Main idea:
In the passage the main idea is how
the author analyzes how the English language has changed through text
messaging. McGrath analyzes just how much stenography is now used. He compares
it to how stenography used to be a skill that people needed to know but now it
has become an everyday thing. He is disappointed to see how much people have
destroyed the act of communicating. He acknowledges the fact that people are
now texting and are just across from each other. He likes the fact that
communication has progressed a lot but not with how the people are using it. It
really disappoints him that communication is really being wasted. McGrath is
convinced that there could be much more done with communication rather than
just a simple greeting. He doesn’t see what the point is of having such an
advanced system in communication if not everybody is going to take advantage of
it. The point he is trying to get across is that the communication advancements
we have now should be used to the fullest rather than for simple things.
Charles McGrath, the author, analyzes
how the English language and every other language as well, are being
altered. He criticizes the facts that
now most people use short versions of words in order to get out their thoughts.
He blames all of this on the invention of the instant messaging. He believes
that now that the technology is very advanced and that there aren’t many
obstacles put forth for people to communicate, many don’t know how to
appreciate it. He thinks that texting really takes away the whole meaning of
the message. He admits that it has facilitated some things for people to
communicate across. He analyzes the fact that now even symbols are used to get
thoughts across. He understands that most people across the world may need text
messaging but he does not see the point in the people that text when they are
across the same room. He also understands that there could be reasons with the
culture of the people. He also blames the media for encouraging text messaging.
He acknowledges that there are plenty of sites on the internet that actually
make it easier to text others. They have sites that help send messages across
and they already have a format for how to send the message. McGrath really
doesn’t like how the world is coming to communicate with each other. He really
thinks that there could be better ways to communicate with a person. McGrath
finds emotion missing in text messaging. He thinks that a text is only a text
and that to actually get feelings across there has to be some sort of better
communication. It could be in person or by call any of those would be better
than texting the person. He thinks that communicating has really lost its
importance and especially if people do it with texting.
