How far is too far when it comes to exaggerating?
The way we talk and write today is vastly different from the past. While technical and professional writing are similar to what it used to be, our everyday speech patterns have taken on a whole new force. Everything we say is either super simplistic, or an incredible exaggeration. “I’m dead”, “I can’t even”, “I could kill for a piece of chocolate right now”, and “My bank account has, like, negative hundred dollars” are just a few examples. Is this just a part of our generation that will die out in a few years, or is this trend here to stay?
While this trend may be fun and laughable now, is there serious damage that can happen to our language? To how we interact with each other? When we use words in a way that they are not meant to be used, they start to lose their meaning more and more every time. Some phrases mean so little now, because they are used so often. For example, “I love you” is tossed around so carelessly that understanding one’s true emotions is becoming more and more difficult. The amount of times that I myself have typed “I am literally dying right now” in response to something funny my friend has sent me is too many to count. When words lose their meaning, should we be concerned?
Our society today is incredibly social, much in part to social media and the constant ability to access others. With this, there is a constant fight to the top. How others perceive us is a constant thought on everyone’s mind. To be the best, one has to emote the most. The more you are “relatable”, the more people like you. And yet, the more real emotion you show, the more people find you to be too aggressive, and too emotional. This trend of giving the extreme emotion to every small act makes you able to connect with others, but not have to actually get deep with them. We love everyone, so we never have to admit who we actually love. Our situations are always better or worse than everyone else’s, so all eyes can be on you. These words that were created for the deepest expression of human emotion have been reduced to mere descriptions of everyday feelings. So what do we do about it? Start expressing yourself in a true sense. Be vivid and imaginative, but do not over do your use of the amazing English language. There is always a time and a place for hyperboles, but when our whole culture revolves around the exaggeration of every minute detail, we need to stop and reevaluate how we describe our life and feelings to others.