What is with the illegible gibberish on this site and the internet in general?

[giganticpark337]

I read some of the questions on this site and I truly do not understand. Same for Facebook, same for many message boards and forums. If English is a second language to someone, then fine. That makes perfect sense. In many cases though, it's Americans writing these things....these completely incomprehensible thoughts that look as if they came from someone with mild brain damage. It's as if they can't spell words or form sentences in their own native tongue. I imagine it's the same in other languages as well, but I don't speak another one well enough to know.

I get the idea of "lol" and similar things. I get that typos happen. I get people aren't necessarily out to impress with their writing. But like... it's not as if I spent 2 hours composing this question of mine! A few minutes maybe. Maybe a minute more to reread before posting. Even before rereading, with spellcheck and basic knowledge of my own language, it was in much better shape than the question that inspired this posting in the first place. Is it crazy of me to put so much thought into this?

I guess my real question is... Has texting, internet forums and social media destroyed literacy? Why is it that the second someone hops on their computer or phone, they forget how to form coherent thoughts through writing? What the hell has happened to society that grown adults in their 50's and 60's write at the level of 5 year old children and use phrases and abbreviations that are most popular among immature teenage girls??
@ nameless - I'm 30. I get exactly what you're saying with your argument here. I really don't think you get what I mean though. I'm not talking about language evolution, using the word "cuz" instead of cause, or "ppl" instead of people. I'm talking about entire paragraphs of abbreviated words, misspellings and the worst, incorrect usage of words. That's the opposite of evolution.

And dude, notice that your entire response criticizing me was written entirely legible and made perfect sense. Did you have to make a special effort to do that?? Were you working very hard to impress me or something?? No, of course not. It came second nature, because you are literate and intelligent.

It isn't about things like "lmao" and "smh", it's about knowing the way words go together to form sentences that make sense. I'm not a grammar nazi, I'm not expecting shakespeare here, just basic coherent thoughts. You can still us

[Guru]

As a teenager myself, I can only input my opinion as I have not seen the levels of literacy before my age. I'm pretty sure it's pure laziness. At least, that is what I find is true, over more than 2/3 of my friends agree that they write like this due to them 'not giving a stuff'.

I see it at school as well, perhaps it may even be that the intelligence of our teens today is lowering? I have met many year 9s and year 10s who ask me to spell simple words like 'tragedy' 'coffee' 'interesting'. It's quite embarrassing really.

[Edward N]

Hey, aint that the truth? Now you know how B H Obama got re elected. We have been stupidized.

[Yay]

it is natural for language to change over time. i dont see anyone say thee or thou anymore. i do agree that people should be more thorough and clear in their writings for the sake of comprehension. but i am a rebel in the sense that i dont like capital letters. we dont need two of every letter it makes my typing less efficient. :]

[Shirley]

Ever watched YGS on YouTube?
I'm really not sure, but my Facebook friends are all very intelligent and don't spout gibberish. I think it's a rare case though.
You can support à literacy improvement cause, like I do at school, if it bothers you that much.
Traditionally, though, only the upper class could read and write, so I guess at least they can in the first place.
-painfully written on mobile

[Nameless]

I hope that you are over 60 years old, because you sound like some ossified old fart who spends his time complaining that life is changing from the halcyon days of your youth!

Language, grampa, is an ever evolving, living thing, reflecting our changing and deepening understanding of the One Reality!

"A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and time in which it is used." -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Have some prune juice, and BREATHE!

I figure that if you can understand what is being said, you are merely placing obstacles to your own understanding by 'choking on such tiny bones'!
Perhaps it is defensive in the sense that you really don't actually have to 'think' when you can do an and-run around the question on a batch of obfuscating nit-picking.

Never be afraid to take your 'thoughts' out for some air, on occasion, let them go, you never were 'in control'!

Are you jealous of someone who can just write 'ppl' and we know exactly what they mean. Makes us look 'slow'.
I don't mind looking 'slow', in that sense, I like playing with the language as I am learning and changing it to reflect new knowledge.

c u
(How frigging 'clean' and succinct! Open your eyes, brother, the world needs Wise old men, but that requires mental flexibility, not more fossils to collect and store somewhere! Are you 'trying' to be your father? *__- )

[Mastermorning762]

Jeez I hate to think what you think of people who have Dyslexia!

[Shih Tzu]

I don't know how they can represent themselves with poor writing. I usually skip over those questions. I figure if they can link together some intelligent thought, why should I bother answering. I totally agree with you.

[Lapiz Dominoes]

I am 67, dyslexic and highly literate
with a Ph.D, family..the works...
if people find writing to one another on a tiny machine is fast
that`s fine...
the standard of literacy`s not increased or decreased..
only that we have more access to the upside/ downside
of most aspects of life now imho.

I could fault you for using the colloquialism, `what is with....`
rather than using a more literal & grammatically correct phrase, could I not?......`
Yet , as I know what you mean, why would I do so?
Point made, I hope.