Is the Idea that Texting is Raping our Vocabulary Exaggerated?

700 Words2 Pages

In the Mobile Data Association press release of February 2009, it was stated that 78.9 billion text messages were sent in 2008 alone. This is a staggering increase from the 41.8 billion just two years previous. With OFCOM revealing 49% of 8-11 year olds now have their own mobile phones and 82% of them are regular texters, it seems the craze is fixed on an upward trend and Humphreys’ culprits are now starting younger than ever before. The 38% year on year growth from 2007 to 2008 demonstrates texting to be one of the few areas seemingly unaffected by the World-wide credit crunch. This may be because in comparison to phone calls and multi-media messaging, texting is a cheap means of communication, particularly with phone companies now offering hundreds of ‘free’ messages with their lowest price contracts. In a ruthless comparison made in an article in the Daily Mail, Humphrys (2007) likened the texting culture to the atrocities of the 13th century. While his metaphors may be considered extreme: ‘raping our vocabulary...’ Humphrey’s fundamental view point is shared by many. It is p...

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