It has become prevalent to employ written language in an informal way. The primary reason for this shift is that it is more convenient to text this way; however, I contend that this is an unfavorable trend, rendering language learning more challenging for beginners.
Fewer people use formal language in their writing because it is more sophisticated. With the rise of social media platforms, individuals are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of text messages every day. Replying to every single one of those, some people might find it burdensome to communicate formally, preferring instead the ease of an informal dialogue. This convenience has made informal communication ubiquitous to the extent that a formally toned message may appear awkward or even impolite. For example, many Americans will be surprised to receive a full version of informal abbreviations, such as gm (good morning), rn (right now), or tbh (to be honest). So, instead of typing 10 letters to say “to be honest”, many people would simply say “tbh”, which conveys the same message.
Nevertheless, I see this phenomenon as a negative one as it can potentially baffle learners of a certain language. Due to their unique modes of written communication, many areas have developed localized slang, resulting in regional differences of the same language. Learners, who may not be fully aware of this, may be confused during the learning process. The Arabic language can be a vivid example of this trend; despite the similarity of its script, the language branches into variations, including Gulf Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and Modern Standard Arabic among many others. Consequently, people who want to master Arabic might have a hard time choosing which dialect to learn.