How Language Varies Between Older and Younger Generations in Social Media
Contents
Introduction
Communication is a vital aspect of human life. Through communication, we interact with others, express our ideas, and learn new things. The language used to communicate often changes as time progresses. For communication to be productive, all generations have to keep up with the changing language. We live in a society that loves to put labels on all things. These labels are often accompanied by stereotypes that are assumed to define a particular group of individuals. In such a society, we are labeled according to when we were born. Generation X and baby boomers are the most discussed and stereotyped generations (Renn, 2008). Differences between these two generations have often caused some conflict between them. The baby boomers have often disagreed with generation X’s attitudes and accused of contributing to the death of several industries and values. Significant differences and sources of conflict between the two generations are evident in how they use language in the digital age. The difference in language usage between these two different generations at times results in a communication barrier.
Technological advancements and development of the internet have further widened the difference in language use between these two generations. Communication has currently moved away from the traditional face to face communication to adopt digital methods such as social media and instant messaging (Subramanian and Razak 2014). The new communication platforms created through advancements in technology have made it possible for almost anyone to become an author. When using these platforms, the new authors tend to use informal language, which is the primary source of language difference between these two generations.
Although the language used when communication on internet platforms is quite different from the traditional style used during face to face communication, significant differences are visible in how baby boomers and generation Z use language on these platforms. The language used on social media by Generation Z varies from the language used by boomers in terms of lexicon, short forms, and emoticons employed.
This study is organized in the following way. After a brief introduction to the topic, a statement of the problem is then presented. Once the problem stated had been stated, the purpose of the study is then discussed. The research questions that need to be answered in the study are then listed. A comprehensive literature review of past journals that are related to the topic follows the research questions. After the literature review, a discussion of how online language has evolved and how online language usage varies among generations is then presented. The discussion also covers the different online patterns exhibited by baby boomers and Generation Z. A conclusion segment wraps up the study by providing a summary of the issues discussed in the research paper.
Problem Statement
Since communication shifted from traditional means to computer-mediated communication (CMC), intergenerational communication has proved to be more problematic. Drawing from Zainuddin and Shaari (2017) argument that as communication shifted, generations had to acquire literacy skills to communicate effectively through CMC. The process of acquiring online literacy is responsible for the communication gap between older generations who have not yet adapted to the online language and younger generations who are well versed in online literacy. The language barrier present between different ages inhibits the flow of ideas and knowledge from one generation to another.
Purpose of the study
This study aims at evaluating the variations in language used and online patterns between baby boomers and generation Z as they communicate over internet platforms. The research seeks to understand the difference in topics discussed, the informal language used, and the use of social networks between the two generations. Only by following how the difference in language usage occurs, and its impact can be the communication barrier between the two groups can be significantly reduced. The research focuses on the two generations due to their different interactions with technology. Rothman poised that generation Z is the most technologically savvy generation because they were born in an era where technology was already advanced. They were born in a world where the internet existed and therefore grew up learning and adopting online literacy. While Rothman referred to generation Z as digital natives and the internet generation, Van Syke (2003) referred to baby boomers as digital aliens since they are the last generation to interact with technology, therefore, have not fully grasped online literacy.
Research Question
The main research question addressed in the study is: How language varies between baby boomers and generation Z in social media, resulting in a language barrier. To effectively answer the research question, generational and technological differences must be addressed since they are significant causes of the language barrier between generations. The research question is answered through detailed literature research.
Literature Review
To fully grasp the difference in language use that occurs between baby boomers and generation Z, it is essential to analyze the notions and ideas of other scholars about the issue. The literature review is categorized into four parts: generational differences, technological differences between generations, generational usage of social media, and the variations of the language used online. Both the generational and technological differences help in determining the extent of the variation of language use in both generations.
Generational Differences
Through understanding generational differences, the communication gaps can be identified and filled to reduce the language barrier between the generations. Generational imprinting is the adoption of values and attitudes from an individual’s experiences as they grow up. The values adopted during the growth stage differentiate individuals of one era from individuals of another generation. Society has labeled people born between 1945 and 1964 as baby boomers, while those born between 1995-2010 are marked as generation Z (Rothman). Scholars such as Booz & Company (2010) consider generation Z to be a subgroup within the Millenial generation. The scholars refer to these ‘subgroup’ as generation C due to their inclination to create content share content. Although generational imprinting is responsible for an individual’s adoption of values and attitudes, Helsper and Enyon (2009) argued that not all individuals portray characteristics of their generation. According to the two scholars, factors such as socioeconomic status also contribute or inhibit generational imprinting. For instance, an individual may belong to generation Z, but due to lack of exposure to computer-mediated communication technology, the individual may find it difficult to interact online, unlike other members of the same generation.
According to Zust (2003), Communication among these two generations is often problematic. Several generational differences exist between the two generations, but this research focuses only on the differences that present a language barrier as baby boomers and generation Z communicate through social media. According to Prensy (2001), during baby boomers’ formative years, the dominant technological advancement was the invention of television and the telephone. Baby boomers only interacted with CMC later in their life and mostly in the work environment. Echoing notions similar to Van Syke (2003), Prensy stated that generation Z, the digital natives are able to comprehend online literacy since they grew up interacting with computers and Mobile phones. To justify the gap in online literacy acquisition, Presny poised that children born into a culture find it easy to learn the culture’s language and forget the old language. However, for older generations, they must first acknowledge and accept that change has occurred then seek help from the younger generation on how to adapt to the change.
Articles by Prensy (2001) refer to baby boomers as digital immigrants since they have been forced to learn and adopt digital communications for them to communicate with the other generations. Prensy also identified the generational difference in learning as a source of communication gap. While baby boomers prefer the step by step learning process generation Y prefers using the multitasking method of learning. Due to the difference in the learning approach, generation Y can quickly learn and use digital communications. Unlike baby boomers who use formal language generation Y prefer to use an informal communication style.
Social Media Use among Generations
Humbert (2007) posited that with the introduction of the internet back in the 1970s, communication drastically changed. Although social media developed much later around 2000, it has become a dominant communication tool. Shuen (2008) defined social media as internet-dependent applications available on Web 2.0 that allow room for the creation and sharing of content. According to Alexandar (2008), social media became popular due to its ability to allow users to generate and share their content. Although the name social media suggests that the platform should be an arena for interacting with other people, most social media users use it for their interests (Gentile et al., 2012). Most young members of generation Y use social media to strengthen their narcissistic characteristics. Due to the early exposure to computer-mediated communication technology, most individuals of generation Z rely on social media to communicate and interact with their peers and family.
Although most people associate internet and social networks usage with young generations, this is not the case since older generations also use social media and the internet. A study by Google reported that 82% of baby boomers using the internet also make use of social media. According to the study, 4.6 social media accounts belong to baby boomers. According to Cox (2019), different generations dominate different social media sites, and almost 80% of each generation makes use of social media in their daily life, as shown in graph1.1.
Different ages use diverse social media platforms to fulfill their needs. According to a Google report, baby boomers are inclined to join LinkedIn since most of them are still yet to retire. They use LinkedIn to maintain professional connections and also as a job-seeking tool. Although most baby boomers are on the verge of retirement, they face enormous pressure from generation Z who are currently joining the workforce like a tsunami, as Rothman reported. Fietkiewicz et al. poised that although both generations used Facebook to maintain friendships, generation Z also dominated Instagram. According to Walmsey (2011), as members of Generation Z use social media, they tend to place significance on the size of the audience they have. Online friendships for most generation Z members seem to be narcissistic since the user focuses on themselves by sharing their images and emotions with their online friends.
Online language usage
In his literature, Devlin (2018) states that language usage tends to change over time. He attributed this change to the linguistic creativity and innovation of adolescents. In any generation, the young population is usually responsible for variations in language use and the development of slang in the language. Most of the variations in language used in social media are lexical (Crystal 2001). Crystal poised that lexical variations are dominant in netspeak because internet-based terminologies such as texting are included in the language. Due to the growth of the internet, slang words spread fast, and they are quickly adopted into language. For instance, the phrase ‘on fleak’ only became a household name after it was used in a youtube video in 2014.
Being the younger generation that drives language change, generation Z has created a new lingo that they use when communicating over social media. The new language that is used during online communication is commonly referred to as netspeak or the digital language. This study refers to the netspeak language used by generation Z as a lovely language, while the language used by baby boomers is referred to as a beautiful language. According to Thurlow (2003), the lovely language appears to be bleak and stenographic. Fairclough (1995) described the lovely language using the concept of informalization since the language follows an informal tone in both official and nonofficial communication settings. Several scholars disapprove of the language since it ignores the rules of the English language.
Short forms and abbreviations are critical characteristics of the lovely language used on social media by generation Z. Common short forms include LOL, which means lots of laughter, ASAP–as soon as possible, and DNR, which means dinner. In their study of the online language, Hassan and Azirah (2009) attributed the short forms and acronyms used in the lovely language to the nature of online communication. Online communication is supposed to fast and concise, making acronyms and short forms best suited for this communication. Crystal (2001) indicated that short forms in the lovely language are used both on words and fell sentences. For example, the sentence: I don’t give a fuck can be abbreviated to IDGF, while the word ‘great’ is abbreviated to GR8. Abbreviations are also used since each online message is allocated a limited space, and most people online only engage with short content. Despite the constant criticism of short forms in the new lingo, some works of literature view them as creative poetic expressions by teenagers. Acronyms in the lovely language also combine letters and numbers; for example, the abbreviation tonight is 2nyt.
The omission of vowels is another critical characteristic of the net language. According to Ross (2016), common omission patterns include omitting the letter ‘Z’ in words that end in ‘ing’; for instance, going becomes goin. The net language also consists of the spelling practice of replacing double ‘r’ with ‘z’; for example, tomorrow is currently spelled as ‘2moz’.In online communication, both generations do not follow punctuation rules. According to research conducted by Subramaniam and Razak (2014), although trailing dots are the most used marks. Unlike baby boomers, who tend to maintain their formal communication style. Generation X use interjections to ensure communication remains informal. Interjections used to depend on the cultural circle that is interacting online. Common utterances used by generation Z include ‘yaas’ and ‘haha.’
Baby boomers prefer using face to face communication since it allows for nonverbal communication. While verbal communication passes on a speaker’s ideas, nonverbal communication is used to pass on the speaker’s emotions (Crystal 2001). Emotions are a vital feature of the net language. Individuals of generation Z make use of emoticons and averters to replace nonverbal communication in the digital language. Emoticons are internationally recognized for efficient communication the local language used.
The vast difference in social media platforms used by baby boomers and generation Z creates a variation in language use. Yao, Ting, and Baru (2017) argued that the formality of a social media platform causes language used to vary. The scholars poised that serious and formal social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn demand the use of formal language that is consistent with the beautiful language of older generations, while informal platforms such as Facebook and Instagram accept the lovely language by young generations.
According to the Google, report stated that 24% of LinkedIn accounts belong to baby boomers. In his journal, Cornell (2018) distinguished LinkedIn from other social media based on its formal nature. LinkedIn creates opportunities for its users to create professional profiles where they can share their resumes, connect with other professionals with the aim of improving users’ careers. Given the professional nature of LinkedIn, Walten 2019 poised that users posting on this social media platform must maintain formality and professionalism in their language. Contrary to other social media accounts, LinkedIn requires users to avoid slang words, short forms and follow capitalization and punctuation conventions. The formal feature of LinkedIn serves as an advantage to baby boomers since it allows them to use their beautiful language, which they are well versed in compared to the lovely language used in other platforms.
Yao, Ting, and Baru (2017) also posited that language variation also depends on the audience involved in communication. Drawing from the Google report, which indicates that baby boomers use Facebook to rekindle old friendships, they use their beautiful language since they are interacting with other members of their generation who also favor the beautiful language. Khron 2004 poised that in their communication on Facebook with their friends, baby boomers make minimal use of emoticons, unlike generation Z, who use at times replace sentences with emoticons. Generation Z uses Facebook and Instagram to establish new online friendships with their peers and will, therefore, be inclined to use the distinctive features of their lovely language such as short forms to show off their prowess in online interactions.
Venter (2017) highlighted that baby boomers have little regard for new abilities and skills developed by younger generations. Baby boomers view younger generations as a threat to both their job security and good old country ways. With this mentality, baby boomers find it difficult to comprehend the lovely language and insist on using their beautiful language during social media interactions. Venter then poised that a language barrier then occurs since baby boomers are yet to master the lovely language that has dominated social media platforms.
Discussion
As seen from previous literature, communication between different generations is, at times, difficult due to generational differences. Generations have adapted differently to computer-mediated communication. Generation Z has fully adapted to CMC and use it for their daily communication. Baby boomers have also learned to use CMC, but they lag behind in online literacy. Due to generational imprinting, each generation has taken up different values and attitudes which influence their choice of communication mode. Baby boomers value interpersonal relationships, and to maintain these relationships; they are in favor of face to face communication. Even after learning how to use CMC, baby boomers still rely on phone calls to make daily interactions with other people (Venter, 2017). Their motivation to use social media is to expand their professional circle through LinkedIn and reconnect with their old friends via Facebook. Having being born in an era of digital advancement, generation Z use CMC to make and interact with friends. Their need for instant gratification and immediate feedback makes them prefer social media for their daily communication.
Since generation Z is accustomed to CMC, it has led to the development of the net language. Although English is the language used in most online communication on the net, it has been modified to suit online communications (Zainuddin and Shaari, 2017). The language consists of several abbreviations and slang languages, which create a language barrier between generation Z and baby boomers. Baby boomers who do not understand the net language find it difficult to interact with generation Z on social media
Conclusion
As the world moves into a digital era, computer-mediated communication is becoming the primary mode of communication. Unlike the traditional face to face communication which is time-consuming, CMC offers quick and precise communication. Although all generations have attempted to learn how to use CMC, communication between ages still remains problematic. The evolution of language used online is the main contributor to problematic communications among generations (Venter, 2017). According to (Yao, Ting, and Baru, 2017), language used online varies depending on the formality of the social media platform and also due to the type of audience involved in the communication. Social media sites such as LinkedIn that are formal and serious require the use of the older generation’s beautiful language while less serious platforms will use the lovely language. Miscommunication on these platforms occurs since most baby boomers are unable to understand the lovely language used by generation Z. Venter (2017) poised that to bridge the communication barrier; baby boomers must acknowledge the change in language and learn the lovely language developed by the younger generation.
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