Friday, 12 October 2012

Mediated Identity and Interaction


CMC- Computer Mediated Communication and Text Speak

 “Online performance takes place though the language used in messages and postings that are rich sources of expressions ... the cyber performer must become literate in terms of site or community language... Many Usenet participants employ phrases and abbreviations that are peculiar to their group.” (Robinson, 2007)

Examples of 2 messages of completely different language methods, but similar meanings.

1.   Omg atm I cfb doin nefin, fink ill chillax n hav sum grub. OMG delish
2.   At this current moment in time I do not possess the required energy or the motivation to complete the copious amount of tasks that have piled in front of me. I believe I need to unwind and give my cognitive abilities time to regain their focusing capabilities, perhaps a light mean may suffice. That was quite delectable.

You could imagine that the person from example 2 would more educated, but apparently not. A study by Plester, Wood and Joshi (2010) found the use of language methods in example 1 did not damage child literacy incomes. Which is surprising to me, very suprising.

Plester, B., Wood, C.,  Joshi, P (2010). Exploring the relationship between children's knowledge of text message abbreviations and school literacy outcomes. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 27(1), 145-161

Robinson, L (2007). The cyberself: the self-ing project goes online, symbolic interaction in the digital age. New Media & Society, 9(1), 93-110

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