Has the internet watered down and weakened our language?
89846
I don't think it's the internet per se but technology in general.  These gadgets and gizmos that require us to send messages with a limited number of letters corrupts the language because we get used to this kind of "language" even when we're not limited by message size anymore.
195585
do u mean on the internet?
96499
Yes...  It's typically self-correcting.  If false information is put out on it someone will correct it and the internet as a whole will generally eliminate it from a source by not linking to the content therefore lowering search results.  Just a vicious circle of information.  For the most part reliable.
628913
I think that there is an increased tolerance for poor grammar and spelling in our junior high schools and high schools. I think that students have gotten lazy using the computer with spell check and no longer take the time to be certain that their language usage is correct.\n\nI also think that text messaging and chat rooms help the notion that poor spelling and typing skills are okay. In fact I think that their peers encourage poor writing skills with the use of "u" or "dat" in online communication.\n\nI also think that our children don't read enough and that schools don't do enough to encourage reading as a pleasureable passtime and to instill a love of learning, language, and literature into children.
643527
yeah you make good points. I would like to point out though that in some other countries, there is a greater emphasis on spelling and grammar. \n\nThis sort of "lazy english", although prolific among the younger set all over the world, shows up in ridiculous amounts even in "normal" writing in the US. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the word "websight" in articles published in the NY Times?!! It's scary. \n\nI can't think of any other specific misspellings right now (words that are written phonetically instead of correctly) in esteemed publications and the forums of the general public, but I catch them fairly often - if I see any, I will post an update here.
111112
It continues to impact use.  Since the internet is part of telecommunication in the broader sense, it has affected you right now as you are reading this.  The distance between people grows less and less everyday.
696527
Your language is becoming quite dirty now. Time to tone it down a little perhaps.
538348
I think the internet servers are having trouble lately, I think it is caused by too many people demanding too many things.  I am experiencing similar problems in the last few days, but if you get on at odd times when the entire US isnt searching, like f/e 5:00 am, then it seems to be working.  Not real sure why, but Im sure if its happening to so many people it will be quickly corrected.
530379
Language is constantly evolving. Sometimes the accepted spelling changes, sometimes so rapidly that it actually occurs between your typing and the words reaching the screen. \nSometimes, however, it's more a matter of an evil computer who awoke on the wrong side of the bed that day.
601457
To some extent it's true that schools seem to be getting more lax these days.  I cannot count the number of people who have not been made to learn the difference between 'to' and 'too;' 'it's' and 'its;' 'there,' 'their,' and 'they're.'\n\nOn the other hand, however, I believe it's also partly the environment.  I have many classmates in college who are able to write correctly and coherently in their papers, but as soon as they go online, all such grammar vanishes.  It's part laziness I think, and part lingo.  It's like using slang or an accent to show you belong.\n\nOf course, there's also the group of people who just never really learned to type.  Their sentences and spelling are messed up because they hit the wrong keys and don't see it or don't bother to fix it.
812886
That exact same thing happened to me today.  I messed around going from link to link and it finally went back to English.  I think they might have goofed up some of the content directories on the web site, then figured out they did, then fixed it.
542106
I do think the Internet is contributing to the decline of organized religion.  Before the 'net' the only people who really went to libraries to look in religious texts were people who planned on making it their life's calling.  Now like you said anyone can look at all aspects of it right from their own home.. for most the shine is off.. the mystery is gone.\n\nReligion in some form or another will always exist and I view these changes as a good thing.  Human beings were never meant to be stagnant.. we need to grow and change.  \n\nOf course many religions today will look at this as totally destructive and will contribute to some negative factor that their own religion ordains.
151687
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Even though I am a teenager and live for text messaging, there are just some cirumstances that are non-negotiable. It is sad enough that we live in a "point and click" world. I believe this has created a fear of networking within people. Therefore, we MUST keep the remaining forms of communication alive and APPROPRIATE. We CANNOT afford for our language to be destroyed by slang.
257453
I did some volunteer moderating for an english virtual chat site. I don't think of them as any different, other than the slang they use. Frankly, I can't STAND it. IE: "wot fancy fit fab lad wold like 2 bloody snog me???"
672680
It's from being online too much. Laziness is a factor. It may have been spawned from the whole "text messaging" cell phone reveloution. But to be honest, the brevity in online language has been around a long time. Ever since the dawn of online communication people have been coming up with clever little emoticons and ways of shortening phrases. For instance, LOL standing for Laughing out Loud. AFK standing for "Away from Keyboard" which you don't see much of anymore. BRB meaning "Be Right Back" is the same idea. In any case, these have been around forever. Yet the shortening of normal words is a bit absurd and it's everywhere. Sometimes I even catch myself using "ur" to represent the word "your". It may be because I use text messaging every day and it is much easier to hit a button 5 times then it is to hit it 9. I agree the laziness is just stupidity and really people should avoid doing it. Ultimately, it just makes people forget how to read and write properly. Which means you get a bunch of idiots online talking to each other and you have to try and interpret what they're saying. BTW, I think most of them really don't know how to spell.
105577
No, but the lack of a similar increase in psychological growth in mankind has caused our technological development to outstrip our maturity as a species.  The sudden increase in information and the resulting challenges to everyone's world views due to access to the web and instant information should be sufficient to give us a chance to catch up a bit.  Then the technology will be much easier to handle and use wisely.
195395
Have you see some of the spelling (I mean mis-spelling) of words and the the improper sentence structure here on *Answers?  Do you think this is helping us develop our literacy skills?  \n\nThe only way that I can think of how technology is improving our literacy skills, is we can do instant access to a wide range of reference sources on the Internet.  \n\nOne excellant site is:  www.refdesk.com  \n\nIt makes it easier to look up words, people, subjects, etc. than having to go get the dictionary and try to find the word.  So, being easier than the old way, I would say people are more likely now to look up words, so that would probably increase literacy.