Worsham 1

Aden Worsham
ENC 1001 Comp 1
Mcgriff
October 27 2016
How Harmful is Texting Rly?
The longer texting has been in circulation the more and more people that grow up
knowing nothing but a life of iphones computers and instant messaging. Many people view this
simple fact as a downside to living in a world today, but it doesn't have to be. Texting can be a
form of communication without disrupting the english language or ruining society. People argue
that texting damages our understanding of the english language, causes illegibility because of
abbreviations and shorthands, and takes away from kids abilities to learn and interact with
others. These claims are coming from a place of uncertainty and fear of the unknown.
People like Ray Williams seem to think that the long term effects of texting will have a
catastrophic conclusion to society. He quotes Drew Cingle and S. Shyam Sundar saying
[Texting] may actually hinder a persons ability to switch between techspeak and the normal
rules of grammar. Ray seems to think that a kid may not be able to turn off the abbreviations
and shorthand to do homework, write a letter, or anything that requires the rules of grammar.
Being an avid user of texting I can say that, at least in my case, this is indeed false. Kids do not
lose their ability to reason or function simply because they shorten their words. Switching from
techspeak to normal grammar rules on a daily basis will actually help kids understand the
difference between formal and informal writing and when is appropriate to use such.

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Another argument is that by allowing all of these new abbreviations and shorthands
into our language we are creating a cesspool of illegible sentences and words. These arguments
again, come from a place of fear and ignorance rather than knowledge. In David Crystals 2b or
not 2b? he speaks about the fact that abbreviations and shorthands have been in the english
language for decades Several of these are so much a part of English literary tradition that they
have been given entries in the Oxford English Dictionary.(903) These words have been and still
are a way for many to communicate with as few words or as quickly as possible. This is not a
topic that is new to anyone.
There are also people claiming that texting is ruining this generation and every generation
to come after. They claim that kids are spending so much time texting that they lack any kind of
social skills or desire to learn or understand. Steven Pinker says that if these claims, like many
before them fail basic reality checks(1029) then how can we accept them as fact? Pinker also
speaks about how one basic reality check is that if technology is causing these setbacks in
society then how could scientists be using technology so proficiently to benefit society. If
technology is our biggest obstacle then why has it helped us to learn so much more about the
world that we live in. Technology was built by humans to assist in learning and understanding
more about whats around us. Without texting, phones, and technology then we would be
nowhere as a society.
The knee jerk reaction today is to be afraid of new inventions and technologies. People
dont want to understand or learn. Many would be happy living in a bubble that never advanced
past what they already know. Technology is not the limiting factor on our advances as humans, it
is the fear of said technology and fear of the unknown. How are we to learn to swim if we are
afraid to go into the water?

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Works Cited
Crystal, David. 2b or not 2b? Everyones an Author. Ed. Marilyn Moller. Vol. 2. London: The
Guardian,2008. 899-907.Print
Pinker, Steven. Mind over Mass Media Everyones an Author. Ed. Marilyn Moller. Vol. 2. The
New York Times, 2008. 1029-1031.Print
Williams, Ray. FOCRFOL: Is Texting Damaging our Language Skills? Psychology Today 28 July

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2012.Web. 26 October 2016.