An Unstoppable Trend

Cyberspeak has been infiltrating into daily communication since the era of computers, and the wide use of mobile phones has accelerated that trend. As more and more time is spent in front of digital screens, the boundary between the virtual and real life is blurred and it becomes difficult to switch between two styles of languages. As a result, cyberspeak is currently widely used in daily life.

Like it or not, cyberspeak has become an important source of new language elements. In China, we have a classic magazine called Yaowen Jiaozi, which has served as a defender of the Chinese language by correcting misuse of the language by the media, writers and celebrities. Each year, it releases a list of 10 most popular Chinese words. Most of these words are in some way cyberspeak.

I think one reason why cyberspeak is popular is that it allows us to communicate in a fast and more straightforward way, which is in line with the fast-paced modern life. In China, we can describe the hardworking life of people with 996, which means working six days a week from 9 a.m. till 9 p.m. With 666, which means a great job, we can extend our appreciation of other people’s achievement.

Cyberspeak is even changing the original meanings of Chinese characters. The character囧, which originally means light, has become popular with the new meanings of depression, sadness and awkwardness for its resemblance to a long face. You may say it is a contamination of the traditional Chinese language, but the character might have otherwise been forgotten as many other desolate Chinese characters. In this sense, cyberspeak is bringing vitality to the traditional language.

Overdependence on cyberspeak, however, makes one appear superficial and tacky. That’s why today we admire so much people who can master more elegant expressions. If you want to say something different when making a comment or express a feeling, I think the solution might be spending less time with the phone, and more time with books.