new terms and slang helps push our collective internet-related vocabulary forward. So I think the pace at which we've all quickly adapted to this new language is both a result of and a reaction to the influence of the internet itself.
Merilyn's Response
I think even before the internet was created, the english language was effected by many aspects, whether through cultural backgrounds or just lack of education. I think the internet just allowed people this freedom of expressing themselves anyway they feel, whether it is using correct english or not without feeling criticized. With I.M. and texting people tend to use more slang words, abbreviations, and acronyms in their writing and it seems to be an accepted way of communication. These days everything and everyone are so fast paced that sometimes these ways of speaking or writing make it quicker and easier to get your message out. This is especially apparent within the younger generation, where "text lingo" has been incorporated into their daily speech. The internet has effected the english language in the sence that it has allowed speech to become a more free flowing way of communication. But, outside of technology these continually changing times have definately altered the english language, and the internet and new technology has a big part to do with it.
