Just try recording a day-full of your conversations. The most commonly used set of words and phrases that we tend to use, have a story to tell..
Here is a quick sample..
·“24x7”(twentyfourseven), “ASAP”, “non-stop”: Expressing a sense of urgency
·“Rgds”(regards), “tks”(thanks), name initials like “S”, “J”, “P” etc as mail sign offs: Signifying early acknowledge of the slow demise of pleasantries
·“Rocking”, “kick-ass”, “buzz-off”, “Jet”: Symbolizing action orientation
·“Full-on, “Max”, “Awesome”: Signaling comfort with extremes
·“Guys”, “Dude” (for both boys and girls): Fading gender differences
·“Sucks”, “Fuck”, “Screw”, “Sexy”: Explicit & yet inclusive in mainstream
·“Cheers”, “That’s fun”: Symbolizing Revelry
·“Wicked” for something that’s good: Symbolizing the celebration of the dark side
·“Chill”, “Chill-pill”, “Cool”: Showing Relaxed, laid back attitude
·“Bandwidth”, “Airtime”, “Charge”, “Charger”, “Mobile”, “Hang”, “SMS”: Democratization of technology
·“Challenge (in place of problem): A dramatic shift in mindset. A change in approach to the way we look at obstacles
· “Whatever”, “Cool”: Multitasking words. These words acquire different meanings in different situations
If we now look at the themes emerging it has a lot to say about the times we are living in
1.Sense of urgency
There is a sense of urgency in everything we do want to do achieve
2.Demise of pleasantries
Time left is good enough just to be practical. Longwinded signatures and opening remarks belong to the last generation (that did not have e mail)
3.Action orientation
We are more result and action oriented than we ever were in the past
4.Extremes
We sway between extremes – the all or nothing mind frame (the demise of compromises and middle grounds)
5.Fading gender differences
Girls becoming boys (attitude), boys becoming girls (appearance)
6.Explicit - mainstream
Much more comfortable with sexuality (though we still have a long way to go)
7.Revelry
Enjoyment culture is the new second religion. Everything is a party. Work, home, weekend, drive, wedding, festival or anything else
8.Celebration of the dark side
Increased comfort with negative emotions (though again early days)
9.Laid back attitude
Desire to cool off, switch off, get away, distress
10.Democratization of technology
Everyone has a mobile phone and many of us have Internet and Personal computers
11.Shift in mindset
Not getting intimidated by problems or bottlenecks – taking them as a challenge and not a sign to give up. A very western approach to adversity
12. Multi-tasking words
Same word can have multiple meanings in different context. “Cool” could mean "nice” or “good” and at the same time it could mean “Ok” in another context. “Whatever” could mean, “fill in the blanks” or “etcetera” in one context and could be used to express “anger” or “disdain” in another.
It’s strange, sometimes words get in the way of that which just needs to be sensed and still sometimes words give out everything about that which would never be said..
Monday, May 28, 2007
Speaking our minds
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5 comments:
One of the most powerful aspects of language is the way it is used to make simple classifications. One of the most dangerous aspects of language is the way it is used to make dangerous classifications.
I quite agree with a lot of the interpretations that you have put across. What we are quite clearly dealing with is linguistic determinism - language reflecting on as well as controlling thoughts (and this is very evident with the proliferation of media which to a large extent leads to the homogenization of thought as well as language).
The exercise you have put up gives great insights to a student like me and propels me to explore my surroundings.
It would however be interesting to see what percentage of the Indian population is exposed to even half these terms - it would be even more interesting to have an exercise which gives insights into what these words mean for people who do not use English as their medium of thinking and subsequently their first language (or most often used language) in as well as outside the metros.
A very interesting and 'obvious' concept - im a fan of obviousness.
Thanks for your informed point of view Harshil.
You are right, this sample and conclusion is not representative of masses.
The attempt is to indicate where the leading edge is headed.
More importantly though what I intended to convey was the technique.
By capturing key words (esp. those away from the regular language) can say a lot about the unsaid.
I have a question for you - if you dont mind my annoying inquisitiveness...
I was just looking at this list again and i also came across something else - something that is the definition of a true professional - "i will create value for society rather than extract it".
I know i am dangerously treading the line of idealism and maybe even eutopia which is unacceptable in advertising - but according to me - all these cultural phenomenon that you have pointed out are a result of the advertising or sales or media phenomenon. Without commenting too much on what trends are 'good' or 'bad' because i am still not competent enough to do so - i want to ask you this: Does a planner then not merely extract from society? Does he not observe life and try to make sense of it just for commercial purposes? If not then how else does a planner contribute? I am aware that my thoughts are a bit simplified in the sense that they do not take into account the entire phenomenon i.e. selling/ marketing/ advertising - but i am doing that because i want to put that question to you deliberately as a planner.
You have already written about the 'role' of a planner - i want to know about the role of the planner in the larger scheme of things.
We are in a world today where advertisers are changing the way objects and ideas are percieved - and mostly advertisers change all this either for their own or a concerned parties commercial gain - what are we sowing back then?
i ask this as someone who wants to be in advertising - i was just hoping to get your thoughts on the subject. I hope what i have written is not too vauge because sometimes it tends to be. I do believe that for all professions - professional excellence as well as the nurturing of a profession should go hand in hand.
If you have enough time to answer this question please do so - it was something i as a student was really keen to know about.
If not i will enjoy reading your observations nevertheless i understand that all these questions are quite distracting or sometimes even senseless in nature once one has settled into a professional career and examines things from a different perspective.
Thanks,
Harshil
Idealism is not bad. Commercialism is not bad either. Asking questions is great. Asking great questions is even better. A good question is more valuable than the answer. It gives the course/direction, while the answer is just about treading down that course. So please keep asking and I hope that I learn from it as much as you do.
Coming back to what you have asked specifically.
Let me start with what I read somewhere and firmly believe in:
Intuition (or idea, or an insight) is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life. Where the histories of all the people are connected and we are able to know everything. Because it is all written there..
I believe that insight and ideas can come from any direction. Lyrics of a song that you chance upon on FM radio while driving home, something that your maid told your mom about your torn/soiled pair of denims, a hindi doha that you had read in Class 8, a research group after it got over and while you were casually talking to some of the respondents who liked you as a person and wanted to talk to you ‘off-line’, observations about number plates in Lucknow & Mumbai and even the sweet nothings that your girlfriend whispers into your ears.
There is a difference between seeing and observing. When our eyes are not talking to our mind while driving down the road of life, we are seeing, when both of them are talking we are observing. Insights lie in the eyes of the beholder. It is a very personal expression or understanding of a universal (and sometimes boring) fact. This personal interpretation or expression or understanding is linked with our instinct, intuition, experience and most importantly imagination.
In that sense every observation (and not sight) is a creation. The trigger for this creation seems to have come from outside but it is more of a connection of the outside with what is inside us. This connection is beyond the scope of my English vocabulary.
The process of doing things in the popular culture creates new popular culture. Feeding off the society goes hand in hand with giving back something new. It is different from recycling (which this might seem look like.).
Coming back to the question and answer analogy. A sharp observation is perhaps like a good question and an idea is like the answer. Every new answer changes the next question because the world has changed with that answer having being created..
I believe there is no bigger joy than the joy of creation!
Keep creating & keep questioning (so that you can create more.).
Hope you read thus far and could relate to what I am trying to share
Thanks for that! It really gives me a new way to think - and probably even approach my work.
When you said - "it is different from recycling" ; on a very simplistic level i interpreted that what we are looking to do is create more comfortable lives for consumers within the cultural contexts that they themselves have created. Obviously advertisers dont make the products but they do give insights and guide people who do (apart from many other things. So in that sense they add to the process of creation in the larger context.
I really enjoyed and probably will learn immensely from that process of 'observation' you outlined. I have been looking to train my mind in that way - not just because of advertising but i think it is a more fulfilling approach to life. Of course i have a long way to go before i reach the level of understanding that you have achieved and it is quite clear that you are constantly striving to get to better places.
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