Have you ever listened to how much 'like' is used in daily dialogue now? I am sure it must fast be becoming the most-used word in the english language! I have long thought our capacity for language and vocabulary is being destroyed by a dumbing down process - especially achieved via the media. According to the web 'like' is placed at 64th in the top most used english words.
I have listened to the youth around me begin to talk in fragmented sentences...almost regressing to child-like sentence structure. I cannot quite believe just how the use of 'like' and 'ya' has grown to epidemic scales. Although I had originally suspected that this particular discourse was indicative of female use of language, I now realise this epidemic is wildly out of control. It appears to be infecting society without any discern for age, gender, class or education.
I find it incredible to listen to people today and wonder at what is happening to our once very expressive language. I truly believe the media is largely responsible for covertly transforming how language is used, I can also not ignore the fact that book reading (and the quality of literature read) has declined dramatically in our society.
1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57 percent of new books are not read to completion.
More young people today will electively choose to spend their leisure time absorbed in any activity other then reading literature. The 'average' 13 year old would prefer to watch TV, play digital video games or immerse themselves in social network sites where a new abbreviated language is privileged!
Well, I like totally think that is like so wrong. Like ya, totally!
