Mother Tongue : SMS

Every morning as i go for my walk i see some random person wearing the tee shirt with the message - Mother Tongue : SMS. Its just got me thinking. What if your mother tongue is SMS. The Day begings with GM and Ends with TC GN.You want everything ASAP and if you are busy you SMS saying TTYL.Also vwls dnt hld much value.Well if you can interpret all this in one go am sure you are also a part of the gennxt.If you cant then LOL.

But it worries me to some extent.Like the old timers i worry about culture being eroded and language loosing its beauty and sanctity. Most of it is already gone and whatever else is left, may erode soon.So we will have the next generation which will talk in abbreviations. Names are already being shortened.So Vipul is often turned into Vips and there are many other beautiful names with meaning which lose both beauty and meaning as they get adapted to the SMS world.

I guess the dictionary of SMS language has already hit the western markets a few years ago and may be, is already in here as well.The pure Urdu , Hindi and English in its traditional forms is limited only to literature classrooms and students.If you start speaking the classical way people wonder something is not right or may be that you are dated.

SMS also has a commercial implication.It involves money making for the cellular operators.So the freedom of expression doesnt really come free for the SMS gen. Jokes and messages can be downloaded and shared with friends. I wonder how it works. Its so impersonal.Its not like you are sharing a moment with friends.You are sharing SMS. The friends reaction is ? Does the generation really care about it?

Technology is good.Its great.It has created blogs (Thank God for it). But its technical.Its impersonal.Its meant to be that way.It lacks that personal touch and feel. I wonder if the generation who talks through sms ,born with a mobile handset in their hand, would ever know what it means. I hope they do.