First came poetry composed of lines from spam.  Now comes the text message novel.  Finnish author Hannu Luntiala feels that this novel is not a gimmick and that “a text message may reveal much more about a person than you would initially think.”  Maybe.  Luntiala is not the first text message novelist.  I found Qian Fuzhang had tread a similar path not so long ago.

As an English teacher of teenagers, I sometimes feel as though I can see language change before my eyes.  I am not one who canonizes language, or “knights” it, if you will.  I believe words are at their most beautiful when they are functional, and tell a truth.  Flowery language that says nothing, or language that obfuscates truth is less appealing to me.

From what little I remember of Sociolinguistics class, I would label text message language as a jargon, being “the technical terminology or characteristic idiom of a special activity or group.”  Most text message lingo is either acronym or abbreviation, so it may not even qualify as jargon, but as it is centered around a specific activity and group, I’ll let it slide.

So can abbreviation and acronym “reveal more truth about a person than you would initially think?”  I’m skeptical about it’s ability to reveal more about an individual that actual language.  The entire lexicon of text messaging is based on the limitation of a technology, so it’s very purpose seems to take away from one’s ability to increase the level of meaning.  That being said, it may very well reveal more about the group of people who are fluent in it.  And regardless of my initial doubts, I found the publication of this novel worthy of a post because texting is utilitarian at its heart.  It serves a purpose. 

Unfortunately, I think texting a novel will really turn out to be like writing one in crayon; nothing more than using a tool for creating words out of its expected context.  I haven’t read the book, but I suspect that it is more novelty than serious undertaking.  Of course, that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

BTW, if you need my title translated, try here. 

Technorati Tags: SMS, text message, Hannu Luntiala, Qian Fuzhang, linguistics, sociolinguistics