Does the Generation MZ (Gen MZ) destroy our language? Many people blame Gen MZ for language loss. That concern about language destruction assimilates a concern about world’s end. There have always been people who have been worried about the end of the world and language loss. However, neither has happen yet. The earth has not been destroyed by meteorites, and language is still in use.
Before starting the discussion about Gen MZ’s language destruction, we should understand some keywords: ‘Gen MZ,’ ‘neologism,’ and ‘language destruction.’ Gen MZ is a combination of Millennials and Generation Z. They were born in the 1980s and early 2000s. Neologism can be explained as newly coined words or expressions. However, how can we define language destruction? It is not easy to answer. We cannot always categorize it over-abbreviation or excessive neologism as language destruction.
Not all neologism survives long enough to destroy language. According to the National Institute of Korean Language, 938 new words were used between 2005 and 2006. Until 2015, only 250 of those words (26.6%) still survived in the media more than 20 times in total and once annually. 73.4% of the neologisms disappeared. In light of these statics, language extinction due to new words would be hard to prove. Some people are overreacting to the temporary phenomenon of establishing new words.
Then, how should we accept the emergence of neologisms? We should pay more attention to how they came to be than to criticizing Gen MZ. Defining neologism as language destruction and blind creation of new words is an exaggeration. Language reflects our society. It will help to understand our world. Stop blaming and read the background.
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