Example Of Essay On What Are You Trying To Say?

With the continuous advancement of media and technology rapidly evolving around us every day, language is evolving beside it. Whether through business logos, emoticons, or hand gestures, we now use textless and voiceless forms of language to communicate with one another. They are universally understood and, therefore, very valuable. However, they can sometimes by overwhelming. Many wonder, as well, whether these symbols enhance or take away from our communication. Rather than speak our feelings, ask questions, or simply have a conversation, we recognize textless corporate symbols, or flashing smiling faces on our cell phone screens as answers or conversational cues. While it can sometimes be confusing whether these symbols mean positive or negative things to our lives, it is well understood that we cannot escape them, and they affect us whether we want them to or not.
It began slowly at first, according to Geneva White (163) as entire corporate words began seeping into every day vocabulary. We began “Netflixing” entire seasons of showing and “Facebooking” our friends. These, of course, are not real words, but they have come to mean something to all of us. Now, with the advent of smartphone applications and smart televisions, these words have been whittled down to mere symbols that are instantly recognizable to the eye. Facebook is merely a white, particularly curvy lowercase “f” in a blue square, while Netflix is a distinct uppercase “N” in a red box. We know these fonts, and these symbols, relating them to their source. Even farther related to text, but still associated with symbols and language, are the actual symbols associated with corporations. For example, Apple, a world famous electronics company is easily recognizable all over the world thanks to its symbolic apple with a bite taken out of it.
We no longer need to speak the same language, because spoken and textual language has transcended everyday life. Symbols are now used, especially for when discussing corporations. If I wished to find an AT&T store in Japan, but did not know how to say AT&T, I could possibly show a Japanese citizen the company’s symbol, which is five rising bars signifying their superior cellular service. Similarly, if I wanted to find a Target in Mexico, but knew no Spanish, I could just show them a photo of the company’s logo, which is a target, and a local could show me the way. Charlemagne believed, “to have a second language is to have a second soul.” This is true, but we are exemplifying it in a very unflattering way. We have a second language, transcending the barrier of spoken communication, but it is based on materialism. Rather than using music or art to communicate in beautiful, compassionate ways with one another when we cannot speak, we use corporate logos to ask one another where to buy the cheapest pair of shoes. In a sense, we have sold our second soul. We do not attempt to reveal ourselves, or communicate on a human level anymore, as Caitlin Miner-Le Grand did as she was teaching Chinese students being an American. It appears this concept would be too difficult and take too much time. It is easier to point to a logo, communicate instantly without trying, and be on our way.
In her essay, “In the Language of our Ancestors,” Mindy Cameron attempts to show language is the source of culture and identity for individuals and their people, even citing that through the 1800’s it was America’s demand that Native Americans be removed from their land and assimilate to the Caucasian way of life, including language. It was thought that be erasing everything the Native Americans held onto about their culture would erase the culture itself, therefore leaving the new settlers with less of a problem while settling. While many Native still held on to their culture, most of it was wiped out, especially in relation to language, showing much of a person’s culture is held in the words they speak or the language they use. Unfortunately, this does not bode well for humans today. The language we use is based entirely around idiocy. We text, tweet, Facebook, and Instagram our communications more often than we speak them. When words are put into text, they are often broken; words are substituted for numbers, or omitted from sentences completely in the interest of saving time. Essentially, we are becoming a society of morons, and our culture is reflecting that. Spellcheck, for example, cripples us entirely. When asked to write with only a pen and piece of paper, it would be difficult to imagine how one would spell each word correctly without the help of a computer or phone. Moreover, the broken, garbled way in which we communicate through text makes us look slow and unprofessional to others; many of us communicate that way to our superiors, reflecting a culture in which we do not care how we are perceived, only how fast we can communicate in order to move on to the next activity. Our culture and identity is effectively shifting from a society of social being, to a society of anti-social, under-stimulated zombies. This is ironic, as the shift began because of social networking.
In sum, language has changed in many ways throughout our lifetime, as well as throughout human history. It was forced to evolve when certain cultures demanded other cultures be wiped out, or assimilate. Now, it is evolving because the media is creating a new language. There was a time when the universal languages were only beautiful things that did not possess words: music and art. These things transcended language barriers, allowing us to feel human connection in an emotional way. We pay less attention to those forms of communication now, perhaps because they require more effort. Today, we pay more attention to symbols offered by globally recognized companies. However, they allow us to communicate, they do not appeal to our emotions, but rather our common greed and need to consume. Our communication is changing, and with it our culture and identity. When asked, how do we communicate, the answer is no longer with our mouths, minds, or hearts, but with our wallets.

Works Cited

Cameron, Mindy. "In the Language of Our Ancestors." What Are You Trying To Say? (2008): 182-189.
Goddard, Angela. The Language of Advertising: Written Texts. Chicago: Psychology Press, 2002. Book.
Grand, Caitlin, Miner-Le. "More Than Language." What Are You Trying To Say? (2008): 166-171.
Kostelnick, Charles. "A Systematic Approach to Visual Language in Business Communication." International Journal of Business Communication (1988): 29-48. Article.
O'Connor, Patricia T., et al. "What Are You Trying To Say? How Language Works." (2008): 156-208.
White, Geneva. "Corporate Names and Products Creep into Everyday Language ." What Are You Trying To Say? (2008): 163-165.