Is Texting Making Us Bad Writers?

My stance on Texting:

Many people wonder if texting affects our writing, does it? When writing a paper or speaking we are aware of our surroundings and aware that we are not texting, therefore we do not say things like "LOL" aloud, we simply laugh. When texting, people shorten sentences and phrases mainly because they can, that's the point of texting. Texting is informal and not important, it is simply a quick and easy way of communicating. Unless you are out of it and not fully paying attention when writing then you will not actually write how you text. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that children or teens should have their phones in their hands 24/7 but I do believe there's some great qualities of texting and that it helps one express themselves. Look at the little girl shown above, do you see the joy in her eyes? That's what technology and texting does for children, brings new and fun ways of learning into their life. It doesn't make them bad writers it makes them normal children in the 21st century and that is it. Below are some good and bad facts about texting that was stated in the article Can Texting Help with Spelling.

Did you know that:

• The average American teen texts 130 times a day? 
• Texting helps students read. A British study Published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning found a positive correlation between texting and literacy, concluding that texting was "actually driving the development of phonological awareness and reading skill in children" 
• Students change how they spell according to the circumstance and their audience. Meaning they know when to abbreviate words and use slang and when to properly write. 
• The Oxford English Dictionary added "OMG" last year?