Stop the full stop. Punctuation symbol is ‘intimidating’ for young people who interpret it as a sign of anger, say linguists
- Language experts discuss the complete stop in use by young people
- At the time of instant messaging, some argue that full stop is no longer necessary
- Some experts say that context is important and that complete stops are still important in email
Language experts have argued that young people find the full stop intimidating because it is seen as a sign of anger in text messages.
As Generation Z – teens like those in their early twenties – grew up in the age of instant messaging, the punctuation mark is no longer frequently used.
Linguistic experts from all over the world have examined the goal of complete stop as communication habits have evolved.
Dr Lauren Fonteyn tweeted: If you send a text message without stopping completely, it is already clear that you have closed the message.
‘So if you add this extra marker for completion, they’ll read something in there and it’s a falling intonation as a negative tone.’
The complete stop is ‘intimidation’ for young people who interpret it as a sign of anger (file photo)
Dr Lauren Fonteyn (left), of Lieden University, and Owen McArdle (right), of Cambridge University, discuss the change in use of the full stop, as young people now interpret the full stop as sign of anger at the age of instant messaging
According to the Telegraph, linguists are divided over the question of whether the full stop was inadvertent, given that text messages are shut down by sending in print, so there is probably no need for the full stop.
However, some experts have argued the context matters.
Owen McArdle, a linguist at the University of Cambridge, told the Telegraph: ‘I’m not sure I agree with emails. I think it depends on how formal they are.
‘But full stops are, in my experience, quite the exception and not the norm [young people’s] instant messages, and have a new role in indicating an abrupt or angry tone of voice. ‘
In 2015, a study from Binghamton University in New York suggested that people who complete posts with full stops are seen as insane.
The study involved 126 students and the researchers found that text messages end up on the most final of punctuation points – e.g. LOL. ‘,’ Let’s go to Nando’s. ‘,’ Send nudes’. – were seen as less sincere.
Unusual, lyrics that end in an exclamation point – ‘lmao!’, ‘Just a joke!’, ‘What body part is that itself? I hope it’s your arm! ‘- are cordially considered deeper.
Researcher Celia Klin said at the time: ‘When they talk, people easily convey social and emotional information with looks, facial expressions, tone of voice, pauses and so on.
‘People obviously cannot use these mechanisms when they text. Thus, it makes sense for texts to rely on what they have available to them – emoticons, conscious spelling mistakes that speech sounds and, according to our data, punctuation. ‘
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