Strolling down the hallways of a high school can always guarantee a variety of familiar scenes. The sweet sound of adolescent laughter mixed with an endless grumbling about academics and teenage infatuation are all some of the distinct elements of a high school atmosphere.
Adolescents are noted for their use of popular culture as a source from which to adopt trends, styles and perhaps even the way in which they carry themselves. Although it is clearly a phase that everyone undergoes prior to reaching adulthood, one of the unique and significant components of adolescence is that of language.
Without a doubt, slang is considerably one of the most characterizing factors of adolescence for a particular society and/or community. Even within the United States itself, there is inevitably a difference in the speech used among adolescents and young adults from different areas. This variety in terminology and the expansive vocabulary that is contained within what we consider slang is a beautiful part of adolescence.
Though many distinguished terms and phrases that are categorized as a part of slang have remained for long periods of time, the assimilation of newer words is a process that occurs more frequently than not. For instance, simple acronyms can become so popularized that they can replace the words they stand for as well as slightly alter the definitions.
I find it intriguing and rather admirable to see the shortening of common words and/or phrases become a method of increasing the terminology that is considered to be slang. But with that being said, slang is not only powerful but can potentially be damaging.
Throughout high school, I often times used to hear people use the terms “Sped” or “Ed” during casual conversations. At first it never occurred to me what they actually meant, but contextually I was able to figure out the offense that was intended with it. These terms, alongside the very common term “retarded”, are all used to convey to the receiver that he/she is unintelligent to a point at which he/she lacks basic or common knowledge. Though it is not the nicest way to describe a person, calling someone stupid is inherently different than calling someone retarded.
I soon came to learn that the terms “sped” and “ed” actually stemmed from Special Education, which is a type of education that utilizes particular methods to assist students that may be emotionally, mentally, socially, or even physically delayed. Likewise, mental retardation in its very definition is a condition in which a person diagnosed lacks the skills need for daily function and has a below-average level of intellectual function.
I know most people that use these terms do not intend to mean what the actual definitions are. This however, does not change the fact that it is inherently wrong to use legitimate mental conditions and/or educational services as a part of casual conversation. Calling someone “ed” is not only offensive, but it strips mental conditions and disabilities of the sensitivity that they should be treated with.
Though people do not often times realize what these terms mean when they use them, it is important to stop the usage and adoption of them into our everyday speech. The way in which slang works among adolescents, in particular, is that once a term is heard enough times, it gains popularity and becomes a part of everyday speech for a major portion of the community.
Such terminology is prevalent not only among teenagers and young adults, but younger generations have begun using the same type of language that they hear from people older than them. This is problematic, especially in regards to mental disabilities, because pre-adolescents will continue to use these terms and not understand the severity of it.
Children in their preteens will progress with the notion that special education and mental retardation are jokes and synonymous with stupidity. Using these terms only passes on to younger generations and perpetuates a stigma against learning and mental disabilities.
The way that pre-adolescents and adolescents alike have a sense of control over their own speech, knowing not to use certain curse words and/or vulgar language around elders, proves that it is most definitely possible to filter one’s own speech.
If people were more aware of the meanings attached to the words they choose when speaking, it would definitely prevent them from using those words more frequently.
Though I know it is not feasible to completely obliterate these terms from being used, it is important to refrain from using them in order to better integrate and accept mental disabilities.
For the most part, we, as a society, do not hesitate to offer our utmost sympathy and concern for hateful language targeting specific sexual orientations, races, and religions. Activism aiming to protect targeted groups is prevalent in this day and age, and surely makes a serious impact to instill change. We must not be negligent as a society and forget to extend our compassion to the mentally disabled simply because a word feels popular and common to us.
Colloquialism is arguably one of the most impacting parts of a community’s identity and we should not settle for an identity that is marked by an ignorance and insensitivity for mental disabilities. We should strive to filter out such language because it is not only offensive, but immensely damaging to our society’s conception of mental disabilities.
