The stereotype is that women generally enjoy talking and communicating more than men. But they haven’t always been known to be the most straightforward with the nitty-gritty of what they really think and feel — females are sometimes wired to be a people-pleasing bunch. But according to a recent article in the UK’s Daily Mail, some language experts say that today’s girls are becoming more blunt and direct, thanks to the rise of technologies such as texting and social media.
Marie Clair, from the Plain English Campaign, a movement that pushes the Britis government to use of clear language in things like official public documents, told the Daily Mail:
“Young people’s language in general is becoming more direct in comparison to their parents and the business community because of the communication channels they’re more familiar with… Those fast communication channels of Facebook, email and Twitter [that] they’ve grown up with mean they haven’t got as much time to deliberate and choose their words.”
This phenomenon is more clear among girls, Clair went on to say, since they tend to “communicate more than males.”
Sounds like pretty good news, right? Well, according to the Daily Mail, this is actually a “worrying” trend, as being direct with language is also perceived as more “aggressive.” Clutch your pearls, people.
Now, I’m no fan of the bad grammar, unnecessary abbreviations, and weird spelling that tech has helped make mainstream with kids. But in general I couldn’t disagree more with the idea that this overall trend is “worrying.” As a rule, more communication is a good thing — and the more honest that communication is, the better. And anything that causes young females to be as direct about what they think and how they feel as their male counterparts could eventually help them get more parity professionally.
Also, I just like the hilariously honest musings of girls and young women that social media has fostered — from whoever is behind the WhatShouldWeCallMe Tumblog, to Lena Dunham’s very first YouTube clips, to Mindy Kaling’s Twitter account, and of course my colleague Alexia Tsotsis’ always entertaining blog posts. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the coming generations of straight-talking females will bring to the Web — and the world at large.
via TechCrunchTechCrunch http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/01/social-media-is-making-todays-girls-actually-say-what-they-mean/
