Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee Avoid the So-called Social Media Writing Style
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Avoid the So-called Social Media Writing Style and Strive for Excellence: A Piece of Advice to Students and Others

Copyright © 2015 By Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee

Republished 7 March 2023

Beloved, please, endeavour to avoid all these disgusting abbreviations and short forms people use on social media, including Facebook. This bad habit is killing the development of good writing skills today. It doesn’t take any extra effort to avoid it. It doesn’t help you as a student or anybody else. No, not at all.

It was this habit that made one of my Law students write “School” as “Skul” in an examination I administered recently. I couldn’t believe my eyes while I was marking the student’s examination answer script.

Even in text messages, people adopt this nauseating writing style when a page is not full. So, the main reason is not to save the cost of sending multiple pages of text messages. It is more of a habit in fashion, and a bad habit at that.

My passionate desire is for all students to excel in their academic work and in all aspects of their lives.

Dare to be different and avoid anything people are doing that doesn’t add value and prestige to your own life. You have nothing to lose. You have everything to gain.

I write fairly much on social media:

• Twitter – Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee @DrLeesiMitee, @NigerianLaw (https://twitter.com/NigerianLaw), etc.; and

• Facebook – Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee (https://www.facebook.com/leesi.mitee), Global Law Discussion Group (Helping Lawyers and Citizens to Know the Law) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/PublicLegalInformation), Nigerian Law Resources (https://www.facebook.com/nigerianlaw), Nigerian Constitution (https://www.facebook.com/nigerian.constitution), Mitee’s Wisdom Quotes And Wisdom Principles Of Successful Living (https://www.facebook.com/WisdomPrinciplesEbook), etc.

Yet, I don’t use those disgusting abbreviations and short forms at all. Just to let you know it’s possible to avoid them.

Since it is true that “practice makes perfect” (in the sense that practice leads to progress and excellence), one cannot practise a bad writing style and expect to have good writing skills. I once wrote quotes that are germane to this philosophy:

• “You can’t marry Rahab the harlot and expect Mary the virgin.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 13 December 2012

• “You can’t marry Mary and expect Martha.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 13 December 2012

• “Don’t board a ship and expect the speed of an airplane.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 13 December 2012

• “You can’t swim in shark-infested waters and expect the sweet kisses of dolphins.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 11 December 2012

• “You can’t swim in muddy water and expect a clean body.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 11 December 2012

• “You can’t visit the Red Light District of the City of Amsterdam and expect to see the veiled nuns of the Vatican City.” Copyright © Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee, 11 December 2012

In the English language and social media vocabulary, there are standard abbreviations and contractions that are, generally, understood by people. There is no problem using those. But where everybody manufactures their own words, is that not disgusting? Or is human society degenerating into a jungle where everything goes?

Many people hide under the mask of this bad habit to avoid responsibility for wrong spellings, wrong grammar, wrong words, and wrong everything. It only worsens the already pathetic situation in Nigeria, for instance, especially where many university graduates cannot write an ordinary letter of application for a job.

Those of us in the academic world (academia) weep over the horrible things students in tertiary institutions write in exams. You would wonder whether they even graduated from primary school. It is simply unacceptable, and any habit that perpetuates it must be avoided.

The following statement by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria, Dr. (Mrs.) Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, is germane to this discussion:

“Now social media and text messaging have spoilt everything, Everything is shortened and they cannot write words in full. They can’t even speak English not to talk of speaking our native (mother) tongues. We are destroying all the things our ancestors have bestowed on us; we are destroying all things that our ancestors have laid down with such sacrifices and commitment.”

Avoid mediocrity like the plague and embrace excellence like your life. In so doing, you have nothing to lose and you have everything to gain.

Copyright © 2015 By Dr. Leesi Ebenezer Mitee

Republished 7 March 2023

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