by Roberta Colby

Created on: July 03, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

As a teenager, I personally love to text. But I am going to try not to write this as my point of view. I'm going to try to see it from a view of, lets say teachers, or people that have to read what I write. I think the, "LOL", or "BRB" For texting is just so you can type it faster. And get more words in for the number of characters in a text message you're allowed to have. I use the texting slang every day, me and my best friend, text each other when we're sitting right next to each other, just so we can.

The text slang that's so often used in text messages, doesn't mean that the people sending those messages, can't write with correct English. They choose the smaller, easier to text words. It's just so they can send more words in one text message, rather then typing it all out correctly in the text message and sending two or three to get out what you could say in one if you used the slang.

My mom found one of my notes from my friends, and it was all written in 'texting' slang. I don't do it to hide stuff from my parents, like some people may think thats what it's for, because if you think about it, probably more often than not, parents use them in texting too. I think adults seem to think that the text messaging is ruining communication between them and their kids, or grandkids, but they don't look at it this way:

Most of the adults and elder people I know. Also have phones. They also text all the time. My best friend's mom, texts her all the time, thats pretty much their only way of communication. Is fast and easier. So why not use it? When my friend, Amanda comes over to hang out, she's always texting her boyfriend, but he lives about forty five minutes away, and she doesn't like talking on the phone. So she is always texting. But I've seen her work in English class, and she does pretty well, for always constantly texting. And using the texting slang.

I was at a restaurant the other day, and my cell phone started to ring. Everyone was staring at me. I thought I had a phone call, but really I was getting a text message, and I hadn't turned my phone on vibrate. So I quickly opened my phone and read it, and all i typed back was: "TTYL, Im busy." And that was it. I turned my phone down and put it away.

If you look at texting as a bad thing towards talking and ruining face to face communication skills, then lets take a look at that. If they're texting you, but won't talk to you face to face, maybe they haven't had very good confrontational skills to begin with, maybe that person wouldn't be talk to you at all if he/she didn't have texting as a way to talk to you.

Texting isn't ruining the English language, or communication skills. I think it's helping it. The more they text and then read a book, or something, the more they realize the correct language, it stands out to them more. I think that helps them make the change from texting to writing an important English paper.

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