Teenage Linguistic Habits Are Reaching Adults

I often refer to it as "mall talk." Mall talk can be heard, well, in malls across America where teenagers roam and discuss trivial things ranging from classroom tests to boyfriend breakup news. It is with these conversations that the dominant use of the words "like" and "totally" prevails as the glue that binds the mind numbing gossip. However, it is beyond my comprehension at how this type of language is becoming so prominent with teenagers across America. Is English still being taught in school? It's unfortunate to see that this infectious linguistic habit has trickled down into the mainstream and even our current president often uses mall talk in some news conferences. This article discusses the phenomenon and, like, how it's totally become popular in America today.

The history of the word "like" and its emergence as a filler word are not exactly known. Some claim that the song and movie "Valley Girl" from Frank Zappa brought it to the mainstream table. Others claim that "like" is common talk for those for those in California, and being that every other person in the United States has a built-in desire to be a Californian we tend to mock the things that they do. However, this can be traced back to the novel A Clockwork Orange and the teenage slang used in the book. Since then, the word is used in the same context on television, cartoons, and especially movies. For my generation, I think the movie Clueless did a great job with the parody of spoiled American teens and their use of the English language.

However, America can no longer deem this as just the product of an inarticulate teenager. After all, it's become an acceptable form of language in even what's considered our most intelligent adults. Try something for me. Watch television for a few hours at night, whether it's Fox News or a sitcom on NBC and tally up how many times you hear the word "like" used incorrectly in a sentence. I think you'll be surprised with the results.

Why do people use this word so often, you may ask? Experts say that people use like to fill in our thoughts as we piece together what we're trying to say. It's very functional and serves as an opportunity for us to gather our thoughts without appearing unintelligent. Most people use the word out of habit, but it's important to be cautious about how often you use it. It does identify and associate an individual with that of the gum smacking teenager. It's not used necessarily because a person is ignorant, but more as a safety net for those that can make their thoughts clear in an Attention Hyperactivity Disorder world. It allows even the most assured public speaker, such as our current president, to escape commitment from what's being said.

Other expects believe that this linguistic habit can be directly associated to the decline of morals and parenting in America. Parents simply do not urge their children to read and appreciate literature quite like they used to. I can personally say that my English drastically improved after I became an avid reader just a few years ago. Instead, parents sit their children down in front of the television, where the child learns this language and adopts it as their own.

However, the newest trend is that the use of like is now spilling over into adulthood. One explanation is that since like became popular twenty years ago, adults are still using the phrase as they always have. It's the staying power of the word and which it is used that's surprised linguists. In using this theory, the word has been passed down from parent to child instead of the other way around.

The evidence is there. Watch any Roseanne Barr interview and you'll clearly hear it used five or six times within a two sentence frame. Other celebrities I've witnessed using like heavily includes George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Jay Leno, and Nicholas Cage.

Just now as I type this article the movie In Good Company is on and a teenager girl sitting at the dinner table says to Topher Grace's character, "So you're, like, prematurely old?" I had to turn the television off. I can't take it anymore. English teachers across the world please unite!