Text messaging detrimental to grammar, English language for nation
Kirby McBride
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: Viewpoints
Being an English major I am very conscious of the way people talk in their everyday lives. Most everyone in the nation uses varying forms of bad grammar in their everyday speech. Who really wants to be grammatically correct in everything that they do? I know I don't it would get tedious after a while, even though I believe that knowing and being able to use grammar is a very good skill to have. Being perfectly correct in anything is extremely hard to do, but I strive to speak and write with as much perfection as I can get, even when I write the occasional text message.
Through the advanced technology that we have at our disposal, there is a new way to communicate using text messaging or instant messaging services. With this new technology there has also come about a new way to talk using the same symbols that are used when someone sends a text message or an instant message. In my opinion this new way of speaking and writing is killing the way that the youth and many people in their twenties and thirties speak.
Gone are the days when people would use complete words and not have to worry about how much time it took them to say one simple sentence. In today's world everyone is so concerned with getting their thoughts to another person that they cannot even take the time to call that person on the phone because they are too busy. They believe that it would be quicker to text them and use phrases like lol or omg, instead of actually saying the words. In many ways text speech has made people lazy.
People have gotten to where they don't even notice when they use text speech in their everyday lives, and for a person who does not use many of the shortened symbols of text messaging, using these symbols in everyday speech makes a person seem lazy.
What is wrong with saying, completely everything that you want to, and it does not hurt to spell everything out in a text message. It may even make the point come across clearer to the person you are writing or talking to. It's something to think about.
Through the advanced technology that we have at our disposal, there is a new way to communicate using text messaging or instant messaging services. With this new technology there has also come about a new way to talk using the same symbols that are used when someone sends a text message or an instant message. In my opinion this new way of speaking and writing is killing the way that the youth and many people in their twenties and thirties speak.
Gone are the days when people would use complete words and not have to worry about how much time it took them to say one simple sentence. In today's world everyone is so concerned with getting their thoughts to another person that they cannot even take the time to call that person on the phone because they are too busy. They believe that it would be quicker to text them and use phrases like lol or omg, instead of actually saying the words. In many ways text speech has made people lazy.
People have gotten to where they don't even notice when they use text speech in their everyday lives, and for a person who does not use many of the shortened symbols of text messaging, using these symbols in everyday speech makes a person seem lazy.
What is wrong with saying, completely everything that you want to, and it does not hurt to spell everything out in a text message. It may even make the point come across clearer to the person you are writing or talking to. It's something to think about.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 29
Student
posted 3/18/08 @ 8:23 AM CST
Ms. English Major,
I believe that you should proof-read your own article before you publish your opinion that everyone else's grammar is poor.
"I know I don't it would get tedious after a while"
In case you don't understand, that should actually be two sentences. (Continued…)
OmegaWolf747
posted 7/03/08 @ 9:54 PM CST
I agree with the principle of what you write (even if your execution is flawed). I abhor the use of text talk, the misspellings and the abuse of punctuation that I encounter on the Web every day. (Continued…)
Patrick
posted 7/20/08 @ 9:16 PM CST
The use of "u" is terrible. When someone uses "u" instead of "you" I have to doubt their intelligence.
Someone You Don't Know
posted 7/23/08 @ 5:42 AM CST
Despite the glaring grammatical errors in your article, I'll go ahead and humor you. While it is ingratiating to see people writing on message boards, in blogs, and in e-mails using poor grammar, lack of punctuation, and abbreviated or symbolized spellings, one has to keep in mind the restrictions put on text message lengths and the fast pace of public chatrooms. (Continued…)
Travis
posted 9/26/08 @ 11:21 AM CST
really the use of you might be their appinion see they might be the smartest person in the world and still use "u" instead of "you".
Eliott
posted 9/28/08 @ 8:31 AM CST
There's another grammatical error in the very first sentence of your article.
"Being an English major I am very conscious of the way people talk in their everyday lives. (Continued…)
M
posted 9/29/08 @ 1:21 PM CST
We are not lazy, it just takes longer to say or tpye the real version. Dont you text?
HATA
posted 9/29/08 @ 1:29 PM CST
omg dat iz lik mak-n me a hata of ur webcite lik wut the freaky man.... u hatin on lol or sumthin???? ttyl bby!!!!
Jamie
posted 9/30/08 @ 1:10 PM CST
Do you ever text? It is not that we are lazy, but the simple fact that text messaging is mean't to be a quick and easy process. Not a grammar lesson. But good try though. (Continued…)
Staff Member
posted 10/02/08 @ 2:13 AM CST
Texting definitely has its place in today's world; however, using good language skills has its place as well. Educated people should be able to distinguish between those occasions. (Continued…)
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