Around the years 2001 to 2004, more text capable cellular telephones became available to the general public. When these types of cellular telephones became available, the text messaging phenomenon began. More and more people decided that text based communication was the most efficient way to communicate. Due to this phenomenon, educators are becoming more aware of the effects of text based communication on the developmental learning of literacy. Text messaging is dumbing down literacy for future generations. The newer generations have not had the privilege of experiencing a society that is not wrapped up in text based communication, such as instant messaging, chatting, and text messaging.
It is interesting to note that an article written in 2003 discussed text messaging as a young adult phenomenon. It addressed the difficulty of older fingers using tiny keyboards (Lacoheé 206). Things have changed. Text messaging is used by young and old alike today. Interestingly, other predictions in the article, which was written over ten years ago, still haven’t happened yet such as video tattoos and smart make-up and perfume (Lacoheé 209).What is clear is that we are living in a world that is ever-changing and with those changes come implications for how we behave as individuals and as a society. Does cell-phone enabled easy access to information on the internet hinder our quest for knowledge or enhance it? In our schools, does it make our students lazy or more efficient? Does our ability to bury ourselves in our phones enhance our communication with each other or isolate ourselves from each other? Whether we consider our “advances” in mobile technology as steps forward or steps back still remains to be
A recent outbreak in teen texting is taking a toll on their daily lives. Many teenagers have cell phones. Their parents get them phones for their safety and well-being, but is that what teens really use them for? I for one know that I rarely call my parents or use my phone for important reasons. Most of the time, I’m scrolling through Instagram and snapchat, to keep up with everyone that I will see in less than a day. The editorial from The Jersey Journal, called Teens are going to extremes with texting, informs the common people of the statistics of teen texting. The editorials main argument is communicating the excessiveness of teen texting. The author develops this point through expert uses of word choice, but also extreme examples and statistics.
These teens tended to score lower on literacy tests than those that did not (Plester, Wood, Bell 143). It was also observed that high texters scored lower on verbal and non-verbal reasoning than those who do not text and minimal texters (Plester, Wood, Bell 140). Results from studies on texting indicated an overall negative effect on literacy test results (Verheijen 595). It has been suggested that students are not distinguishing between informal and formal environments and are texting at the wrong times and places (Verheijen 587). The general message that the media sends about the effects of texting tend to be rather negative overall. For example, texting and driving is considered very dangerous due to a distracted driver. Many teens are involved in accidents due texting and driving. It was elicited during a study that participants took longer and made more errors when they had to read text messages as opposed to reading Standard English (Kemp and Bushnell 18). Thurlow is quoted saying that texting “signals the slow death of language” and is “a threat to social progress” (qtd. in Verheijen 586). Texting has more of a negative effect on teens’ literacy and could possibly cause the English we use today could become
In the sources that I found about text message and teen literacy, it showed and also informed me on how teens take the next talk to the classrooms in schools and how it creates bad grammar among themselves. During my research I found out that many kids and kids use shorthanded text and it affects their literacy in so many ways. We as teens don’t think that our findings will benefit anyone unless they want to have a short knowledge in grammar. As teens we don’t really see how doing something wrong can harm us. Such as texting shorthanded, and with silly faces. It affects our literacy by not knowing how to correctly punctuate their words, grammar and speaking. In the research that I looked up, that teens send about one thousand eight hundred
Growing up in this technological age, watching technology change the way people communicate, work, and live, technology has open up new dangers and threats. With being in the Information technology career field and working with many different technologies, technology has improved to make it easier to perform tasks. Texting is something that was once used to send quick, short messages to another party and evolved into a primary way of communication, mostly among teens. For an example, younger brother mostly talks with friends by ...
Text messaging is the trendiest way to communicate in the twenty-first century. However, texting while driving is now the leading cause of death among teenagers – surpassing drinking and driving, according to a study by Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Alarming statistics from the report state that more than 3,000 teens die each year in crashes caused by texting while driving, and more than 50 percent of teens admit to texting while driving (Texting, 2013). Cell phones have created communication barriers, which has enabled people to relinquish quality written correspondences, face-to-face conversations and voice-to-voice phone calls. In addition to this, cell phones cause distractions for students while they are in school because students
Texting is a gateway and primary source for a young child to communicate with friends, and people that is two or three times older than the minor 's age. A young child from ages 7 to 10 ,preteens and, teenagers, use texting in everyday life because it 's a easier way to communicate.The child does not understand that texting can cause social division with others, allow older individuals to take advantage of the situation because the child can not differentiate between right and wrong.Most parents do not know what the child is doing or who the child is texting after the age of 11. Most minors lose track of time because of texting, most are texting friends or on social media and by the time the minor is ready to go to sleep, it time for the child to get up for school. In some schools teachers having the student cell number to text the student asking for pictures for a
Text messaging has become a norm in our generation, as technology rapidly advances and gives way to more efficient forms of communication in a fast-paced world; and many are skeptical about the influence this new form of interaction is having on our society, especially with our younger generation. David Crystal, a professor at the University of Wales, writes “2b or Not 2b?” in support of text messaging. He insists, despite those who underestimate or negate the beneficial influence text messaging has on language proficiency, that “there is increasing evidence that [texting] helps rather than hinders literacy” and that the fairly recent form of communication has actually been around for a while and “is merely the latest manifestation of the human ability to be linguistically creative and to adopt language to suit the demands of diverse settings. In contrast, Jeffery Kluger argues in “We Never Talk Anymore: The Problem with Text Messaging” that text messaging is rapidly becoming a substitute for more genuine forms of communication and is resulting in difficulty among young peoples of our generation to hold a face-to-face conversation, engage in significant nonverbal expression, and ultimately build effective relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Both writers’ present valid arguments, however, my personal experience with text messaging has led me to agree more with Crystal’s view on the matter. Text messaging is indeed having a positive effect on society by making frequent texters primarily aware of the need to be understood, as well as offering betterment of spelling and writing through practice, and reinventing and expanding on a bygone dimension of our language through the use of rebuses and abbreviations.
Imagine that you just got home from a long day of sports and you crash in your bed. Then, all of a sudden, Beeeep! Beeeep! Your phone rings and now you can’t fall asleep for hours because you’re glued to your phone. Texting was made to be an easier way to communicate with friends and family, but it often just gets in the way of daily life. Texting is negatively affecting teenagers and is taking away valuable sleep time.
...e situation. People who are unable to do so are incarcerated, because their use of the English language is confined to Standard English, but texting allows the younger generation to use their understanding of English to manipulate words in a creative way. Although it can be difficult, at times, to understand text messages that are written completely in text speak, these contractions are being used less commonly than before. Generally, most teenagers recognise circumstances where using text language is appropriate, as they make a conscious choice to abbreviate and contract words, and as they grow older, many young people decrease their usage of this form of English, only using it when necessary. After all, if Lord Fisher could get away with using OMG in a letter to Winston Churchill, why should teenagers be deprived of the right to use such abbreviations when texting?
Text messaging is damaging our literacy and communication skills as a society. Calling someone on the phone or writing them a letter is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. There is a new language that is being learned and not taught across the globe. It is the language of Textese, and it has quickly consumed the lives of millions across the world. There will always be the protector of language arts. These are the shrinking number of people everyone knows, that will continue to handwrite letters and sign them with proper English and etiquette. It may be as simple as picking up the phone and calling a friend or relative. It may be even simpler than that, in that people put forth an effort to talk to the person sitting next to or across from you and engage them in a conversation. Texting and textisms have become so common and widespread that using proper English, correct spelling, and full sentences is also becoming a thing of the past. People that constantly use text and instant messaging may have difficulty with literacy and expressing themselves in writing form. The research shows that text messaging has deteriorated how we communicate and express ourselves because textisms have become an easier and quicker form of communication that has affected literacy in children and adults.
Schencker, Lisa. “Can texting bring teens, parents closer 2gether?: Texting might improve communication” Financial Times Ltd. (2009). Worldcat. Web. 25 Oct. 2011.