September 26: Writing Prompt #269-2100

The language of the future: what will it be like? Write an experimental post using some imagined vocabulary — abbreviations, slang, new terms.

I’ve lived long enough to experience the language of the future already.  I think a lot of it will be rooted in relation to the ever-evolving world of technology. We have an entirely new “texting” language now, and all sorts of terms that refer to technology.  Acronyms are not just for the military any longer.  They ARE the new slang…LOL, BRB, BTW, CYA, BFF, YOLO, JK, OMG, THX, TMI, TTYL, XOXO, SWAK.  Of course, the funny thing is that many of these were part of the shorthand language way before cell phones and texting ever existed. I have half of a heart necklace with BFF on it from the 90’s. I used to have stationary stickers for sealing envelopes that had SWAK on them back in the 80’s.  Now, when you look these up, they are considered among the 50 most popular texting terms. 

In the end, our future slang with be based on our past slang and be some version of the same.  Just like cheerleaders still practice many of the same cheers I heard when I was a kid…”be aggressive, be, be aggressive (B.E. Agg. Ressive) and “let’s get a little be rowdy, r.o.w. a d. y. ,” we all still use some version of the same language. It may become more informal with time, but we communicate the same types of messages we always have….messages of love, anger, frustration, sadness, excitement, fear, concern, empathy, knowledge, and understanding.  So, I don’t have to imagine any new vocabulary of the future….we have already invented it.