Veteran reporters in a newsroom where I once worked told an apocryphal story about a former editor.
“Too many long sentences!” the editor bellowed from atop a desk. “My waste basket is full of periods. Come grab some.”
There’s less need for that cache today, according to an NPR report about periods vanishing from instant messages, including texts.
Teens and Generation Z’ers see no need for the little dots. When texting, the “send” button substitutes for the period, as in: One thought, send. Second thought, send. Etcetera.
What’s more, young IM’ers now interpret the period as intentionally harsh or passive aggressive.
I checked with a focus group – my children, ages 21 and 19. Note the punctuation in our exchange.
“Is it bad to use periods in texts?” I asked via text.
Response from one: “Not for you because people know you’re an adult”
From the other: “Did someone say that?”
“I heard a story yesterday on NPR about how it’s now considered rude to use periods.”
“Yeah but more so for millennials and younger”
“So old fogeys get a pass.”
