On March 24 the Oxford English Dictionary’s online edition added new words, and edited over 1,900 entries. Now upon reading this piece of information, you are likely to imagine the opportunity for growth in your personal vocabulary, right? Well, you are only half way correct. Yes, there are new words being added but they are now expanding, including slang words, phrases and even symbols.
Doesn’t this concept sound very similar to another website known as Urban Dictionary? Urban Dictionary is a website where users explain and define jargon used by people today. This site, although rather opinionated, was composed for the purpose of delivering definitions, or rather explanations, to this informal vocabulary that individuals have created. However, the OED was developed to define formal vocabulary. So why are they trying to decrease their accreditation by adding abbreviations like “BFF”, “OMG”, and “LOL” to their inventory? OED even went as far as adding symbols like the one used for “heart” as “<3.” Yes, these sites are very useful for those who do not know such lingo, but do we really need to include them in all the online dictionaries, or should we just leave them up to Urban Dictionary?
Clearly, the technological world is taking over at a rapid rate, but that does not mean we should become lazy and less intelligent. Do not get me wrong, some common abbreviations are very helpful, but when you have to explain your abbreviation, where is the convenience in that? If you do not know some of the common abbreviations, such as those listed above, then maybe you were not meant to. If the concept of short form continues at this accelerated rate, we will soon be shortening and dumbing-down everything we say. If you think people have issues with miscommunication now, imagine what the future could hold.
TTYL,
RTMG <3
