Language has always been versatile and flexible. The English language in particular has always been changing. Words have meaning as long as we give them the power to influence us. In the modern age, words are spread even further at quick speeds thanks to social media websites. Diffusion of language can be seen through the spread of slang. Acronyms like OMG and abbreviations of words have become common in today's world. Words like swag or acronyms like YOLO are spread at insane speeds due to the Internet. Fads like the usage of hashtags from Twitter spread to sites like Facebook, which does not have a formal system of hashtags yet. Quirks such as these spread around the Internet quickly, and many people join the bandwagon because these mannerisms seem cool and new.
In my opinion, the one of the most interesting aspect of language in modern times, especially on the Internet, is our ability to understand it even if it seems like complete gibberish. Many people can "tYpE LyK DiS," and we can still comprehend it although it can be annoying to read. Why do people butcher the English language in this way anyways? Is it because it makes them look cool? I know many people have gone through a phrase of typing in that fashion, myself included, so I would like to see another person's opinion of this.
I think its strange yet fascinating how much one can express through such a condensed form of english. I think the reason "people butcher the english language in this way" is because of our need to do everything in the most efficient way possible. (Borrowing some ideas from Postman here) Our visual media has gotten us accustomed to being able to receive large sums of information in as little time as possible. We have gotten to the point in which our attention spans are probably almost to that of a goldfish. It is only natural that this idea should spread to our other means of communication.
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