The Influence of Technology on English Language and Literature

Abstract

In the current global scenario, the Internet is increasingly becoming a central informational medium that is transforming the way we learn, teach, and communicate. Social media offers a public platform that allows an exchange of thoughts and ideas through posts, tweets, and comments, albeit with word or character count restrictions. Evidently, creativity cannot be curtailed through content length restrictions. The emergence of a new genre of short-stories called short-short stories and the birth of a new English dialect called Text-speak prove that every cloud indeed has a silver lining. The popularity of social media exchanges signify that technology users have accepted quick social media interactions as a new way of life and have also adjusted their writing to match the content restrictions. Educators and parents are concerned that the attitudes and habits of tech-savvy generation are muddying Standard English as Text-speak is infiltrating students assignments blurring the distinction between formal and informal writing. The phenomenal popularity of short stories that can fit in a tweet or text is an example of how adversity can be turned into an opportunity. Literary purists, however, are concerned that digital literature is shrinking and short-stories are severing their characteristic elements to comply with the restrictions. This paper delineates the impact of technology on daily English writing and literature.