The Impact of Social Media on Written Language: From 600 Words to Tweets

Some say the standard-style blog has had its day. Paragraphs with sentences are being replaced with acronyms and emoticons. Are these the final days of long-form blogging?

All that’s required today is a bright image, a poorly spelled but attractive-looking phrase, and a hot influencer. She and her ponytail promote a funky water bottle. Words matter little as the dream takes over.

That’s why the old 600-word standard dropped to 300. It has fallen even further.

Yes, There’s a platform designed for an image and a scrap of text. Tweets (Xs) whizz past at lightning speed, and it’s a frenzy out there. The feed is deadly for those who get in its way. Even the best mini-writes will get crushed in the rush.

There’s some irony in this recent strange evolution of words. It’s not the first time written language has taken a hit for the team. The Egyptians figured out the process early. They make our smileys and LOL’s look comparatively lame.

I’m going away now. Read my book SEETHINGS 2. It has lots of words in it.

Sorry ’bout that.

–M

‘Forman’s writing style is artful, with the protagonist Mitchell’s warped thought processes masterfully exposed. The author has a powerful and vivid command of language and his word pictures are stark and disturbingly real.’

Linda J Bettenay, author of ‘Secrets Mothers Keep’ and ‘Wishes For Starlight’