Social Media

The Key to Writing

Though over 150 years old, the keyboard remains one of the most popular tools for communication and writing.

It began as a feature on typewriters but has since evolved to become part of desktop and laptop computers, cellphones, and digital tablets. The standard English keyboard layout is known as QWERTY and is named for the first six letters starting from the top left and going to the right.

The initial key placement made in 1873 had some minor differences compared to the keyboard we know today, such as the letter M being on the middle line of letters. While the arrangement might look random, they are actually spaced that way to prevent jamming.

Letters that frequently appear next to one another in words were placed farther apart on the layout. Before this, when the letters were arranged alphabetically, the typewriter’s type bars would stick together if quickly pressed one after another.

Despite this hardware glitch no longer being a problem on our modern devices, QWERTY has survived the test of time. It is so prevalent in the modern world that the average person will type on a keyboard for three hours a day or more. This might sound like a lot, but it is not so surprising when you think about how much time people write on social media and other forms of messaging. Many people now, especially since the pandemic, work online as well.

Thinking about the logistics of typing is interesting as well. The average person can type about 40 WPM (Words Per Minute). If they also spend about three hours of their day typing, that means they average around 7200 words a day! That is more than many authors write daily for their books. It is crazy to think about many words are produced each day, all thanks to the keyboard.

Tiktok and Its Evolving Approach to Writing

Can an app for making viral dances point us to our next steps in how we communicate with each other?

In the digital era, we are seeing a push to leverage the new technologies we use to better communicate. From comics to social media, many experts are showing that the limitations of pen and paper can be circumvented online if we only take them seriously.

Our writing can go beyond words. We have already have been sharing emojis and memes to communicate meaning for years. While some apps like Twitter are changing how we write, we are seeing a resurgence of ideograms and symbols from apps such as TikTok. Apps like these use audio, visual, and writing at the same time to communicate meaning. For example, this TikTok’s meaning can only be fully grasped with sound, visuals, and writing.

 

Here we see what Scott Mcleod was talking about in reference to comic books and graphic novels: expansion beyond what physical media can give us. But, these new combinations of media open up an entirely different problem: accessibility. People with disabilities may find it hard to grasp the full meaning or create media like this. But, many users and Tiktok itself work to address this issue, such as creators who work to caption their videos or the new speech to text feature.  Here are examples of both these features being used on the app.

As one can see, social media apps like TikTok are expanding what we consider writing and how we use the tools in front of us to communicate. By making it easy to combine multiple forms of media, apps like these show what language in the digital age can look like, and how we can better increase accessibility for all.

Twitter Paving the Way for More Concise Written Language

Since its emergence, Twitter has forever changed the way we write.

Posts, AKA Tweets, are little bits of information that users share with their followers. Tweets are limited to a 280 character limit, meaning messages must be short and to the point.

But what does the evolution of the first instance of writing tell us about the way Twitter changes the way we write?

Before we address the question, let’s talk about the one of the earliest forms of writing. Researh indicates that early civilizations used clay envelopes (bulla) filled with tokens. These tokens represented different objects, and on the outside of the envelope were engravings denoting what was inside. This envelope system worked, but as time went by, it was easier to just engrave. Denise Schmandt-Besserat explains this significant writing changes:

At first the innovation flourished because of its convenience; anyone could “read” what tokens a bulla contained and how many without destroying the envelope and its seal impressions. What then happened was virtually inevitable, and the substitution of two-dimensional portrayals of the tokens for the tokens themselves would seem to have been the crucial link between the archaic recording system and writing. (read more here)

Over time, we have found ways to simplify writing. With Twitter, the limited space has led to the use of acronyms, abbreviations and emojis to convey the user’s message. The meaning has not changed, just the way it was written has.

Just like early civilizations simplified their writing system, Twitter users continue to simplify their writing. If writing can be condensed, it will be.

Will we ever reach a point where writing can’t be further simplified? I don’t know, but that is a question for another time.