When what you type doesn't mean the same thing to the (older) person you're texting or tweeting

On a day-to-day level, the way we interact with the people around us is shaped by our expectations, which are rooted in our experience. Most adults experience more regular and intensive contact with adults of roughly the same age as them. It is no surprise then – as a cursory glance at any multigenerational Twitter row over the past decade clearly demonstrates – that our expectations tend to be skewed towards how our own age group expresses themselves.

This article is part of Quarter Life, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.

Typographical tone Billions of emails and texts are sent every day – an estimated 320 billion and 23 billion, respectively. Research shows some quite consistent ways in which people have communicated their intent through the ages. When texting or posting, an older person might use the standard punctuation rules they were taught in school, merely intending to present themselves as “proper” or to show respect to their recipients.

Hidden meanings We all know that irony and sarcasm are hard to convey in writing. Research shows, however, that we are in fact more likely to write something snarky than we are to say it. Here, the presumption of meaning behind non-standard features in text is quite useful.

Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

‘Women, oh what a terrible thing’: Douglas Murray calls out the ‘new misogyny’Author Douglas Murrays says academics are terrified of using the word woman after Johns Hopkins University described lesbians as ‘non-men attracted to non-men’. “I see no reason why we have to pretend that we're all stupid,” Mr Murray told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “They don’t mind saying ‘man’ still … but ‘woman’, 'women', oh, what a terrible thing. “This is what I call the new misogyny. “It is being led, again, by people who think they are super tolerant.”
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »

Why even Sam Altman doesn’t trust ChatGPTThe OpenAI co-founder says global regulation of AI must avoid crushing its potential but nobody should be trusting it to give accurate professional information.
Source: FinancialReview - 🏆 2. / 90 Read more »

Boomers splurge on holidays and cruises amid interest rate windfallWhile Millennials tighten their belts, older generations are enjoying higher incomes as interest rates rise.
Source: FinancialReview - 🏆 2. / 90 Read more »

My shopping bags were too heavy. Could I embrace the obvious solution? | Jay RaynerReplacing my canvas totes with a shopping trolley seemed the sensible thing to do, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to become that person
Source: GuardianAus - 🏆 1. / 98 Read more »

Son of a gun ‘silly not to’ quit Blues in free agency after latest axing‘I know for a fact that he loves Carlton. But if Carlton don’t love him then it doesn’t really matter.’ 7AFL 7NEWS
Source: 7NewsMelbourne - 🏆 18. / 59 Read more »

‘Dreadful’: Bronwyn Bishop slams Albanese for dividing Australia with Voice to ParliamentFormer Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop says the Voice to Parliament referendum has divided Australia like nothing else she’s seen. “This referendum has divided the country like I really haven’t seen anything else divide the country,” Ms Bishop told Sky News host Paul Murry. “For Albanese to try and make this his great mark of making the country unified and strong, I think is a dreadful thing he has done to the country.”
Source: SkyNewsAust - 🏆 7. / 78 Read more »