WhatsApp’s popularity surged at a time when people were acquiring etiquette on how they should talk on the internet. But all that dominated the outcomes of this learning was pidgin version of languages, which were mixed to a great extent. The Internet slangs contributed to the corruption of language – something that is frowned on by language/grammar purists – but created a new stream for Internet users to talk more eloquently and easily – sometimes even without any letters but emojis.
A famous internet linguist has shared the key to an efficient conversation on WhatsApp that reflects decorum. In her book that talks about the evolution of language with technology, Gretchen McCulloch points out certain nuances that need to be followed while chatting on WhatsApp (or any other instant messaging platform for that matter).
“We are in a primitive time where we are trying to communicate more clearly, we are transitioning,” notes McCulloch in her book. The major takeaways from her book are a few facets that keep a check on conversational mannerism on chat apps.
First, full stops (periods) should not be used while chatting. It has known to be perceived as a rude treatment to be using full stops at the end of sentences when chatting on WhatsApp. It is subject to personal preference though – people obsessed with sticking to grammar rules, such as the ones in formal letters, would ensure punctuation at all times. But, on the other hand, those who punctuate their sentences less frequently can come across as impolite, angry, and rude.
A big part of online conversations happening on chat apps is emojis. Emojis are integral to chats and are used by nearly everyone. According to McCulloch, the correct use of emojis is the key to meaningful connotation. On top of this, emojis have evolved to deliver meaning more than one. The winking face, cold sweat, and grimace emojis are prone to misinterpretation for having multiple meanings.
A lot awful amount of exclamation symbol is bad for a healthy chat, McCulloch notes. Using multiple exclamatory marks could make it look like the sender is shouting at the recipient. The reason behind the pattern that involves people is, McCulloch says, because people “compensate by using exclamation marks and emojis because we [people] are missing layers of modulation we [people] usually get when we [people] have face to face conversations from our tone of voice.”
