Textism In Language

Introduction In the 21st century, texting has evolved into one of the most popular forms of communication among teenagers. According to The Nielsen Company, the leading firm in global marketing research, in 2010, American teenagers, on average, send and receive around 3,339 texts per month (Nielsen). Compared to 2009, texting activity among teenagers has increased by 10% (Nielsen). This popular form of communication brings implications that cannot be left unaddressed. One concern for texting is that it consumes an unreasonably large amount of teenagers’ time, which could lead to a decrease in literacy rates. However, this paper will solely examine role of text speak, or, as it will be referred to throughout this paper, “textism”. This term

Elizabeth Gorney, marketing associate and manager for Oxford University Press, argues that textism is a “whole new way of thinking about language” (Gorney). Instead of destroying English, it is either creating a variation of English, or it is a new language on its own (Gorney). Textism is a new language because of the significant differences that exist between standard English and the English used in texting. They differ in grammar and spelling conventions, and textism reflects the 21st century. According to Dr. Peggy Drexler, professor of psychology at Cornell University, texting parallels the way people communicate in the world today, which is “quickly, economically, and on the go” (Drexler). This is a new form of expression, and texting in itself reveals a new culture that represents modern day society. Therefore, textism is not destroying the English language, but instead is becoming its own language with a whole new culture embedded in

Opponents, however, argue that textism negatively impacts teenagers’ literacy skills because they unintentionally use text speak for formal writing. Jennifer Lee, a journalist for The New York Times, denounces textism by claiming that abbreviations are slipping into their schoolwork. Because it has become teenagers’ normal form of communication, it happens naturally to the point where they do not even notice when they use it in school papers. The concern here is that students do not understand the difference between informal and formal