Luv 2 Txt | Teen Ink

Luv 2 Txt MAG

January 29, 2009
By Christina Costello BRONZE, Hopedale, Massachusetts
Christina Costello BRONZE, Hopedale, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

You need to send a quick text to your mom to tell her soccer practice is canceled. In an effort not to get caught, you reach ever so slowly, skillfully, and one-handedly into your backpack. Drawing your bright purple handheld lifeline from the front pocket, you are careful not to press any button that will reveal your mission to Mr. Boring, who is yapping away at the front of the room. With the phone in your lap, you try not to look down as you type: “sccer canceled! pick^ @2 thx <3.”

Sent. You slip it into you pocket, fearing you will not be able to discreetly get it back in your bag. But wait … your BFF Lucy’s hair looked utterly ridiculous when you passed her in the hall on your way to bio. It’s unthinkable to wait until lunch to tell her. Only a horrid friend would let her saunter around with a mortifying hairdo! So, you repeat the sneaky process of texting: “Fix ur hair, its sticking ^!!!!” Now, not only have you just missed two whole possibly important minutes of Mr. Boring’s lecture, but you have furthered the decline of your spelling and vocabulary.

Could you understand the title of this article? Anyone who has ever texted or used instant messaging can. Most teens love to text. What our English teachers, parents, and future employers would prefer us to say is “I love grammar,” which most of us don’t. There are times when we have to use proper grammar and times when we don’t. The problem is that the line between when to spell-check and proofread and when to just type and send is becoming blurred and almost invisible.

The way we type when we use virtual communication devices affects the way we spell – not just when we’re in a rush, but on school or job assignments too. Ever caught yourself writing u instead of you in an ­essay for school? What about tho instead of though? In a world where instant gratification is everything, we simply do not take the time to add the few extra letters. Although teens today will eventually become the ones who set the standards for spelling and grammar, our elders are calling the shots now, and they tend to look down on spelling and grammatical errors. This could easily affect one’s grades or job opportunities.

Notice it or not, the words we choose, or rather don’t choose, when we use informal communication have significance. Rarely in a text message will a teen use the extensive vocabulary preached by our educators. Seldom do we see the word exultant for happy, morose for sad, querulous for annoyed, or ecstatic for glad in a text. We must reawaken this vast glossary of obscure and unused words if we expect to succeed on exams like the SATs that affect our future.

So, go ahead, work your fingers to the bone texting, but before you hit send, think about what you have written. Consider the words you chose and the way you spelled them and maybe, just maybe, you will retype your message.



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This article has 306 comments.


on Apr. 12 2011 at 5:10 pm
PaRaNoRmAl627 GOLD, Mountainside, New Jersey
15 articles 0 photos 296 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you want. If it's something you'll regret in the morning, sleep late."

I absolutely cannoooot stand it when a person has no idea how to spell. I'll admit I don't always use perfect grammar in texts, but I do always look it over to make sure there are no spelling errors or typoes. Really, can't you spare two extra seconds of your life? Or, even more importantly, if you can't spell the word or don't know how to use it, DON'T USE IT!

on Mar. 25 2011 at 6:58 pm
IamtheshyStargirl PLATINUM, Lothlorien, Utah
44 articles 16 photos 2206 comments

Favorite Quote:
Boredom instigates extreme creativity.
~Amoniel

"Bowing gratefully to all of my subjects, 'thank you. Thank you. The pleasure is mine." Nah, I'm just kidding. We're all kings together.'"
~Thesilentraven

Hi Arcane :)

 


on Mar. 22 2011 at 4:10 pm
aspiringauthor_ BRONZE, Fairfield, Connecticut
1 article 0 photos 324 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - MLK Jr.

I don't text because I don't have a phone. However, all of my friends do, and, as you said, get lower grades on spelling quizzes, so to speak. Also, most of them seem to think that texting is more important than listening to a friend talk, and that in itself is annoying, rude, and obnoxious! :)

on Mar. 21 2011 at 8:25 pm
CarrieAnne11 GOLD, Potsdam, New York
11 articles 0 photos 22 comments
Sorry... I guess I'm just too gullible.

on Mar. 21 2011 at 8:14 pm
StayClassy1 SILVER, Stockton, California
5 articles 1 photo 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Buy me food so i know it's real"

callmeVieve11, i have something to tell you...of course i meant to spell those words correctly. You should have guessed that...

ArcaneGhost said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 8:04 pm
ArcaneGhost, Hendersonville, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 43 comments
Random interjection to this conversation.

ArcaneGhost said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 7:57 pm
ArcaneGhost, Hendersonville, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Use grammar? I thought the correct way to "spell" it is "to have bad/good grammar."

It was a typo. Sometimes when you type "sentances," it happens.


ArcaneGhost said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 7:51 pm
ArcaneGhost, Hendersonville, Tennessee
0 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Wow. Just wow. People... COME ON.

Ironic, whatever, I just don't understand how people can even spell like that.


on Mar. 21 2011 at 7:24 pm
TaylorJade BRONZE, Atlanta, Georgia
3 articles 0 photos 33 comments

Favorite Quote:
You're not alive unless you're living.

I completely agree with this, but I do agree with most reviewers too. Not all people who text love to text. I do text, but even when I text I spell all the words out. Even when I 'laugh' I put 'Hahaha' and not 'Lol'. So, yeah... I also pnctuate all the sentences. It bothers me if I don't. Hahaha (:

Anyway.... Overall. This is a really great article. (:


on Mar. 21 2011 at 6:40 pm
to.hold.the.sun SILVER, Maryville, Tennessee
9 articles 0 photos 49 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present." -John Green

I totally agree. 

on Mar. 21 2011 at 6:00 pm
EmilyMichelle PLATINUM, Manassas, Virginia
33 articles 4 photos 90 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our truest responsibility to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find the truth."
- Madeleine L'Engle

I agree with parts of this article, but as with every other stereotype, not everyone fits this one. I text my friends all the time and most of them and I use proper grammar and only limited abbreviations (such as "lol"). Also, most people that I know do not EVER write in "text talk" on their school essays. This may be a problem for some people, but certainly not for all.

on Mar. 21 2011 at 5:37 pm
HikariLight BRONZE, Austell, Georgia
4 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You don't have three lives to live--what is this, Mario?" By me.

I LOVE THIS. Text lingo is BIG nowadays, but some students refrain from it! Try not to categorize ALL teens as fools when it comes to grammar! Thanks for sharing.

on Mar. 21 2011 at 5:21 pm
CarrieAnne11 GOLD, Potsdam, New York
11 articles 0 photos 22 comments
Please tell me you meant to spell "matter," "always," and "punctuation" that way!! Because it would be very ironic if you didn't.

on Mar. 21 2011 at 5:16 pm
CarrieAnne11 GOLD, Potsdam, New York
11 articles 0 photos 22 comments
Teens "love" to text?? You act like it's one of our favorite hobbies along with writing or playing an instrument. Yes, it's fun to text, but it's not a favorite activity of mine or really any other intelligent-minded teenagers. It's convenient of course, but I find it a hassle to use abbreviations, "u" and "r," the number 2, etc. I write out full sentences with at least some punctuation. And of course there are many people I know who still don't have cell phones. The fact is, many adolescents have atrocious spelling and grammar, but the rest of us?? We come here to Teen Ink!!

on Mar. 21 2011 at 3:37 pm
StayClassy1 SILVER, Stockton, California
5 articles 1 photo 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Buy me food so i know it's real"

i love to text, but no moatter how long it takes i alwayus spell words correctly! so not everyone texts like that... ohj and i also make sure to use the right puncuation.

Boze44 said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 3:23 pm
Sort of ironic your name is kkkkkkkkkkk. Haha.

Boze44 said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 3:17 pm
An thought? The proper way to spell this is: a thought. Lol. You were just talking about complete sentances when you can't use grammar! 

on Mar. 21 2011 at 2:13 pm
PerfectMGymnast DIAMOND, Parker, Colorado
57 articles 25 photos 633 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you don't leap you'lll never know what it's like to fly"

i love this!!! :)

Fate98 GOLD said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 1:49 pm
Fate98 GOLD, Glasgow, Other
11 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life isn’t about how popular you are… What girl or boy you are dating or who you know. Life is about always being true to who you are or what you believe in. Never let anyone convince you that their way is better than your way. In the end all we have is our hearts.. and our minds. This is the reason we sing.. this is the reason we cry… this is why we live." - Andy six"

Well i love to text, in fact for some random reason i want to wright this like i'm texting.

Well i c both sides of it. As i said i luv texting and i'm glade it's a part of my life. I wish older generations would stop puttinng it down. However i saw their side of it when i was asked 2 read over my friends paper.She thought it  appropriate 2 put in "gonna" and  fav" and i think a couple of others. THIS WAS 4 A GRADDED PAPPER.

But am still very pro texting


iank80 BRONZE said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 2:42 am
iank80 BRONZE,
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
Same here!