this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
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No, it's never been like it is now. Pre-internet, language was far more isolated and stagnant. Pre-television, even more so.
Now I'm noticing regional accents flattening out, everyone sounding more and more alike. Our vocabulary has exploded with new words. It would be frustrating as hell to go back in time 30-years and try to explain 2023 to my younger self.
The speed is mind boggling. Accents also take different forms now, I.e Digital accents. You can tell a person's age and region based on how they use emojis. It's complicated further because different culture/language groups share the same emojis (second language), but may use them differently, kinda like Engrish but even more universal. What a time to be alive ๐ ๐ญ๐
At work, I can tell who's commenting on Slack by the emojis. I can glance at a thumbnail on lemmy and gather a great deal of info. It's freaky.
First tech support job in '91, played a game with myself. I could guess the state, or at least a general region, of my callers. I was pretty damned good. Now? Not much of a clue unless the accent really hangs it out there. Think Boston, Louisiana Cajun, Mississippi genteel, like that. Even those are fading fast.
And don't start me on internet accents. Jesus. The "airhead" female voice makes me gag, and there's a masculine voice exactly like it. Wonder if people hated the new Transatlantic accent back in the day? ๐ฃ
I didn't say the conditions were all the same.