The advent of mobile technology gives marketers the opportunity to reach target audiences with a very personalized message, any time of day, delivered right into their hands. But the tool is not without controversy. Concerns have been raised about the impact of frequent texting on literacy and the English language.
txt msging has now bcome a freq used mode of comm among the young peeps. u can stay connected w/ ur bffs round the clock & on ur own terms. u can send a msg whnevr u want & u can ignore a msg rec’d or rply 2 it when u feel like it. w/ such a small space 2 write ur txt, words r reduced down to abbrevs or symbols. while this is eff 4 txt msging, the habit of using txt lingo is moving byond the mble device & is used in evryday writing. so the ? is this – is txting ruining the English lingo? lol
Critics claim text messaging has reduced the art of the written word to the literary equivalent of vanity license plates—clever, but gimmicky and trite. In our haste to communicate quickly, speed triumphs over syntax, punctuation is disregarded, emotions are misinterpreted, and the search for the perfect word completely abandoned. We are faced with no less than the destruction of the English language. Forever. A tragedy as profound as the prose of Shakespeare himself (who, btw, happily made up thousands of words).
Others—including some linguists—are less alarmed, pointing out that language, and the rules governing how we use it, have continually evolved to reflect how people communicate, and rightly so. Still others go so far as to say texting actually makes younger people better communicators, contending the more children use language, the more verbally skilled they become. In fact, studies have found no evidence that online language is degrading other aspects of language.
Is this controversy a linguistic tempest in a teapot? What do you think? Do you believe texting is ruining the written word?
Text: MOBILE to: 38681 Once you text MOBILE to 38681, you will receive a reply with that very question.
Check back to this post and we’ll let you know the consensus.
So, after a week of responses here is the consensus: 8 feel that it is ruining the language and 13 feel it is not. If u took the txting surv on the phone, the correct answer is: “At the rate that texting is growing, we are not gonna see this new language go away soon!” But I have to include some of these wonderful responses. “Good grief, I was wrong, it is ruining the English language.” “blah, blah, blah texting is growing…blah, blah, blah. apparently I am not txt savvy.” “I know I sound like a neanderthal, but if illiteracy is in vogue, I’m happy to look like a bafoon!” “Can’t translate. Point made.” “OK then.”
Your carrier might charge you for the text message, and no, we won’t sell your phone number to anybody. It will only be used for this survey.
