Now and then we communicate on social media freely and openly keeping aside the disparities of the mother tongue, which varies mostly as the search engines provide very convenient translations for languages which we are not familiar with. Look how comfortable our world has become. The difference in one's mode of communication has no bounds; the internet is not just a sheer servant to the machines but to the people it serves, thereby finding meaning and giving hope.
Today we live in a world where the internet is an essential part of our day to day lives, now imagine surfing the internet, and suddenly the settings for language changes from English to Czech, how useful will the internet be for you? The internet is only as necessary as we make it, and without the accessibility of our spoken language, it means nothing.
Basically, the Digital Language Divide alludes to the people in developed countries using language galvanized by online gaming frequently in their daily routines. The Digital Language Divide is spacing users of computers, cell phone devices. Isn't it bizarre that The famous search engine Google recognizes as much as 30 European languages, but only one African language is recognized and no native American or Pacific languages are recognized by Google at all?
We now on then rely upon these search engines to gain knowledge, imagine how would it feel like, to be a part of the lesser known community, where knowledge is not as accessible as it is to us. We are privileged as we remain acknowledged about the world with just one click while the minor communities suffer as they lack behind not only in the knowledge sector but also in areas like that of literature, art, and cultures of the world; a lone wolf is only as vulnerable as one can be without his pack.
Even the use of social media site such as Twitter itself unknowingly showcases distinctive demeanor of citizens of various nations, for instance. The Chinese can be more expressive in mere 140 characters than we can be in English. Or how the Korean's use Twitter for communication, while Germans are seen to be more friendly with hashtags. It is amusing how people find different objectives on social media, and the influence of language plays a significant role in it.
Author: Rishika Chhabra
