Introduction Is technology making us smarter or dumber? With the increase in the use of smartphones and autocorrect technology for the past ten years, the eras of the dictionary are over. These days, corrections are made with a mindless click of a button, which does not allow the users think themselves. Individuals have a tendency to use spell check more often than actually knowing how to spell a word, or how to use grammar correctly. Technologies like word prediction can compare a typed word with a word in the dictionary list and recognize a mismatch as a misspelled word. This helps the writers who unconsciously reorder the letters a lot while typing. It can also assist a writer in guessing the spelling of a word. With the widespread use of digital technology, the classroom teaching approaches and practices went through remarkable changes. When compared to the past ten years, today the classrooms look entirely different in terms of programs and technical tools used to enhance the learning skills of students. Problem The problem with autocorrect technology is that, spell check can misspell a word by automatically changing the intended word, leading to spelling a completely different word. This can cause miscommunication due to misspelled words and incorrect usage of grammar. For instance, if a person types “there” in place of “their,” spell check will not recognize it as a misspelled word, even though it could still be the incorrect word. It might also highlight a word as misspelled only because it does not identify it. With the added features in smartphones, word prediction can be difficult because it automatically pulls up a word, which is similar to the word previously used. So, the word prediction will give the same wo... ... middle of paper ... ...1320. doi: 10.1177/1461444812442927 Drouin, M., & Davis, C. (2009). R U Txting? Is the Use of Text Speak Hurting Your Literacy?. Journal of Literacy Research, 44(1), 46-67. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?q=texting+spelling+grammar&id=EJ862013 Gleick, J. (2012, August 4). Auto Crrect Ths!. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com Powell, D., & Dixon, M. (2011). Does SMS text messaging help or harm adults’ knowledge of standard spelling?. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(1), 58–66. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00403.x Shellenbarger, S. (2012, June 20). Grammar Gaffes Invade the Office in an Age of Informal Email, Texting and Twitter. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com Toppo, G. (2012, May 31). Good spelling still matters in world of texting, spell check. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/
In the article, “Does Im Make U dum”, the author states how instant messaging has made us become “dum”. The issue of using popular texting abbreviations like, “lol”, “brb”, or “gtg” can either be an effective or unproductive way of expression. Using abbreviations through texting are so commonly used by children, teenagers, and adults. Statistics show that children are younger than ever for when they are first exposed to mobile phones and text messaging. A 2005 ChildWise study that one-in-four children under the age of eight had a mobile phone.
Swayne, Matthew and Andrea Elyse Messer. "No LOL matter: Tween texting may lead to poor grammar skills." 25 July 2012. Penn State News. Web. 9 February 2014.
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.
Texting is one of the most popular forms of communication in today’s society. It has changed the way we communicate from person-to-person. It has made sending a message, or having a conversation much easier and simple. It has also changed the way we communicate for the worse. In John Humphreys writing “I 8 txt Msgs: How Texting Is Wrecking Our Language”, he’s strongly against the use of texting due to its negative effects on the English language, and he has strong reasoning to back it up. With the use of texting abbreviations, auto-correct, and the reduced amount of time being spent reading literature, the English language is subsiding. With advancements in texting and technology happening everyday, there is
The use inventive spelling, abbreviations. As high school students start to use short texting, some of their grades dropped due to the spelling errors they make. So many teens get used to wing abbreviating that they just begin to write that that way. Some teenagers writing skills have turned into sentence fragments, because of the limited space they put into text sentence. In my research how does texting affect teen literacy the percentage was 64 percent of students who say they incorporated text language in their writing, 25 percent said they did so to convey have used text shortcuts a lot of students, vocabulary and grammar is also affecting their literacy. The outlook of the teachers is that. Text plus recently released results of its own survey of 1,214 teens that use their services. 43 percent of which have texted in class, they seem to pay more attention to their phone than what the teacher is teaching. They seem to have the phones that will spell the word for them so they have to worry about spelling. In the age of text message, where words are reduce to no stand abbreviating, symbols, But in my research I pointed out that technology has put new emphasis on reading and
Determining the effects of text messaging when it comes to college students and their ability to spell, has resulted in a positive nature. Shaw, Carlson, and Waxman (2007), performed a study on eighty-six college students, whom were recruited from a large Midwestern university (p. 58). The authors conducted this research with the intent to prove that the abbreviations and misspellings in text messaging, has begun to lower many college students spelling abilities. Their study resulted in a completely different aspect than was expected, the information gathered did not support the authors hypothesis. Their hypothesis being that, "...spelling ability deteriorates with the frequent use of and exposure to the abbreviated and misspelled words and phrases of text messaging..." (Shaw, Carlson, and Waxman, 2007, p. 60). Although studies show differently, many instructors have complained that students are using misspellings and abbreviations that they normally would use in text messaging, in their academic writings too.
Since the Industrial Revolution, technology has permeated and become an integral part of our everyday lives. In fact, a life without technology seems almost impossible to imagine. Almost everyone, around the globe, has access to technology in one form or another. Consequently this type of technology has become ingrained into our culture. Its roots are so deep that it is now peculiar to see someone without a smartphone than with one. Consequently, smartphones and the Internet have radically changed the manner in which we communicate and how we communicate with one another. Our speech has metamorphosed so much from that of our grandparents that it almost seems like a foreign language due to the incorporation of slang and “text talk.” With the sudden surge of email, blogs, and instant messaging that occurred within the last couple of decades, the impact that technology has on our linguistics has become more pronounced. Technology has helped to bridge the gap between people by allowing us to communicate as easily as we breathe. On this note, one would think that the dawn of the Era of Technology would give birth to a renaissance of the English language but, instead, the converse is taking place. With such widespread prevalence of technology such as smartphones and computers, the degradation of the English language is a problem now more than ever.
We often hear news stories report on the possible negative effects texting has on students’ formal writing. These stories usually flash a picture of some student’s formal essay or class assignment containing a text-speak abbreviation in place of a formal word. For example, “u” in place of “you”. Stories like this cause educators and parents to worry that the use of texting is impairing students’ ability to write in a formal setting and is thus becoming detrimental to literacy altogether. However, do these news stories actually hold any merit or are they simply media hype? How often does textspeak actually appear in students’ writing? According to literary scholar David Crystal, “all the evidence suggests that belief in an impending linguistic disaster is a conseq...
With the uprising of unique and different forms of communication that technology has popularized comes a debatable controversy on what effect these new digital mediums have on literacy and our daily lives. Texting can lead to declining language and grammar skills, according to researchers. Text messaging has also begun to have an inimical effect on people’s writing skills, and is also an indispensable part of our lives; it has developed very expeditiously throughout the world, and is also one of the world’s primary sources of communication. Texting can cause various complications in a student's ability to conjure proper vocabulary, spell, write and socialize. Texting is defined as the use of abbreviations and other techniques to craft messages sent through the cell phone.
Spell check is found in many applications for computers and system wide in Mac computers. It takes a misspelled word and offers suggestions based on the text. Even if the misspelled word is in the dictionary, spell check can detect the correct word to use in the body of text. Spell check is now included in many word processors and you can also find it useful while using a search engine. Even though it can’t point out every error like names and other non-everyday words, spell check is very efficient and helpful.
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.
Young spellers from all across this nation and several others dedicate their lives to studying words and their patterns. The amount of work is mind-boggling, but there is no greater honor for a young word lover.
I have yet to not see one of my peers walking with their eyes glued to their cell phones. They quickly type the day’s events on a tiny screen that they use almost all day, every day. Teenagers today use texting as a primary source of communication. Although texting is an efficient and quick way of communication, texting is reducing teen literacy due to lack of face to face communication, abbreviated spelling, and meaningless conversation. Teen literacy today is at a low. According to author Anne Lewis, “more than eight million students in grades 4-12 are reading at "below basic" levels” (Education Digest 51). Because of the simplicity of most ways of communication, it deprives the teens of communicating effectively. They become so used to
Nine out of ten people you see nowadays are either looking down at their cell phone, scrolling through their social media feed or talking with someone. This is because technology is everywhere. This advanced technology has completely changed the way we communicate. It’s changed just about everything about us to the way we interact with one another. Now, the question is, how has this been affecting the way we communicate with each other? For the most part, verbal communication has gone from face to face contact to technological contact in such a short period of time. Most teenagers nowadays would rather communicate through technology than to have a normal face to face conversation. This has caused a decline teens grammatical and writing skills.
Technology has brought about argument on whether we are in the illiteracy age or literacy age. Why some researchers believe that the younger generation writes far more than any generation before them because of the so much socializing that takes place online, while others who think that this generation has produce more illiterate people, points to social networking as the cause. They believe that social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and so on has attributed to sloppy writing and careless reading. The use of abbreviation or short slangs like lol, brb has become the other of the day.