I'm around a lot of youth, I have 3 teenage boys at home, I am a volunteer in the Boy Scouts of America, I work with the youth of my church...and...we have failed them! I would love to blame today's teen language on them, but, it's actually our fault. Do you remember the song, Valley Girl from Frank Zappa? The lyrics were not very appropriate, but they included Like, like, I dunno, like a million times.
So, like, have you ever been around someone who, like, uses the work like, like, all the time? It like, totally drives me, like insane, or something. It's like listening to someone, like, giving a speech and um, like, saying um, like all the time too.
Don't get me wrong I like, like the word like, but like, it totally gets like, overused, right? Okay, okay, I'll like stop, okay?
Not long ago I was listening to a young group of high schoolers and I could not believe what I was hearing. Their conversation would have taken half the time if they had just eliminated a quarter of the hesitation words they used. I've done my fair share of public speaking, mostly church or work presentations, and I know I am guilty of saying, um, once in a while, but seriously our youth need help, and the people of my generation owe it to them, because it's our fault. This Valley Girl talk has been around since the early '80's, we had plenty of time to correct it. Talk about unfortunate staying power...it's like a silent but deadly lingering around long enough for the investigation to uncover the guilty party.
So, what's my point? Well, I'm not like, totally sure, it's just that I am so like, sick of this language. I don't believe there is like anything that can be done, ya know? I guess I'll just have to endure it and like, persevere, ya know? Hopefully they will increase their language skills as they grow older, but then again, I watched The Voice and like, 46 year old Gwen Stefani and like Pharrell Williams were like bad at talking good and stuff, ya know?
Anyway, thanks for listening...oops, Was That like Out Loud?
I completely agree. It drives me crazy, too! So I police my kids' speech all the time. While they find it irritating, more and more they're coming home telling me about how much they are noticing this "like" speech from their friends. I think they're getting it, like! 😊
ReplyDeleteYou're on the front lines. Thanks for your comments
DeleteBeing from southern California, where sadly enough, I'm pretty sure this all originated... I can remember having FULL conversations with Mike, using only the word "dude". All in the fluctuation. :) I do agree, and I will point it out to my kids to find another word! I'm sadly guilty. I get lazy and I find myself doing it. :( And also, can we touch on posture?? What is up with all of these beautiful kids walking around half bent? Mom would've given a sharp buckle to the middle of my spine!!.... I guess that's a topic for a different day... :)
ReplyDeleteSo funny, my comments were younger in cheek for sure but, I must confess I still say dude a lot.
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