Caveman Communication Comeback

As words are overtaken by audio and visual messaging, a leading language expert said that we are moving back to a more “caveman form of communicatio

10:05 06 May 2015

Following the advancements in the field of communication where audio and visual messaging are often used, experts find that our messaging habits are taking us back to a more “caveman form of communication.”

 

Professor John Sutherland from University College London, who led the study commissioned by Samsung, said: "The use of audio and visual messaging has become more commonplace with the soaring popularity of social media and instant messaging apps such as Instagram, Vine and Snapchat.” 

 

"In fact we are moving to a more pictographic form of communication with the increasing popularity of emoticons.

 

"This harks back to a caveman form of communication where a single picture can convey a full range of messages and emotions.

 

"In the future, less words and letters will be used in messaging as pictures and icons take over the text speak language."

 

The study also found “seismic generational gap” where majority of parents are unable to comprehend the language that their children speak. 

 

Parents who joined the survey said that they felt teenagers spoke an entirely different language particularly on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Just 10% of them knew the definition of “bae” which is commonly used in social media while the term “fleek” which means looking good, came out as the word that majority of the parents did not understand.