Kids These Days: Danger Of Text Messages and Grammatical Failures

I had a discussion the other day about the danger of modern communications methods and the ways in which they are minimizing/destroying basic grammatical capabilities of teens and children. My mother, a teacher, saw a decline (and more common use of abbreviations) years ago but, with text messages, finds it even more common amongst her students. The below argument sums it up quite well.

Thoughts?

After teaching at the college level for six years, and in secondary and elementary schools for nine years I do think texting has both positive and negative implications. While we do live in a technologically driven society, and it is important for us to embrace the changing future of communication science it is equally important to remember the value of personable communication, or face to face communication.



When I first started teaching, 15 years ago, this obviously was not an issue, but during the last four or five years, my college teaching years, I have seen a large decline in proper educative communication styles.

Students have an increase in misspellings, sentence structuring, and can not seem to verbally express themselves intelligently at times. A large part of public speaking is being able to properly communicate while conveying a message, but students often have difficulty expressing thoughts legibly; be it in paper format, or in a speech.

Text messaging does not always require cognitive thinking, and does not require the user to spell out complete words. Texting usually leaves only enough space for students to abbreviate their intended word, which leaves many confused when they are writing papers because they often forget the proper spelling of a word. Abbreviated words are not accepted in school settings, or in the work place.

Text messaging does not convey the tone of a message either. This often leads to miscommunication, because the receiver may misinterpret a vital, serious message, or even misconstrue the message to mean something entirely different from what the sender originally intended.

It is impersonal not allowing a true relationship an opportunity to develop. Communication between persons is an experience that takes our whole being, all of our senses. Texting takes away body language, sight, touch, and the personal experience we need as human beings.

Texting is hampering communication, but not completely destroying communication. Educators, employees, parents, and text messenger's need to remember to separate the value of the two mediums; face to face communication and texting have rules and guidelines that should be remembered and used in proper context.

Texting is here to stay. Educators have added computer literacy to the curriculum, but I think that communication courses should be added as well. Media communication impacts all of our lives, and it will impact future generations more and more; which makes teaching communications courses vitally important.

While texting is too popular to be dismissed it is important to remember face to face communication. It is equally important to remind, and encourage students, and others that a proper education, and continued growth in the work place can not be abbreviated either.

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

Preach on Brother Chase, preach on. I swear if I EVER were an English teacher I wouldn't even allow contractions to be used in class. Too many people these days don't even know what "would've" means and type "would of" or vise versa.

Originally Posted by dwass325

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

you and me both. gotta spell and abbreviate everything correctly.

Originally Posted by dwass325

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

Meh, I text and abbreviate words, but at the same time I know how to spell and use proper grammar.

I think the problem is when kids start getting cell phone, using aim, etc... from a super young age.

Originally Posted by dwass325

i agree. Then again, i'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

+1

Texting is srs bsnss.





^ Irony much?

I definitely remember using msn messenger in grade 7 and then writing an essay in english the next day and I found myself using abbreviations and horrible chat speech... but I always text with full words I hate abbreviations. I've always said text messaging is the end of a generation lol

Hell, just look at every message board to see how many people are "too lazy" to spell correctly.

Originally Posted by dwass325

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

+1

Originally Posted by Fisch330ciTopasBlau

Hell, just look at every message board to see how many people are "too lazy" to spell correctly.

A good friend of mine always spelled horribly via texts and AIM in college. His excuse was that he "wasn't thinking about it" and could spell properly when writing a paper. I always said that was bullsh*t. Of course, when I would proof-read his papers, they were always filled with spelling errors and such.

I hate texting.
Unless it is something like an address that I want in writing, I don't want to do it.

I am a slow texter anyhow. R....a.....y.....m.....lol..........it takes me forever.
I'd rather talk the old fashioned way.



Everything in the first post is true...

Originally Posted by dwass325

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

x2

I have noticed a lot of my younger employees suck at business writing and I blame it on texting, IMs, and facebook.

I am 29 and just missed out on the whole IM and facebook craze. Hell I barely even used email in college.

Originally Posted by dwass325

I agree. Then again, I'm one of those weirdos who spells out the entire word (correctly) in texts.

+5, my friends actually get pissed at me for texting with proper punctuation and spelling.

I won't even reply to them unless they use whole words, none of that, "wher r u" bullshiet.

+1 on full word texting. It's too easy with a keyboard to be that lazy.

I use regular english in my text messages.. It kinda bugs me when people say baq, sup, msg, sux, by, aight, etc..

full tactile keyboard FTW

yeah, I type out whole words as well, but it seems we have a decently old crowd on this forum (mostly 18-30 year olds). I think this is more of a problem with the kids right below that age range.

Yesterday in general forum:

Originally Posted by ViNNiE_G

hello i own a 1994 bmw 325ic and i wanted to work on the air intake system but im so confused about what to buy everything i read on here everyone says that K&N is crap is this true? they also say that a cold air intake is horriable and messes up ur engain i want to talk to someone with experiense so can you please steer me in the right direction

....