A few weeks ago, my cube mate turned to me and asked this question. I stared at him for a minute, then shrugged. He Googled it instead, and got the answer immediately: Hashtag is one word. Thank goodness we cleared that one up.
Hashtag is just one of the many social media terms that have become common in everyday conversation. The AP Stylebook now recognizes the new meanings of words such as "mention" and "reply," and even has an entire entry on social media guidelines that includes how journalists should vet sources found through Facebook. In 2011, the words "retweet," "sexting" and "cyberbullying" were added to the Oxford English Dictionary. And everyone knows what it means to LOL.
Last October, actor Ralph Fiennes made headlines by claiming the truncated text of sites like Twitter is eroding the English language. Is he right - is social media destroying words and, as a result, the way we write? Or is social media-centric language simply a reflection of today's growing technologies and rapidly evolving methods of communication? Perhaps social media even has the ability to improve the way we write.
How Language Changes
Language is constantly changing as people are heavily influenced by their surroundings and use new methods of communication. William Shakespeare often created new words by altering the originals or simply inventing them from thin air - laughable, luggage, grovel, puking and eyeball among the long list - and spreading these words through theatre. Today, new words in the English language catch on more quickly, with social media making content immediately accessible to everyone.
How Social Media Has Changed the Way We Write
Not only are new words changing the way we speak and write, but the way these words are shared through the Internet and social media has affected our writing, as well. As a copywriter for a Chicago SEO firm, I have a strong understanding of how the Internet influences the words on a Web page. I constantly find myself writing more carefully just to fit in a few keywords like "New York cosmetic dentist" or "veterinarian website."
Just as SEO makes writers think more carefully about their word placement, the 140-character limit of Twitter makes us work harder at being concise. Isn't clear, succinct, efficient copy every editor's goal as she marks up the page with red ink? It's easy enough to get your point across in 1,000 words, but getting it done in just 140 characters is a different kind of challenge.
And then there are the links shared through Twitter and Facebook. The headline might be truncated, but if it's well-written, it will draw readers in and get them to click through to the heart of the content. Social media isn't dictating the way we write, but rather, it's being used to promote good writing. The more powerful and effective the content, the more viral it gets. Twitter has taught writers how to successfully market their content while reaffirming the impact of quality writing.
What about Blogs?
Another word formed from the rise of technology (Web log), the blog has turned the written word into a conversation. Today's writers are creating blog posts, complete with bios and profiles so their readers can see the face behind the words, and encouraging comments and feedback. The informal, personal tone of many blogs helps writers find and grow their own voice.
Blogs and social media have created a community for writers that supports the creation of valuable, interesting and inspiring content. The change in language is inevitable - we will always be developing new words into our language as long as the world around us continues to progress. How we use and share those words is what really affects the way we write.