{"id":47780,"date":"2020-05-21T18:03:42","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T22:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=47780"},"modified":"2020-05-21T18:24:56","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T22:24:56","slug":"the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"The Language of Uncertainty: Defining Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Times of uncertainty have an undeniable effect on people\u2019s attitudes, behavior, and their use of language. New words are coined and old clich\u00e9s are resurrected as political leaders, media and the public alike make sense of the shifting goalposts and rapidly-changing rules in a crisis situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Today we\u2019re examining what effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on the words we use, whether it\u2019s through introducing new terms in the public vocabulary, making our language more polarized, or sending us scurrying for old, familiar clich\u00e9s.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"covid-19<\/div>\n
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The rapid spread of new vocabulary<\/b><\/h2>\n

A significant crisis is often followed by the swift adoption of a new set of vocabulary. The current COVID-19 crisis has prompted the <\/span>Merriam-Webster Dictionary<\/span><\/a> to make an unscheduled update to introduce and revise words associated with the pandemic, reflecting the fact that terms like \u201csocial distancing\u201d, \u201csuper-spreader\u201d and \u201ccontact tracing\u201d have made the leap to everyday use in an astonishingly short time. Other concepts that have recently entered the common lexicon include \u201cflattening the curve\u201d, \u201clockdown\u201d, and \u201cself-isolation\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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While many of these terms are brand new to us, some will have been common knowledge to a select group before their rise in popularity\u2014in this case, likely epidemiologists. Contact tracing is a technique these professionals have been using for years to tackle outbreaks of many other diseases, such as the Ebola virus. <\/span>Google trend data for the phrase<\/span><\/a> shows that interest in the term far predates the coronavirus outbreak, albeit at substantially lower levels than at present.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The appearance of neologisms during times of significant change is equally fast: while the EU referendum in the UK promptly inspired terms like \u201cBrexit\u201d, \u201cBrexiteer\u201d and \u201cRemainer\u201d, the pandemic has so far produced terms like \u201cCovidiot\u201d (a person who behaves selfishly and irresponsibly during a pandemic), \u201cDoomscrolling\u201d (spending an unhealthy amount of time consuming every last bit of depressing news online) and \u201cQuarintini\u201d (an alcoholic drink enjoyed in self-isolation).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s clear that linguistic creativity still flourishes in unsettling times, while social media helps new terms spread far and wide.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Metaphors and clich\u00e9s take center stage<\/b><\/h2>\n

Metaphors of war have become a major part of the rhetoric in the COVID-19 crisis, at least in the UK. There\u2019s talk of fighting an \u201cinvisible enemy\u201d and of health care professionals being at the \u201cfrontline\u201d of the battle. The aim may be to unite people and to encourage everyone to support the leadership and one another, but perhaps likening a mindless virus to a foreign invader isn\u2019t all that helpful. If we view ourselves as being \u201cat war\u201d, we\u2019re not as likely to pause to examine what effect our own decisions (political and individual) have had on the spread of the virus.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alongside war terminology, clich\u00e9s are inevitable during crises. So far we\u2019ve been told that \u201clife as we know it has ended\u201d and \u201cthings will get worse before they get better,\u201d but that \u201cwe\u2019re all in this together\u201d, \u201cwe will rise to the challenge\u201d, and \u201ccome through this stronger than ever\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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While these messages may very well inspire many people, others see these banal lines as a cop-out \u2013 meaningless babble when what we desperately need is accurate information. However, calls for \u201cspeaking truth to power\u201d are often countered with another clich\u00e9, \u201cnow is not the time for politics\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The polarization of language<\/b><\/h2>\n

As divisions between different viewpoints deepen, the gravity of a crisis is reflected in our choice of words; adjectives like \u201cincompetent\u201d no longer cut it. The worsening of the pandemic in the UK saw the critics of Boris Johnson (UK Prime Minister) take to Twitter and get the colorful #BorisTheButcher trending, while Johnson\u2019s supporters were affectionately calling him the #PeoplesPrimeMinister.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The gulf between the admirers and critics of President Donald Trump has similarly deepened, with his supporters finding comfort in their trust in their leader while his critics\u2019 despair grows day by day.<\/span><\/p>\n

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This kind of hero vs. villain language is not reserved to politics either. Many people are also keeping a keen eye on the behavior of businesses and even their own neighbors during this pandemic, with \u201cnaming and shaming\u201d rampant on social media. How long the effects will linger after the crisis is over remains to be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\"polarized<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

When words lose their power<\/b><\/h2>\n

The type of language we use in testing times matters \u2013 or at least it does in that <\/span>other <\/span><\/i>crisis that has taken a backseat in news coverage and conversation since the COVID-19 pandemic started to dominate the headlines. <\/span>Research shows<\/span><\/a> that when it comes to climate change, the media has the power to shape public perception, affect behavior, and influence policy with its choice of terminology. And it appears that we have become desensitized to the terms \u201cclimate change\u201d and \u201cglobal warming\u201d \u2013 they just don\u2019t sound that alarming anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In order to represent the gravity of climate change more accurately, <\/span>The Guardian<\/span><\/a> has updated its style guide. The new preferred terms include \u201cclimate emergency\u201d, \u201cclimate crisis\u201d and \u201cclimate breakdown\u201d, while \u201cglobal heating\u201d is favored over the more benign-sounding \u201cglobal warming\u201d. And while we\u2019re not there yet, warnings about a \u201cclimate apocalypse\u201d have appeared in the papers, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The comfort factor of clich\u00e9s<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s been talk in Europe of replicating the \u201cBlitz spirit\u201d of WW2 in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. A few old wartime photos have resurfaced in the social media as a result, and in one of them, a woman sits on top of a pile of rubble sipping tea. Clich\u00e9s are, perhaps, the linguistic equivalent to a warm, comforting drink among destruction; a way to cling on to a sense of normalcy despite fear and uncertainty. If so, it could explain why mundane <\/span>hashtags like #MotivationMonday<\/span><\/a> are still very much alive on social media and show no sign of going away.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

It’s likely that, as with so many aspects of life, whatever the world looks like after coronavirus has been contained and overcome, it will have left a lasting effect on our language.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Not sure if your language is hitting home?<\/strong> Consider an external communication audit<\/a> to make sure your customers are getting the right message, and\/or an internal communication audit<\/a> to ensure your team is all on the same page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Times of uncertainty have an undeniable effect on people\u2019s attitudes, behavior, and their use of language. New words are coined and old clich\u00e9s are resurrected as political leaders, media and the public alike make sense of the shifting goalposts and rapidly-changing rules in a crisis situation.\u00a0 Today we\u2019re examining what effect the coronavirus pandemic is having on the words we use, whether it\u2019s through introducing new terms in the public vocabulary, making our language more polarized, or sending us scurrying for old, familiar clich\u00e9s. The rapid spread of new vocabulary A significant crisis is often followed by the swift adoption of a new set of vocabulary. The current COVID-19 crisis has prompted the Merriam-Webster Dictionary to make an unscheduled update to introduce and revise words associated with the pandemic, reflecting the fact that terms like \u201csocial distancing\u201d, \u201csuper-spreader\u201d and \u201ccontact tracing\u201d have made the leap to everyday use in an astonishingly short time. Other concepts that have recently entered the common lexicon include \u201cflattening the curve\u201d, \u201clockdown\u201d, and \u201cself-isolation\u201d. While many of these terms are brand new to us, some will have been common knowledge to a select group before their rise in popularity\u2014in this case, likely epidemiologists. Contact tracing is a technique these professionals have been using for years to tackle outbreaks of many other diseases, such as the Ebola virus. Google trend data for the phrase shows that interest in the term far predates the coronavirus outbreak, albeit at substantially lower levels than at present. The appearance of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[374,413],"yoast_head":"\nThe Language of Uncertainty: Defining Times - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our language reflects how we feel, and in times of uncertainty, using -- or avoiding -- certain words shows where we stands and enables others to connect.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Language of Uncertainty: Defining Times - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our language reflects how we feel, and in times of uncertainty, using -- or avoiding -- certain words shows where we stands and enables others to connect.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-21T22:03:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-05-21T22:24:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/general-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"487\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"714\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jake Burgess\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/\",\"name\":\"The Language of Uncertainty: Defining Times - Sogolytics Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-21T22:03:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-05-21T22:24:56+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e31925fdcd74025f92fb3b1695e61a8f\"},\"description\":\"Our language reflects how we feel, and in times of uncertainty, using -- or avoiding -- certain words shows where we stands and enables others to connect.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/the-language-of-uncertainty-defining-times-in-communication\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"The Language of Uncertainty: Defining Times\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sogolytics Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e31925fdcd74025f92fb3b1695e61a8f\",\"name\":\"Jake Burgess\",\"description\":\"Jake is the words and grammar guy. 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