The digital world has certainly made life easier – we can now connect with friends and family from all around the world, we can order our favourite clothing items and have it shipped to us with a simple click of a button, and can even have virtual dates to keep the flame alive.
But how much has this digital world changed us? How lazy has simplicity made us? And how severely have we been impacted by abbreviations asks Cape {town} Etc’s Micayla Vellai.
I sat dumbstruck as I browsed through my phone (because that’s what we do in our free time, right?) and came across a post that affected me, probably more than it should have. An image, of someone who had tragically passed away, the caption read – MHDSRIP. That was it. I couldn’t believe how a lifetime of memories could be condensed into 7 simple letters. They didn’t even take the time (or possibly have the time) to type out “May his dear soul rest in peace.”
It could’ve been that easy, but then I thought perhaps this person was busy. Maybe they were finishing a meal, or out with friends, or, or, or… The excuses I made on behalf of this individual piled on, and slowly started to fade into an abyss of anger, confusion, and more importantly, concern.
I couldn’t help feeling concerned for this generation and the display of callous behaviour, or rather, how they have subconsciously fallen victim to the abbreviation, which rears its ugly head as a painful reminder that “we just don’t have the time.” And as soon as an occasion arises, whether joyful or filled with sorrow that ignites the desire to type out meaningful words, the abbreviation gently whispers “you just don’t have the time.”
Yes, it can be argued that because I am passionate about writing I have a responsibility to write with more empathy, to spell words out in full, to create a beautifully crafted piece of work with metaphors that will leave no dry eye in the room. But this is not the case.
I have also fallen victim to the abbreviation and emojis too as I reflect on the many times I could have responded to a text with a simple yes, but opted for a thumbs up instead. That day I was in a rush, and it was all I could manage. But what have I been doing before when emojis were non-existent and I was still in a rush. An eloquent “yes” would have sufficed I’m sure.
These thoughts set off a whirlwind of ideas as I realised in agony how abbreviations have now become the norm to undeniably express how we feel. I (heart) you, Happy B-Day, Merry Xmas… Now that it’s in front of you, do you see how cold and disconnected it seems?
I feel very strongly that words are impactful. Words can bruise, but in that same breath, they can heal. So much power lies in the words ‘I love you’. But does it hold the same weight when the word ‘love’ gets replaced with a heart?
So when one grieves the painful loss of a colleague, a friend, a family member, a pet or a spouse, and if they have touched the crevices of your soul and left a lasting impact in your life, I would think that they are more than deserving of: RIP.
Read also:
Letters from the land of socials: the strangest parts of social media to wrap our heads around
Picture: Pexels