With the omnipresence of cellphones in modern culture, the universal use of text messaging should come as no surprise. Teenagers were among the first groups to utilize texting, as it serves as a quick and easy way to communicate with friends and family. With the high frequency of texting among teenagers, there has been an increase in the amount of time they spend writing. One may think that this increase of time writing would help to improve grammar, however despite the increase of time teenagers spend communicating via text messages, their grammar has worsened.
In a recent study, it was found that there is a significant relationship between frequency of texting and score on grammatical tests (Cingel and Sundar). The results found that as the amount of texts students sent increased, the students’ scores on a grammatical test decreased. As this study shows, the more time teenagers spend texting, the worse their grammar gets.
However, it is common to improperly use grammar in text messaging, as it is informal communication. Is it possible that improperly using grammar is a manner to cover up poor knowing grammar rules? In another study, researchers investigated if these
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In the essay, “Tapping into Text Messaging”, Kornblum explains that teens were among the first groups to take to text messaging (365). Time spent texting in class distracts from learning, as discussed in another essay, “Texting in Class is Rampant”. Rubinkam discusses how teens frequently use their cellphones during class (369). By texting in class, teens are being distracted from learning accurate grammar through observation. In their study, Cingel and Sundar also present the idea that teens learn grammar through observation, or by seeing how teachers frequently use grammar around them. If teenagers are being distracted by texting, then it is likely they are not learning grammar as it has been learned in the