By: Jarrod Cross
The digital age is here, and space is being made in dictionaries for the new lingo which has become part and parcel of daily conversation for those caught up in the frenzy of smart technology.
Selfies, Tweets, Retweets, Favourite, Hasthtag, QR codes. Huh?
The terminology and jargon alone is enough to scare the life out of somebody who is unfamiliar with a digital world, but the unfortunate reality for these people is that these terms are here to stay.
Many of the “old school” generation have, however, decided to tackle technology, even if they haven’t quite grasped it yet.
My dad, for instance, once got very upset with me for deleting “his” internet, simply because I removed a desktop shortcut on our computer.
On another occasion he was horrified when I had upgraded our computer because I had thrown away his internet banking “programme” which he had on the old one.
While it may seem absurd to a younger generation that someone might not know how the internet, social media and smart technology works, we also need to realise that we grew up with these things. In many ways, we have been spoilt.
If the tech savvy generation of today were to be transported back to 40 years ago, many of us would feel as lost as the older generation does today.
Would we know how to fill out a cheque? Post a formal written letter? Take a photo using an old SLR camera? Would we remember the phone numbers of all our friends and family by heart?
Could we drive to an unfamiliar destination without the help of GPS? Or heaven forbid, actually chat up our crush face to face.
Therefore, in honour of the bravery displayed by the older generation who have embraced this new digital world, I have compiled a crash course to familiarise you with the new lingo:
Selfie: A photo taken of oneself, usually accompanied by an awkward facial expression. For boys this would be the “tongue out”. For girls it is usually, “the duck lips”. Both equally ridiculous.
Tweets: A post left on the micro blogging platform called Twitter, no longer than 140 characters in length.
Retweet: Rebroadcasting somebody else’s tweet on your Twitter account, usually in approval of what they have said.
Favourite: An indication that you agree with what somebody on Twitter has said. Usually because they are attractive.
Hashtags: An effective tool in labeling the subject line of a tweet and tracking trending conversations on social media. #But #Very #Often #Overused #By #Attention #Seekers
QR codes: A type of square bar code-like thing which, when scanned by an app on your smartphone, directs you to a specific website page or video on the internet.
Vines: No, these are not plants but rather a micro video format which displays a looped video of six seconds.
Troll: No, this is not a creature which lives under a bridge. An internet troll is someone who specifically “trolls” the internet trying to provoke people by constantly leaving controversial comments.
Keyboard warrior: Usually somebody who picks a fight with others on the internet while trying to come across as Chuck Norris when, in reality, they have the physical intimidation of an injured butterfly.
Now that you have been armed with this new found digital wisdom, I challenge you to go out and master the new world which awaits you.
