20/20 Response Paper

20/20 Teen Ebonics (Mall Talk) This edition of 20/20 expressed the frustration of the older generations regarding the conversational linguistic habits of today’s youth. I agree that “mall talk” is very inappropriate when used in a prestigious environment, during school presentations, or while addressing coworkers or presenting an idea during a meeting. I think that the over-use of “like” and “you know”s is a nervous and highly contagious habit of today’s youth. It is …

…to your disadvantage when trying to effectively get your point across. For instance if Martin Luther King Jr. would have said “I have like....a dream” it would be less successful and certainly come across a lot less knowledgeable than “I have a dream...” I think that the youth today should become more aware of the way that they talk but I do not think that anyone else should interfere unless it is completely necessary.