The Spartans Speak

Texting challenges literacy

Tuesday, April 10, 2012 By Emily Goulet

ME: hey btw idk if u r prob going 2nite but i want 2 c u lol FRIEND: yea thx 4 txting me ttyl ill b th3r l8tr! This is the 50 th text a girl sent to her friend today, and their texting lingo is baffling to some older generations. These young texters are also required to take English courses, comprised of reading and writing, where they are expected to read and comprehend challenging books, as well as write competent essays. Texting, however, is an entirely different language, not dissimilar to shorthand. Abbreviations are utilized as a necessity, and a few letters and numericals have come to mean an entire sentence. For example, ten years ago, “lol” would’ve seemed to be a non-sensical utterance. But most people now understand the connotation is “laugh out loud.” Over six trillion texts were sent in 2010, according MBA Online, and approximately 60 percent of humans are active texters. “It [texting] is handy,” said senior Jimmy Bachelder. “It’s a mainstream communication tool.” Texting has arguably become a necessity to communicate in society. Over 193,000 text messages are sent every second, said MBA Online. “I like [texting] because I don’t like to call people, especially people I don’t know well,” said senior Taylor Martin. “There’s no need to go through the small talk of calling somebody.” Texting is notably “fast and efficient,” said English teacher Ms. Williams. However, despite the benefits, texting is one more language for people to master. Coventry University performed a study on eight 12 year-olds, and the results showed that texting did not harm their ability to write, according to the British Academy website. In fact, texting helps phonological awareness for young children, and it may help improve a child’s literacy skills, said the British Academy website. This study, however, was only directed towards young children. When teenagers focus on preparing to write for college and the work force, texting is not the basis for formal writing. “[Texting] shouldn’t, theoretically, harm the knowledge of English language in schools, as long as they [the students] are engaged in intellectually stimulating activities as well,” said English teacher Mr. Graziano. However, texting requires the “use of words,” said Bachelder. It may “harm spelling,” but you still have to use English to communicate, he said. The problem is when the students cannot understand the distinction between formal writing and texting, said Mr. Graziano. It may also depend on the student’s English capabilities. “If you have a good vocabulary, you will text with a good vocabulary,” said Martin. Texting is fine, as long as you “keep the two mediums straight,” Martin said. “It depends on the person,” said junior Dyllan DuPont. “In general, it reflects a capacity for writing.” Texting may or may not harm a student in the long run. “Harms? No. Influences? Perhaps,” said Ms. Williams. The student’s ability to write formally is more a matter of the effort they put forth, said Ms. Williams. “I sent thirteen texts this morning, and I can write just fine.”