Are people losing the ability to explain themselves and communicate?

I saw this question:

"I have an iPhone and if I download or go on YouTube I loose data I don't know what that means and what's a expansion and what's the difference with a iPod"… And I see may other similar questions where I have no idea what the person is talking about. What's going on? Are people seriously not able to ask a simple question properly? The literacy rate in the US is officially 99% (REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/...eracy_rate ) but to read some of these questions, you'd think it was 1%.

Added (1). @Shih Tzu - "Do you think it is laziness, a fad, do they think it's 'cool'?'

I don't know, really. I live in a country where English is not the first language, but many people here still speak and write better English than I see on here.

Added (2). I believe that the ability to communicate your thoughts clearly is a beautiful thing. It's a basic skill that will serve you well in any profession.

The good news is its 1% and growing.

LOL, question: who does your hair you little fur ball? JK;)

I know what you mean Fur. Many times I read a question several times and still don't know what they are attempting to ask. I especially hate it when they mix numbers with letters to phonetically spell out words. Then you combine this with the lack of punctuation, it makes the person appear illiterate. Do you think it is laziness, a fad, do they think it's 'cool'? Or, oh my gosh, do you think they don't know any better? That's scary.

I think what we're seeing is a manifestation of our fondness for shortcuts (or immediate gratification) and the evolution of a means of communicating which belongs to a generation growing up with texting and other very informal and casual ways of speaking to each other (which are not necessarily meant to include those of us who have not been immersed in it from birth, lol!).it speaks also to the fact that the education system is having to take its own shortcuts, to the fact that youngsters are more interested in technical gadgets than they are in the classics and so on.

having just used 'lol' reminds me of my confused self, not all that many moons ago, when i was uncertain what all the common abbreviations meant… Lots of love? Laughing out loud? Looking oddly lopsided? Lazy obscene lady?

No.

It's just the webz is bringing you into contact with those you have zero in common with & would not have had a convo with in real life.

It makes you notice those outside your normal parameters.