Using the ‘T’ form is becoming more and more acceptable across certain countries. In others, however, the T form is considered unacceptable. Nowadays, some critics believe that using the T form is actually causing more social divide than using the V form. Some have even gone as far to describe the T form as a “form of violence”.
Although opinion is divided, there are many sub-categories which should be considered. In online social media, for example, using the T form has various uses. The ‘handier’ reason being that ‘tú’, ‘tu’ etc. takes up less characters, and is, as a result, less time-consuming. As a result, many believe that an egalitarian political discourse has been established, which is an important, as the platform allows for an element of freedom of speech. Countries such as Russia, however, consider an informal online tone as completely unacceptable, and Japan has even gone as far as to evolve its own formal online lingo. At the other end of the spectrum, Italy was using a T form way before the Net’s interference.
With family and friends, the T form seems like an obvious choice, showing intimacy and familiarity. In France, it is apparently more ‘normal’ to refer to grandma as ‘vous’, which stereotypically, may suggest a direct correlation with those more likely to use Twitter and other social media platforms. One may argue that the older generations are “stuck in their ways”. This is something that we would traditionally relate to a public relations setting, whereby the V form is used to show respect – as we are taught at secondary school. This, however, may not be the case, as those who are of the same ilk also seem to create an alliance, which many consider to be going against the desired changes that came about in France, for example, as a result of the social upheavals of Mai 1968. This, though, seems exclusive to the inner-dealings of these groups, and for you and I to ‘tutoyer’ them would be a mistake.
The idea of ‘showing respect’ via the V form is something of an outdated practice, it may seem. In certain settings, though, it would be useless. Many see the T form as insulting, suggesting that we would only require it when we want to show our anger towards someone, or to address someone in a condescending manner. An argument after a car accident may be a good example of this, whereas in English, we may just shout “learn to fucking drive”. No T nor V needed.
The most common ‘V occasion’ which still exists in today’s society, I would say, is that of client / server relationships. It would be uncommon to hear a T form when being served in a restaurant or greeted at a hotel, and this is arguably a muted form of gratitude. This is something that also has a presence in the world of social media. A rare occasion when there is some form of accord between the real world and cyberspace.