Internet Language and Tone Shift

Overview

This lecture explains how language register and tone shift in both spoken and written contexts, particularly focusing on how internet users manipulate typography to convey emotion and intent.

Register and Audience

• We use formal language with authority figures and informal speech with friends and family.
• Our speech and writing style reflect the identity we want to project.
• Choosing the wrong register can lead to misunderstandings or worse.

Written Register and Internet Conventions

• Written language also has registers, just like spoken language.
• Many believe all online writing should be formal, but internet conversation varies in tone.
• Internet users have developed conventions to indicate tone that don’t exist in standard written English.

Typography as Tone

• In standard English, capitalization signals proper nouns and sentence starts, but adds little meaning.
• Online, ALL CAPS is used to represent shouting.
• Lowercase writing suggests calmness or a laid-back, indifferent tone, useful for humor or irony.
• Deliberate lowercasing can require effort due to autocorrect features, signaling intention.
• Capitalizing the first letter of certain words can add emphasis ("For Effect").
• Repeating letters or punctuation can convey rhythm or emotional intensity (e.g., "sooooo" or "!!!").

Punctuation and Prosody

• Multiple exclamation or question marks increase emphasis or indicate rising intonation, not always questions.
• Rhetorical questions may end without a question mark to show no rising tone.
• Periods often indicate seriousness or anger in casual digital conversations.
• "Crytyping" on platforms like Tumblr uses commas, deliberate misspelling, and errors to show or parody emotional distress.

Evolution of Internet Language

• Internet language conventions change quickly (e.g., "cu l8r" is now outdated).
• There is no single correct way to write online; standards and registers vary by context.
• Understanding the appropriate register is important (e.g., don't use "crytyping" with your boss).

Key Terms & Definitions

• Register — a language style appropriate for a particular context or audience.
• Tone — the emotional or attitudinal quality conveyed by word choice and structure.
• All-caps — typing in all capital letters to indicate shouting.
• Lowercasing — using only lowercase letters, often to show informality or indifference.
• Crytyping — intentionally misspelling or adding typing errors to mimic emotional typing.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Consider your audience and choose the appropriate register and tone when writing.
• Observe different online communities for their own typographic conventions.
• Read about internet linguistics for deeper understanding (suggested: "Because Internet" by Gretchen McCulloch).