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DOLLS, PENCILS, AND THE US ECONOMY: Things American Consumers Buy That They Don’t Need, Want, or Use

6/23/2025

0 Comments

 
In May, 2025, NBC News aired an interview between “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker and President Donald Trump. During that exchange, which covered a wide range of topics including the economy, the President acknowledged that, due to recent economic policies, prices on some goods “might” go up but argued that falling energy prices will matter more to consumers. In that context, he made the comment that “Americans ought to be able to make do with fewer common goods, like dolls or pencils.” nbcnews.com/politics/
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Somewhere along the line -- but probably not in this particular interview – he also made reference to the idea of consumers not buying so many things they don’t really need. That got me to thinking about this issue on several levels.

I​mage credit  and source: 
nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/

I remembered one of my father’s “takes” on the “Mysteries of Life” (as he called them) was why people spend their money the way they do, and wondered what kinds of things consumers really do buy that they don’t really need … and often don’t really want and never use.  After all, at least in my humble opinion, Americans are rather materialistic and very spoiled.

IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER
I found lots of opinions on the internet, but in most cases it boiled down to the consumers’ personal interests, needs, what they value, and their priorities. Various websites indentify many products as unworthy of spending money on which are everyday helps to others. After considerable thought, these items seem to fall into one or more categories which sometimes overlap:
  • Truly Frivolous, but sometimes funny and humor inducing, and keepsakes.
  • Critical Need, No. Convenient, Yes
  • Health Related
  • Questionable Effectiveness and/or Potentially Harmful
  • Single Purpose items which are rarely used.


THE TRULY FRIVOLOUS
These items are undoubtedly intended to be amusing (gag gifts), but they are things nobody truly needs.

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●The Useless Box
It doesn ‘t do anything. I guess it’s a joke item for the person who has everything.


Image Credit: Solarbotics/Flickr
Image Source:interestingengineering.com/

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●Sweat Gutters
If you perspire you can buy “SweatGutters” to collect & remove sweat.

Image Credit: Reddit.com
Image source: interestingengineering.com/completely-unnecessary-things

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●Cuisine Curtain
This gadget allows you to indulging but mask your feeding frenzy all at the same time.
Image Source: YouTube.com -- Image source:interestingengineering.com/completely-unnecessary-things

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● Motorized Ice Cream Cone - This battery-powered gadget turns your ice cream cone to ensure a perfectly even melt. $9.99.
​ 

Image Credit: eBay -- Image Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products

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● Pet Rock
Classic 1970s Pet Rock doesn't need food, water, or walks. Price. $29.99
​

Image Credit. Amazon -- Image Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products

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● USB-Powered Pet Rock
Digital-age Rock connects to computer via USB. It doesn't do any-thing, but a light glows to indicate it's "alive."
Image Credit. Reddit.com -- Image Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products

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● Banana Slicer
A banana slicer ($6)  makes uniform slices.  A kitchen knife does the same work and is easier to keep clean. Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/



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● Self-Stirring Mug
Stirs contents without a spoon. Price: $10 to $18 unless you need a Nextmug-Temperature-Controlled, Self-Heating
                               
Coffee Mug
 ($100 to $130). 
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Fish Training Kit / Fish Exercise Rings
Train a pet fish with this kit, although I don’t know why. About $10.
Image Credit: Etsy
Imager Source: https://blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-we-want-to-buy/

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● Bacon Bandages
These don’t help wounds heal better or quicker, but they definitely make the wearer look weird. $8.
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

The list goes on, but you get the idea. I didn’t list any keepsakes, although keychains come to mind. All these are things we can do without under duress. While, some purchases are totally frivolous, sometimes these useless gadgets are fun and amusing, and no doubt that is what they are intended to be. Humor and comic relief certainly have their value.
​
CRITICAL NEEDS, NO. CONVENIENT, YES!
Many items called “a waste of money” are useful and effort saving but are not cost effective because they are not used often (sometimes only once), take up space, have adverse impact on environment, increase waste products to be disposed of or, generally, impractical when you make an honest evaluation. Those products -- probably somewhat of a luxury -- most of us could live without, given simpler substitutes, but they also can be helpful, save time and energy, and are used frequently. Those have value to people which offsets cost and other considerations like space.

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● Dryer Sheets
"Instead,  toss a ball of aluminum foil or wool dryer balls in the dryer, and add a washcloth wet with white vinegar." cheapism.com/useless-waste-of-money/  Yeah…no. They work & I don’t have time for wet washcloths or white vinegar.$7.
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source:
blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Electric Can Opener
“Convenient, but not every kitchen can spare the counter space. Instead, use the pull tab or a handheld opener. The exception? People who can't move their hands freely because of arthritis."
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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• Salad Spinner (Electric and Hand Operated)
"Tosses & dries salad so dressing spreads evenly. Instead, wash the greens in a container, with lid, give it a few good shakes, & dry."
blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/
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I love my salad spinner, but I don’t see the need for an electric one. ​Image Credit: Amazon
 Imager Source:
blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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Corn Kerneler
“While Corn Kernelers extract corn effortlessly, but they often end up being a one-trick gadget. Instead, use a sharp knife and a cutting board.” $7 - $130.
​

Image credit: Aliexprerss.com – Image Source: seasonalcravings.com/dont-waste-your-money

HEALTH RELATED
This category of expenditure is more serious in both impact and cost. While it's unlikely you'll be harmed by a banana slicer or a salad spinner, some products which are marketed as being for your health sometimes can be harmful. Striving to be healthy is laudable, but it takes both commitment and some advance thought to make those purchases worthwhile.
​
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● Exercise Equipment and Gadgets
Who hasn’t bought a piece of exercise equip-ment, large or small? How many ended use being used as a clothes rack? Lots of good intentions, but more often than not, wasted
​                         money and space.

Image Credit: ImageSupply via DepositPhotos
Image Source: moneysmartguides.com/things-people-buy

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Image Source: qualitystocksuk/shutterstock
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● Multivitamins
Healthline reports, despite studies showing vitamins are pretty much useless for most people, “Americans spend around $21 billion a year on vitamins and herbal supplements.

 Image Credit: CobraCZ/shutterstock
Image Source: cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

Instead, a diet dominated by plant-based whole foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables, packs more healing power than vitamins, which aren't even regulated reliably.”

The question of whether or not healthy individuals really need vitamin and mineral supplements is a good one, and there are many opinions and not many answers. 
According to PubMed Central/ National Library of Medicine (an official website of the US Government), supplemental vitamins are not likely to be “…beneficial in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as ischemic heart disease, cancer, and stroke…The results of large-scale randomized trials in the past two decades have shown that for the majority of the population, MVM supplements are not only ineffective, but they may be deleterious to health.” pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

While recent results from the SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention)Trial and those resulting from the Women's Health Initiative, tend to bolster the ‘no benefit or even harm’ conclusion, and authors (medical researchers Farin Kamangar and Ashkan Emadi) emphasize that these conclusions are for the general population, and for prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. They go one to write that, “In special cases, individuals may need vitamins or supplements” and give examples. Best rely on research and your medical professional.


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Image Source: consumereview.org
● Diet Pills And Gummies
One of the biggest expenditures for “health” is for diet pills and gummies. Regarding Keto Diet products, Consumereview.com, states:


 1) “There are a lot of products that don’t work at all, typically because they don’t contain the right ingredients or the right proportions”;
2) The products may be “too expensive to afford”; and
3)“The company…might just be exploiting another fad” which apparently many are. consumereview.org/keto-pills/

According to PCM, a government website, “With the serious health risks of dietary supplements sold for weight loss, muscle building, and sexual function well-documented, there is concern that economic costs of these products may disproportionately burden individuals and families by gender and socioeconomic position.” Such supplements sold for weight loss (WL), muscle building (MB), and sexual function (SF) are not medically recommended because they “have been shown to be ineffective in many cases and pose serious health risks to consumers due to adulteration with banned substances, prescription pharmaceuticals, and other dangerous chemicals.”

POTENTIONALLY HARMFUL and/or QUESTIONABLE EFFECTIVENESS
Some products which are convenient and apparently effective, are believed by many experts as potentially harmful and/or of questionable effectiveness. In my experience, that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t work, but it should inspire some thought and maybe some research before purchase. Two of the many examples of this category are:

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● Air Fresheners
Although zillions of people use one or more of the many kinds of air fresheners available, this product falls into several categories. They are convenient and do mask household odors, but are not critical.

Image Source: Amazon​
People overcame gross household smells long before air fresheners were available just by simmering lemon juice in water on the stove, or placing potpourri, eucalyptus, rose water, or open containers of baking soda around the house. (Baking soda works in the refrigerator, too.) 

However, “despite their popularity, some evidence suggests that air freshener products increase indoor air pollution and pose a health risk, especially with long-term exposure. Air fresheners release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. A VOC is a type of chemical that turns into a vapor or gas easily at room temperature. Health problems are thought to occur as a result of the chemicals in the air fresheners and from their secondary pollutants. Secondary pollutants are formed when a product’s chemicals combine with the ozone already in the air.” poison.org/articles/air-freshener-171

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Image Credit: Amazon; Image Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-waste-of-money/
● Mosquito Zappers

“Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, which mammals exhale in huge plumes with every breath. There is no evidence they are attracted to ultraviolet light, which is the lure that backyard bug zappers rely on to draw and eliminate bugs. Price: $23 and up”. blog.cheapism.com/useless-waste-of-money/

​
Actually, bug zappers do kill bugs by the thousands, but according to scientists they kill the wrong bugs. “They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can disrupt pollination and generally throw the environment out of balance. Plus, the force of their electrocution can spew a mist of disease-ridden bug parts out into the air. All of the mosquito experts we spoke with and every relevant university extension office we could find unanimously condemned bug zappers.” 
nytimes.com/do-bug-zappers-work/

SPECIALIZED TOOLS and ONE-PURPOSE APPLICANCES

Finally we come to the attractive but questionable tool or appliance that is so specialized it only does one thing. I believe this is an area where most of us have expended a few unnecessary dollars for something that sounds practical and worth the cost, but then turns out to be something we rarely use.

Often these tools are related to the kitchen. I mean, unless you are impassioned with cooking, who doesn’t want to make things easier in the kitchen?

When related to culinary helps, the tool or appliance is probably redundant. You probably already have something that can perform the same task. Whether or not they are worth the cost and space they occupy depends largely on how much use the item will get and why it needs to be done separately. These appliances are usually not a necessity in a home unless used constantly or for a special reason (like arthritis). These examples were listed on multiple websites as unnecessary.


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● Electric Egg Cooker
Perfectly boiled eggs can be made by, well, boiling them. Simply reduce or increase the cooking time for soft, medium, or hard-boiled; poach an egg with a slotted spoon and an inch and a half of simmering water.

Image Credit: Amazon
Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Bread Maker
“One of the poster children of unnecessary items. Big and clunky, it only does one thing. It’s redundant since your kitchen already has a bread-making machine an oven.
​                    Price: Around $100.”

Image Credit: Amazon
 Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Popcorn Machine
“This is another single-use item that takes up space when there are simpler solutions on hand that yield the same result. Price: $40 up to $379. Instead, pop raw kernels, or buy microwave popcorn.”

Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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●Egg Separator
“An egg separator seems especially superfluous. Instead, use the egg shells to separate the yolks from the whites; wear plastic cooking gloves if you want to be extra careful." $6 
blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Garlic Press
“Most recipes call for chop-ped or minced garlic, not pressed. Even when they do, substituting minced is fine.  Instead, use a good knife." 

Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

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● Meat-Shredding Claws
“These things look pretty cool, but are probably overkill. Instead, use a couple of forks."  $10.
blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money
Image Credit: Amazon -- Imager Source: blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/

THE TARIFFS
The not-so-humorous side of this discussion relates to the potential impacts of the proposed tariffs. On one hand, President Trump is probably correct when he says Americans can get along without buying so much, although that doesn’t lessen the burden on those families which are already struggling just to survive. But I’m not getting into that. My intention is to point out what products might go up in price as the result (and because many of the products listed above are imported from China).

WHAT CHINA IMPORTS TO THE US
In addition “unnecessary” items, China also imports to the US many more essential products. According to cbsnews.com/news/chinese-products-tariffs-shortages the following are items imported to the US from China. Keep in mind that we are not just talking about finished products but materials that are used to make other item here in the US.

● Down feathers ($1.9 billion) -- 77% of the country's total imported supply of down. Down is commonly used for insulation in comforters and outerwear.

● Toys, games and sports equipment ($30 billion plus) -- 73% of the US imports in this category.

● Textile art ($8.6 billion) -- Imports from China account for more than 50% of all imported.

● Footwear ($9.8 billion) -- This is a biggie in the US. 36% of footwear sold stateside comes from China, including brand names like Addidas.

● Cutlery and metal tools ($3.1 billion) -- Dinner utensils manufactured in China could also start becoming scarce.


● Glassware -- Almost 30% of U.S. imports of glassware and other products made of glass comes from China.

● Furniture and bedding ($18.5 billion) -- 28% of furniture and bedding imports come from China.

● Apparel ($17.3 billion) -- Another big ticket item for Americans. This includes knit or crocheted clothing (almost $10 billion) and not-knit apparel ($7.3 billion).

● Electric Machinery
● Nuclear reactors, boilers and other machinery
● Goods made of iron or steel
● Plastics


The news media is reporting that trade agreements are being reached. Eventually, the general public will find out what that means. In the mean time, be prudent how you spend your money.

JUST SAYIN’

Sources:
https://explodingtopics.com/blog/trending-topics
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/654479/gallup-trends-watch-2025.aspx
https://declutteringmom.com/the-15-most-useless-items-people-keep-for-no-reason/
https://blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-waste-of-money/
https://blog.cheapism.com/useless-products-we-want-to-buy/
https://interestingengineering.com/how-to/5-completely-unnecessary-things-you-really-shouldnt-buy
https://bestlifeonline.com/everyday-items-waste-of-money/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/1imx1q/biggest_ways_people_waste_money_compiled_from/?rdt=45146
https://wallstreetinsanity.com/16-useless-items-we-all-own-and-never-use/
https://www.thetoptens.com/useless-items-we-all-own-never-use/
https://www.poison.org/articles/air-freshener-171
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/25-unnecessary-wastes-money-you-dont-think-about.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-china-products-tariffs-shortages-us/
https://finance.alot.com/personal-finance/10-items-stock-up-before-tariffs-raise-prices--22140
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/04/nx-s1-5351324/tariffs-higher-grocery-prices-trump
https://www.eatthis.com/grocery-items-price-hikes-tariffs/
https://tifwe.org/who-determines-what-something-is-worth-it-depends/
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-10733-7_2
https://caketokale.com/18-most-useless-kitchen-appliances/
https://www.seasonalcravings.com/dont-waste-your-money-the-10-most-useless-kitchen-appliances-you-shouldnt-buy/
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/do-bug-zappers-work/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3309636/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5377432/
https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/654479/gallup-trends-watch-2025.aspx
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2023/08/05/the-16-most-important-issues-to-americans-ranked/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trump-rejects-concerns-prices-economic-uncertainty-defends-agenda-rcna203512

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2025/04/28/1000-protests-on-may-day-2025-against-trump-what-we-know-may-day-protests-may-day-strong-2025/83324272007/

https://consumersendorse.com/the-5-best-bug-zappers/?utm_source=zapguardian&utm_medium=s1&utm_campaign=us&utm_term=t5&cmc_adid=ms_77378335342057_486476025&msclkid=3402c3fbbbc610eaa746abe7420e460b

https://consumertestedreviews.org/product/best-mosquito-zapper/?msclkid=8582c1e1f4741c9f1fc8a9fd0a7b5b17&msclkid=8582c1e1f4741c9f1fc8a9fd0a7b5b17&AdGroupId=1329311920772943&AdId=83082222608546&BidMatchType=bp&CampaignId=520510596&msclkid=8582c1e1f4741c9f1f

https://consumereview.org/reviews/keto-pills/?msclkid=9d7ce3868a121a8010408b9b90cf1980&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20TCPA%2060&utm_term=weight%20loss%20supplements&utm_content=Search%20-%20Phrase

https://www.moneysmartguides.com/expensive-things-people-buy-then-never-use/#:~:text=This%20article%20looks%20at%2024%20expensive%20things%20people,toys%20like%20bikes%20and%20cars%2C%20you%E2%80%99re%20not%20alone.

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HOW DIGITAL AGE IS CHANGING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

6/1/2025

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Image Source: dma.org.uk/digital-devices-chang-english-language
ENGLISH IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Language, spoken and written, it is one of the primary ways in which humans communicate with one another. Although there are other means, for the last few centuries it has been the most frequently used by most people.

Nearly everyone – except maybe teen agers -- realizes that language constantly changes over the years and over physical distance. It is a work in progress, not an end state. That’s old news. The differences in this century are the rate of change -- and the rate curve is on the upswing -- and the advent of the internet and the cell / smartphone.

“Although the Internet came into existence in the second half of the twentieth century, its influence on language began to escalate in 1990 onwards. It has drastically changed the way people communicate and use English both in writing and speaking.”

www.researchgate.net/evolution_of_english_internet_age
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Image Source: www.peterfisk.com
Researchers are finding that the two most common communications devices, the internet and smartphone, have brought about what is arguably a new variety of English that differs from the standard varieties. Some researchers fear this new form of English is a threat to the standard varieties while others argue that it is simply a new branch of linguistics, sometimes called Internet Linguistics.

The internet has allowed us to become connected in a way that was not possible in the past. This level of immediate connection has helped new phrases, words and ways to communicate become commonplace much faster than humans have been accustomed  to.

CŌM ON WANRE NIHT / SCRĪÐAN SCEADU-GENGA
Like it or not, the English language has continually changed and will continue to evolve. That is a fact, not a threat. The difficult part is keeping up with the modifications.

Or maybe we don’t need to.

“Cōm on wanre niht / scrīðan sceadu-genga” is, in fact, English. Old English, to be precise. However, if you can read and understand it, I’m impressed. These are the opening words from the English poem Beowulf, first committed to writing between 975 and 1015 AD. The translation, by R. M. Liuzzar, “In the dark night he came / creeping, the shadow-goer”.

After the Norman Conquest of 1066 AD, Old English -- only a spoken language at the time -- was replaced, for a time, by Anglo-Norman which developed into what is now known as Middle English, which did developed a written form.

Most average, English-speaking people alive today do not miss Old and Middle English, nor yearn for their return. Keep this in mind for the later discussion.

THE NATURE OF THE CHANGES
Putting aside for the moment the question of whether or not everyone needs to keep up on the spiraling (spelling spiralling if you are British) growth of the language, let’s look at what modifications have taken place since 1990.

VOCABULARY: A New Word Every 98 Minutes
Vocabulary is the most obvious change to English, because people deal with both the written and spoken word constantly. The estimated number of words in English is somewhat speculative, but most experts agree there are at least a million plus, somewhere between 1,005,000 and 1,022,000.

OMG! How many of these words do you know and use? In a 2011 interview with the BBC, lexicographer Susie Dent estimated that while an English speaker may know around 40,000 words, they actively use only about 20,000 (about 2% of a million). While that percentage may have increased since 2011, it is still a very small portion of the language. Ouch!


The Global Language Monitor  (GLM) estimates that in the modern world a new word is created every 98 minutes, and that 800 to 1,000 new words are added to English language dictionaries each year. In the 20th century, the estimated increase in dictionary words is more than 90,000 words. atkinsbookshelf.wordpress.com/words-enter-the-english-language

By the way, a word does not need to be in the dictionary to be a “real” word.
The third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), scheduled for completion in 2037, estimates the rate of inclusion of new words will be nearly 4,000 per year. That dictionary added more than 2,500 words in 2014. Imagine in 2024.

This dramatic increase in new words is due to:
● Technology and new products
● Spontaneous coining of new words in email, text transmissions, and in social, news and entertainment media which can reach missions of people in seconds.
● Blended words (e.g: bromance, staycation.)
● Foreign words
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ABBREVIATIONS
Texting abbreviations account for many of the new entries in dictionaries. Obviously, when texting and using the internet, people abbreviate and leave out capitalization and punctuation to save the number of key strokes necessary. (Remember, Carpal Tunnel is
 
Image Source: clipground.com            
lurking out there.)

Unfortunately, not keeping up can lead to massive miscommunications. Don’t use LOL to mean “lots of love” when writing condolences for the death of a friend or relative.

Hey! I just coined a new one. FONKU: Fear of not keeping up.

NEW SPELLINGS, DEFINITIONS, AND PARTS OF SPEECH
New ways to spell old words, modifications or additions to definitions, and making words into other parts of speech (example: noun becomes a verb, etc.) are related to vocabulary, but are not quite the same thing. (Text (noun) became a verb (texting) in the digital era.) Nothing new. Shakespeare did that centuries ago.

EMOJIS: The New Language
The internet also spawned a new language: Emojis. The idea isn’t new. Symnbols have been around for longer than written language, but the way in which emojis are used is somewhat different.

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​               Tears of Joy Emoji                                    Tears of Joy Emoji                                   Tears of Joy Emoji
        Image source: whatemoji.com            Image source:Dreamtime.com             Image Source: art.inspiredpencil.com
Looking at these images and others depicting the same emotion, I foresee some room for miscommunication, but that’s always a risk with or without written or spoken words.
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GLOBALIZATION
The internet made it possible for people all over the world to communicate with each other quickly and easily. This has allowed humankind to become connected in a way not possible in the past.

Image Source: ihpao.com/

This level of immediate connection has helped new phrases, words and ways to communicate become commonplace much faster than we had been used to. Due to its widespread usage, English has become the “lingua franca” of the internet.

Global communication and increased contact at nearly all levels of society in all countries has resulted in the integration of words from many languages being absorbed into other languages. Some are simply the word translated from one language to another. Others represent new products, technology, procedures, and ideas for which there are no “old” words.

Examples in English conversation and writing include: “joie de vivre” from French; “gelato” from Italian; “schadenfreude” and "Über", sometimes written uber, from German.

A word of caution. When foreign words are integrated into another language, they often carry a different meaning than the word in the original language. For example, Collins dictionary defines the English word “uber” (originally German meaning "over", "above" or "across".) as a noun or adjective “that refer to a great or extreme example of something.” www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/

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AUTOCORRECT AND PREDICTIVE TEXT
This feature of word processing programs and smartphones can be a double-edged sword. They can help prevent spelling errors and suggest words for faster typing, but have also been known to create unintended mistakes or miscommunications.

    Image Source: istock
Autocorrect often tries to predict what word you intend to type based on context, but that doesn’t always work out and can lead to embarrassing or even tragic situations. LOL.

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INFORMAL WRITING: The Fewer Keystrokes The Better
Image Credit: istock;  Image Source: smithsonianmagazine.com

Some writers and linguists claim that formal writing has not suffered as much as one might believe due to the digital revolution. The formal character of grammar has been relatively unaffected. The biggest impacts on the English grammar and structure occurr in informal communications. E-mail, texting, and short-messaging services such as Twitter, have resulted in short and elliptical sentences as a writing style.

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Capitalization
Try asking someone under 20 years old what “capitalization” means, and you are likely to receive a blank stare or a statement about conversion of income or assets into money. You are unlikely to hear about big letters. Then ask what “uppercase” means.

                                                                           Image Source: chadghector.pages.dev    
The same goes for asking someone under 30 if they know what a “colon” does. Maybe asking about a “semicolon” would be better. I’ve had editors tell me to take out all the semi colons from my books because reader don’t know what they mean anymore.

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Punctuation
Linguist David Crystal, author of Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar, states that the internet’s influence on English punctuation related “…to the use of punctuation to mark constructions, where many of the traditional rules have been adapted as users explore the graphic opportunities offered by the new medium. 
                                                                                                        
Image Source: artpictures.club
We see a new minimalism, with marks such as commas and full stops omitted; and a new maximalism, with repeated use of marks as emotional signals (fantastic!!!!!!). We see some marks taking on different semantic values, as when a full stop adds a note of abruptness or confrontation in a previously unpunctuated chat exchange. And we see symbols such as emoticons and emojis replacing whole sentences, or acting as a commentary on sentences.”  blog.oup.com/internets-influence-grammar-punctuationt/

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​“FOM” -- FEAR OF MISUNDERSTANDING
Without going into a discussion of psychology, communication is the passing along of information between humans and is critical to human beings on many levels. Enough said.

Image Source: minimalismmadesimple.com/

Presumably, the communicator wants the communicatee(s) to understand the information being given (whether that information is correct or not). Regardless of the intent to make the other person understand, humans do a good job of conveying information (written, verbal and otherwise) in ways that are misinterpreted by the receiver(s). Hence, life as we know it.

Since the evolutionary trend in the English language seems to be moving toward both “simplification” and “minimization”, I predict that within about twenty years informal communications in writing will eliminate capital letters (Oops! Uppercase), reduce the kinds of punctuation used, and rely on many more abbreviations (which become “dictionary words” unto themselves). If that happens, the door will be open to a new level of miscommunication.

I don’t see formal written communication in English changing that much, but I won’t be around to fine out.

​JUST SAYIN’


Sources:
https://dma.org.uk/article/how-digital-devices-have-changed-the-english-language
https://oxbridgeedu.com/english-language-in-the-digital-agetechnology-shaping-communication/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323052712_Evolution_of_english_in_the_internet_age
https://www.medievalists.net/2023/08/the-differences-between-old-english-middle-english-and-modern-english/
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/uber#google_vignette
https://www.dictionary.com/e/new-words-dictionary-2020/
https://atkinsbookshelf.wordpress.com/tag/how-many-words-enter-the-english-language-each-year/

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    Author R. Ann Siracusa

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