Summary: Impact of COVID-19 on Language
Scientists from Lancaster University investigated the impact of COVID-19 on language use and evolution, examining a variety of source material including news and scientific articles, advertisements, and social media content.
The research findings underscore how language changed to reflect and influence public perception and behavior during the pandemic. As part of the study, phrases such as ‘zoom fatigue’ and ‘lockdown’ were highlighted as examples of the COVID-19 pandemic’s lasting imprint on our conversational lexicon.
Key Research Findings
The study pinpointed several intriguing linguistics trends:
- The analysis encompassed over 224 million words from scientific articles, 772 million words from news articles on top of content from social media.
- Keywords like ‘zoom fatigue’ were adopted widely, and metaphors such as ‘war on COVID’ became popular rhetoric for politicians.
- The analysis emphasized how language is instrumental in shaping public comprehension and response to health emergencies.
The research was carried out by Dr. Luke Collins and Professor Veronika Koller and is documented in their book titled ‘Viral Language: Analysing the Covid-19 pandemic in public discourse’.
Examples of Language Use During the Pandemic
The researchers assembled a variety of examples, showcasing how language use evolved during the pandemic:
- Government health advisors utilized social platforms to communicate succinct advice to the public.
- Politicians commonly used war metaphors and journey analogies to stress unity while ensuring adherence to COVID-19 guidelines.
- Scientific writing concerning the pandemic displayed hyperbolic verbiage, indicating increasing competitiveness among academics involved in pandemic control.
- British news outlets critically examined the relationship between science and policy-making.
- Advertising strategies adjusted to reflect lockdown scenarios while continuing to emphasize key brand values.
Collins and Koller leveraged computer-assisted methods to analyze scientific and news writing, and social media and advertising content. The book provides insights into how language across media platforms altered in response to the pandemic.
About This Language and Psychology Research
Author: Anne Rothwell
Source: Lancaster University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News.
Personal Reflection as a Psychiatrist
Language profoundly shapes our perception and interpretation of events. The introduction of new terminologies such as ‘zoom fatigue’ into daily language reflects the profound shift that occurred in human lifestyles and modes of communication during the pandemic. This study affirms the dynamic relationship between societal phenomena and conversational linguistics. It is fascinating how remarkably adaptable human beings are in the face of drastic changes and how these changes become intricately woven into our everyday language.
Dr Nathanial James Smith, MD, Cure of Mind