Question: How should a young person communicate with his/her colleagues once he/she is at work? [音频] Are mobile devices and 140 character limits changing language? 13 There’s little room to worry about grammar in 140 characters, goes the argument, and besides, conforming to the rules of engagement in the Twitter-sphere is far more important than old grammatical rules. “With people consuming so much content on their mobile devices with services like Twitter and Facebook, it is only natural that they are influenced by it and respond in the same way,” says Hammar. “Reading short bursts of poorly constructed content from a young age impacts on the learning experience and filters into our everyday lives.” 14 Not that any of this is the fault of Twitter et al. “It is the web culture itself rather than mobile devices and social channels that are driving some of the negative aspects of language standards,” says Parreira. It’s all about context 15 Arguably none of this matters, except it does when those who get so used to using text-speak enter the world of work where basic online-isms like LOL (laughing out loud) — however basic that might seem to some — can easily mean ‘lots of love’ (thanks, David Cameron). 16 It’s therefore best for those entering the workforce to assume nothing and communicate formally with older coworkers and clients, at least at first. “The lines between internet communication and business communication are being blurred, with millennials finding it difficult to switch between the two styles and identifying which one is appropriate and when,” says Hammar, who thinks that people will soon struggle to express themselves in a business environment where a formal tone is usually the standard. 17 “It’s still now difficult to imagine senior executives using LOL and ROFL when signing a deal,” he says, advising that you can use shorthand to give your company a personality online to delight customers, but only if it’s used very wisely. “Remember, ‘BRB’ (meaning ‘ be right back’) and ‘I will be away from my desk for the next two hours. I will respond as soon as I get back,’ are not interchangeable — it’s important to know when to use which message.” [音频]