I read an article today from the Women’s Media Center entitled, “How Hating the Word ‘Like’ Hurts Young Women.” It’s an intelligently written article positing that frequent use of ‘like’ in speech, particularly by young women, should not be interpreted as a sign of air- headedness. To support her argument, Alexandra Grant-Hudd, a young female graduate student who likes the word like, points to research lending some support for her view.
When reading Grant-Hudd’s article, I was reminded of a 2009 Huffpo blog I wrote about the word ‘like’. Here is an excerpt:
The word “like” has become a substitute for such words as “said,” “thought,” “wished,” “considered,” and “wondered.” “Stuff” and “everything” cover just about everything. You don’t have to go far from your house to overhear: “He like says he doesn’t like me and everything. That’s cool and stuff, but I’m like, OK, whatever. Like I’m gonna like get all upset and stuff. I’m soooooo not. Forget it.”
From this, you might rightly deduce that I’m not a fan of the frequent usage of ‘like’ in conversation. My primary concern is that the word, when overused, can suggest indecisiveness or a lack of conviction. In this regard, it joins another type of speech potentially harmful to women’s advancement.
Disclaimers such as “I hope this doesn’t bother anyone” and “This could be wrong, but” are common in female speech. When young, such hedging may be construed as politeness or age-allowable uncertainty. In time, however, most women want to be seen at work as having leadership potential. Too much hedging, and that’s unlikely to occur.
Does this mean all ‘likes’ must be stricken from our speech? Likely not. As with other aspects of our social and professional selves, however, it’s always good to consider the context. Bathing suits are fine around a pool. They’re not for formal dining. Much of life is this way. Our choices are messages, whether we wish them to be or not. ‘Like’ has its place – like just about everything else.
