Page 55 - Tropic Magazine Issue 20

TROPIC • BUSINESS

Power of language

in the digital age

CLEAR COMMUNICATION
Julian Hudson from Cairns
Language Man believes words
are more important than ever.

You’ve just read this column’s title. But
did you spot the clues to its nuanced
meaning?
First clue? The inference that language
might be losing its relevance or power.
The second clue is that the digital age is
the creeping usurper of that power. The
dreaded agent of change. agrees the digital age also equates when we collectively lose our minds, in
Age, as in digital age, refers to what to information overload. Businesses actuality, will the power of language be
currently exists. So, has this usurper and people are ‘yelling’ at you and so severely diminished.
already committed its inevitable theft of dangling shiny objects as they vie for The above title could have just as easily
what language once did for us? Whether your attention. been interpreted as the increase in the
you argue it’s a gradual theft or fait Aha! So the power of language has power of language.
accompli, I proclaim a confident no. actually increased. Because to rise above Try successfully conveying the above
Sure, the digital age has influenced the communications cacophony in this nuance and complexity with any
language and how society now uses digital age, to get noticed, you need to combination of digital-age tricks. I
it. Tweets make us squeeze intended be even more strategic and creative with challenge you!
meaning into character limits. your language Than. Ever. Before.
Phone texts encourage brevity and Language is psychology, really, since MORE: cairnslanguageman.com
disregard for punctuation. Everyone it represents the human mind. Only

55 • tropicnow.com.au