Vocabulary in today's youth

[KungFuMaster]

As I am but a lowly high-school senior, I don't have a worldly position to view these kind of things, and my opinion stems from just the people in my high school, but I find that common talk has lost its flair and personality because everyone talks as if they're texting someone.

Though the usage of the word "like" has dropped to a more reasonable level, I still can't get over how many blank looks I get from people I'm talking with though I'm using words that I would have thought are commonplace.

I met three girls my age who didn't know what the meaning of insomnia was. I truly hope this is an isolated event.

Maybe my school is just under average, or I just hear what I want to hear, but this is my opinion, has anyone else noticed this?

I got out over ten years ago. I used the word 'monotonous' in front of one of my girlfriends; she thought I was making shit up. One of the girls I graduated with (Hand to God) once asked what color the White House was. Same girl, different class, asked when the Civil War took place and then, after being told the dates asked if it that was the first one or the second. My best friend's girlfriend (yeah, now it's in my head), pronounced chaos as "Chow-sss" and I knew more about Greek Mythology than my ninth grade English teacher. So, no, it's not just you, and it's not just the kids...though, I don't know that that'll make you feel any better...

 

[Clashero]

When I went to the US to study in high school (secondary school for the rest of the world) I was amazed at how lacking the speech was. Honestly, it sounded like Newspeak.

 

[Vivaldi]

I think you'll find that such illiteracy is shockingly average in schools, I was in College(what you would call high school) about three years ago now and some of the dumbasses I met there still haunt me to this day. Luckily If you're looking for intelligent and informative conversations you could do alot worse than the escapist. I think I've seen "lol" only about four times since I joined (that one doesn't count), which is pretty amazing compared to some of the moronic cesspools they call forums on other sites.
But you were talking about schools, so...
One thing that stuck with me was this guy who had no idea that Russia was no longer a communist state, to be fair I suspect he might have been stoned off his tits.

I can do you one better.
I was reading the newspaper with my friend and I found an article about the Georgia-Russia conflict and the resulting conversation went somthing like the following.

Me: I see tensions have not eased between them yet... *hands friend the article*
Friend: *looks at the picture on top of th artcle and puts it on the table*
Me: Arn't you going to read it?
Friend: No, I don't have to because I already know what is going to happen.
Me: And what would that be exactly?
Friend: Nothing will happen until Russia's Czar is impeached by Cuba's revote next month and a bill is passed in Cuban parliament, now they are no longer part of the Czar's rule because of the impeachment, saying they will stop making nuclear threats to Georgia.
Me: ...


The rest of the day was spent in silence.

 

[Clashero]

I mostly hate it when people try to use big words that are simply not cromulent. (see what I did there?)

 

[Anarchemitis]

my vocabulary is good.


That was subtle irony *wink*

I saw it as blatant.

 

[Death Magnetic]

Ignorance and idiocity is abundant down in the south west of England. Down here no one has a clue what a double negative is and twats commonly say such things as "I haven't done nothing".

One fat chav in my year at school asked in a history lesson of WW2 "Is the war over?" and also "Who won?"

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

I love words that sound wrong, but are not. Words like 'ungood' and 'concubinage.' However, if I were ever to use either of those around my friends, I?d be labeled a prig.

 

[_Lucca_]

"Where you at?" is a phrase I hear form even my mom. It just annoys me for some reason.

Also, I hate hearing 'mad' in place of 'very'.

In California they use hella in place of very. It infuriates me to no end.

They use "wicked" here in New England, I picked up the habit about six months after moving here, though since then I've annoyed myself so much that I'm starting to finally break said habit.

I was raised in New England, so I grew up with it, but my snooty hometown doesn't have the accent that most people associate with Boston. I think I've managed to tone it down quite a bit compared to the teen years, but it still comes out every now and then. A co-worker and I like to work "wicked pissah" into conversations as often as we can.

 

[magnus gallant]

when i was in high school not but 3 years ago i had a girl ask me what jewish was, and where chiner (i think she meant china) was.

some people are just retarded, i don't have the most fantastic vocabulary, but i like to think i do alright

 

[wewontdie11]

I think I have a fairly good vocabulary. I often end up losing the impact of anecdotes or jokes I tell to friends, because I use over-flowery/descriptive language a lot of the time.

As for other young people, if I hear the phrase "well at the end of the day" or lol said out loud one more time so help me God...

 

[Tread184]

I have a considerably expansive vocabulary, although I have somewhat poor social skills, or grammar skills when talking..or something. I don't know how you'd call it and I'm not going in detail about it. Anyway, most of my guy friends are pretty much on par with me, more or else. But I know some dumb girls. One girl I talk to regularly is smoking hot, but so, so stupid. 17 years old I think. Almost every time I have a conversation with her, I end up teaching her a new word. Like halfway through my sentence she goes, "what does that mean?". In example: she tells me she thinks her wrist is broken. I knew it wasn't, but I go on and ask her if the pain is excruciating. She responds with a confused "what's that mean?". Surprised she didn't know, I answer, "ummm, it's like beyond unbearable." Then she asked me what unbearable meant. That was the moment that sealed it in my mind.
Also, as far as intelligence in kids today, I had an ex girlfriend that stated that the Native Americans spoke English before the Europeans came to the Americas as if it were fact. All my friends and I stood back in awe.
Faith in Humanity: Fading.

 

[Billy_Pilgrim]

Ignorance and idiocity is abundant down in the south west of England. Down here no one has a clue what a double negative is and twats commonly say such things as "I haven't done nothing".

One fat chav in my year at school asked in a history lesson of WW2 "Is the war over?" and also "Who won?"

The south west? Consider yourself lucky. At the moment I'm living in Liverpool.

While I believe that the use of overly florid language in day to day conversation is affected and unnecessary, I do wish people would make an effort to at least grasp the basic principles of their language.