2.3 Formality and social media Flashcards
are online modes of address more or less relaxed than in face-to-face encounters. Can you give an example. Why do some people think it’s the reason for this 5 points
they are more relaxed
2 an example of this is the informal version of ‘you’, ‘tu’, which seems to be taking over in social media, at expense of the formal ‘vous’
3even if in face-to-face encounters a young adult would call most people ‘vous’, in Twitter he will use ‘tu’ as ‘vous’ would seem out of place when using pseudonyms
4 the web has been used as a tool for breaking down social barriers, resulting in a distinctively ‘egalitarian political discorse’
5-In the philosophy of the internet, we are among peers, equal, without social distinction, whatever your age, gender or income status in your real life
What are some arguments in support of the use of ‘tu’ on Twitter 5 points
1takes up fewer characters
2when using pseudonyms, formal address can seem out of place
3 using ‘tu’ breaks down social barriers and is more egalitarian, in line with the egalitarian movement of 1960s
4making people ‘friends’ on social media gives a certain sense of ‘emotional proximity’
5using ‘vous’ is against the egalitarian spirit of the web because it creates distance
What are some arguments against the use of ‘tu’ on Twitter 4 points
1 ‘vous’ is a sign of respect
2 the use of ‘tu’ imposes its own hierarchy: being regular users of social media does not give people the right to dictate how others should and should not communicate in these media
3 when communicating online, people can get away with some behaviours that would not be acceptable face to face, e.g. calling people they don’t know ‘tu’
4 the use of ‘tu’ can be perceived as an insult, on a pair with violence, so it creates tension
digital revolution and Why do we see differences between face-to-face interactions and digital media 3points
1-the ‘digital revolution’ is regarded by many as a key stage in the cultural history of humankind
2-the ‘digital revolution’ is still in progress. the medium is relatively new and we are still in the process of negotiating the boundaries of what is considered acceptable
3-It is an example of the many ways in which history can shape culture and how culture itself shapes the languages through culture express itself
French revolution and ‘tu’ 12 points
from 1789-1799
2 represents the most significant upheaval (a violent or sudden change or disruption to something) in France’s history
3 a hierarchical state, ruled by an absolute monarch, was replaced by a republic, which took liberté, égalité and fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity) as its watchword.
4 this egalitarianism was marked by the adoption of tu as the standard form of address by citizens of the new state
5 after the french revolution ‘vous’ began to be used again during the Restoration 1814 to 1830 and under Napoleon (i think napoleon was first and then the restoration that caused him to abdicate and be exiled 1814, he escaped and took control of
France in 1815 (see hundred days) although he was exiled again a few months later until he died in 1821
6May 1968 or ‘May 68’ in France saw a violent outburst of civil unrest, motivated largely by the social conservatism of the government, presided by the ageing Charles de Gaulle.
7protests first flared up among students in Paris, then spread to France’s workers, culminating in a general strike.
8 technically speaking, May ‘68 is not a revolution as it did not result in the overthrow of the regime and after a month, the unrest subsided rapidly and the right returned to power in elections held that June. However, ay ‘68 led to a freeing-up of French society and is regarded as a landmark event in French history.
9-as the years past, using only ‘tu’ didn’t seem adequate, or not part of being French, and ‘vous’ (T-V distinction) started to make a come back
10-today ‘tu’ is more common than it was pre-68 and strict rules still govern its use
11-you would offend a lot of people if you used tu and they didn’t know you.
12-It’s difficult to say if social media will change this, however if people’s first contact is on social media and they start using ‘tu’ it would be awkward to use ‘vous’ in a different context. Once you start with ‘tu’ it is very hard to abandon it
level of formality on different languages when used on social media 6 points
1 Most languages are more informal when used online
2 languages like Russia, the formal ´vy´remains standard
3 some others like Japanese are even more formal online
4 others like Persian, German, UK English, Spanish or french are less formal online
5 The formal ¨nin¨ is rarely used in Chiese anyways but online language is often very informal and has generated a new lexicon of web slang
6 In Italian, meanwhile the move towards “tu” was under way long before the arrival of the internet and social media. They merely reinforce an existing trend. In Italian the informal ‘tu’ is much more frequent than the informal ‘lei’, even among people belonging to different generations or strangers
Why is important to address people with the appropriate level of formality 6 points
1 it’s not the end of the world if you don’t but it may cause offence
2 in the best case scenario they may understand that your error was unintentional a due simply to the lack of familiarity
3 at worst they will fail to realise this, or consider that your lack of familiarity is not excuse.
4 if they believe you to be rude they may be unreceptive or unresponsive to you
5 it is much more important to get this right with people you don’t know than with friends
6 an excess of formality can be as rude as a lack of it, (usted to shop attender)
I the T-V form still used in English ? 3 points
1 The T-V form is no longer used in English
2 but this is just one of many ways if indicating the distinction between formal and informal registers in a language
3 e.g. the use of titles and other forms of address
